These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the PIECES iOS application and related services (collectively, the "Service") operated by PIECES Market, Inc. ("PIECES," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
1. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement and that you have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.
2. Account Registration
You must create an account to use most features of the Service. You agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information and to keep your account information updated. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at support@pieces.market if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.
3. The PIECES Marketplace
PIECES is a marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of limited edition fine art prints. PIECES is not a party to transactions between buyers and sellers and does not own, inspect, or guarantee any items listed on the platform. Buyers and sellers transact directly, subject to the protections described in these Terms.
4. Seller Verification and Onboarding
To list items for sale on PIECES, you must complete our seller verification process, which includes identity verification through our payment processor, Stripe Connect. Upon completion of identity verification, your account will be designated as a "New Seller."
After completing three (3) successful transactions with no disputes, your account will be automatically upgraded to "Verified Seller" status. Seller status badges ("New Seller" and "Verified Seller") are displayed on your profile and listings to provide transparency to buyers.
PIECES reserves the right to suspend or revoke seller privileges at any time for violations of these Terms or for conduct we believe to be fraudulent.
5. Listings and Seller Obligations
If you list items for sale on PIECES, you represent and warrant that:
- You have the legal right to sell the item.
- All information in your listing, including title, edition size, condition, and provenance, is accurate and complete.
- The item is not counterfeit, stolen, or otherwise misrepresented.
- You will fulfill all accepted offers promptly and in accordance with these Terms.
Per-Listing Documentation Requirements
All listings must include the following documentation:
- At least one front photograph of the print.
- A photograph of the back of the print.
- A close-up photograph of the artist's signature.
- A close-up photograph of the edition number.
For listings with a sale price of $5,000 or more, the following additional documentation is required:
- A photograph of the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
- Proof of purchase or provenance (such as a gallery invoice, auction receipt, or original order confirmation).
For listings under $5,000, a Certificate of Authenticity and proof of purchase are recommended but not required. PIECES reserves the right to remove any listing that does not meet documentation requirements or that we believe to be fraudulent, counterfeit, or misrepresented.
On-Platform Transactions Requirement
PIECES may provide sellers with a public storefront URL (e.g., pieces.market/seller/<your-slug>) to promote their inventory on the web. By enabling a storefront or otherwise using any PIECES-originated channel (including in-app messaging, offer notifications, and shared listing or portfolio links), you agree that:
- All sales originating from a PIECES storefront or any PIECES-generated interest must be completed through the PIECES platform.
- Soliciting off-platform communication or completing transactions outside of PIECES — including by directing a buyer to an external website, email, phone number, messaging app, or in-person payment channel — is grounds for account termination and forfeiture of any pending payouts.
- Storefront URLs are granted for seller promotional use only; they are not a license to operate an independent sales channel, and seller contact details (including email addresses, phone numbers, and social handles) may not be published on any PIECES-hosted page.
PIECES enforces these requirements because on-platform transactions are what make buyer protection, Escrow.com routing on high-value sales, and payouts work. Off-platform sales that begin inside PIECES undermine every other seller on the platform and remove the protections buyers rely on.
6. Buyer Obligations
By making an offer or completing a purchase on PIECES, you agree to pay the full purchase price including applicable fees. Buyers are responsible for reviewing listing details, photographs, and documentation carefully before making an offer. All purchases are covered by either PIECES Assurance (Section 8) for transactions under $5,000 or PIECES Protected (Section 9) for transactions of $5,000 or more.
7. Fees and Payments
PIECES charges an 8% commission on completed sales. New sellers, including galleries, receive their first three (3) sales commission-free as a launch promotion. After three completed sales, the standard 8% commission applies. Commission is calculated on the final sale price. Payment processing fees charged by Stripe are covered by PIECES and are not deducted from the seller's payout. For transactions of $5,000 or more, escrow fees charged by Escrow.com are passed through to the buyer and shown on the payment screen before checkout.
Payments under $5,000 are processed by Stripe. Payments of $5,000 or more are funded through Escrow.com's hosted checkout. By using the payment features of the Service, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and, where applicable, to Escrow.com's terms of service. Seller payouts are made to the bank account connected to the seller's Stripe Express account once the applicable buyer protection or inspection window closes, typically within 2–7 business days thereafter.
8. PIECES Assurance — Buyer Protection (transactions under $5,000)
Transactions under $5,000 on PIECES are covered by PIECES Assurance, our standard buyer protection program. When you purchase a piece for less than $5,000:
- Payment. Your card is charged through Stripe at checkout. The seller's portion is held by Stripe and paid to the seller after the buyer protection window closes. PIECES retains its 8% platform commission (waived on the seller's first three completed sales as a launch promotion). You will see a single charge from PIECES on your card statement.
- 5-Day Buyer Protection Window. From the date your shipment is marked delivered, you have five (5) calendar days to flag any issue with the piece — condition mismatch, authenticity concerns, damage in transit, or material misrepresentation in the listing. To open a claim, file a dispute through the app's "Report a Problem" flow.
- Mediation and Refunds. PIECES Support reviews each dispute filed within the 5-day window. If we uphold your claim, the seller will provide a prepaid return label using a tracked, signed-for service. If we deny your claim, you may still return the piece at your own expense, or you may keep the piece and the sale stands. Refunds reverse the seller's payout from their Stripe Connect account in accordance with Stripe Connect's reverse-transfer policy.
- Stripe Chargeback Rights. Outside of PIECES' 5-day window, you retain whatever cardholder dispute rights your card issuer provides. PIECES does not waive, limit, or interpret those rights.
- What "Assurance" does not include. PIECES Assurance is a buyer protection and dispute mediation program. It is not an escrow service, and your funds are not held by a third party between purchase and your protection window. Funds are held by Stripe under standard merchant terms during this period. For Escrow.com routing on higher-value transactions, see Section 9.
9. PIECES Protected — Escrow.com on transactions of $5,000 or more
PIECES Market is not an escrow service. PIECES is a software platform. It is not a money transmitter, escrow agent, or licensed financial intermediary. For transactions of $5,000 or more on the Service, escrow services are provided exclusively by Escrow.com, an independent licensed third party. PIECES routes high-value transactions to Escrow.com's hosted checkout; PIECES does not hold buyer funds at any point, does not act as an intermediary in the release of funds to sellers, and does not retain any portion of Escrow.com's fees. The remainder of this section describes how PIECES interfaces with Escrow.com operationally; the underlying escrow service is Escrow.com's, governed by Escrow.com's terms.
Transactions of $5,000 or more on PIECES are processed through PIECES Protected, our partnership-based routing to Escrow.com. When you purchase a piece for $5,000 or more:
- Escrow Payment. Instead of being charged directly through Stripe, you are routed to Escrow.com's hosted checkout to fund the transaction. You will be asked to agree to Escrow.com's terms of service before payment is captured. Funds are held by Escrow.com — not by PIECES, and not by the seller — until the inspection window described below closes.
- Escrow Fees. Escrow.com charges a service fee (typically 0.89% of the transaction value, with a $25 minimum). This fee is shown to you on the payment screen and added to your total. PIECES does not retain any portion of the Escrow.com fee.
- Inspection Window. Once the carrier confirms delivery, Escrow.com begins a five (5) calendar day inspection window. During this window you may tap "Confirm Receipt" in the PIECES app to release funds to the seller immediately, file a dispute through Escrow.com (linked from the app) under Escrow.com's published dispute policy, or take no action — funds release automatically to the seller after five days under Escrow.com's standard auto-release policy.
- Certificate of Provenance. Transactions of $5,000 or more include a PIECES-issued Certificate of Provenance recorded in the buyer's portfolio.
- Disputes. Disputes raised inside the Escrow.com inspection window are governed by Escrow.com's dispute resolution process, not by PIECES. Disputes raised after the window are subject to the same Stripe chargeback / cardholder rights as any other purchase, and PIECES will mediate as a courtesy where possible.
- Escrow.com Terms. Escrow transactions are subject to Escrow.com's published terms of service and privacy policy at escrow.com. By choosing to purchase a $5,000+ piece on PIECES you also agree to those terms.
10. Shipping, Delivery, and Inspection
PIECES sellers are responsible for fulfilling orders. Detailed shipping requirements are governed by the PIECES Shipping Standards document, incorporated by reference into these Terms.
Public-facing summary
- Sellers must ship within 3 business days of payment confirmation.
- All shipments must use FedEx, UPS, or USPS as the carrier.
- The service level is determined by sale price: Ground for orders under $1,000; 2-Day for $1,000–$4,999; Overnight for $5,000 or more.
- Insurance equal to or exceeding the sale price is required.
- Signature confirmation on delivery is required.
- Buyers have a 5-day inspection window after delivery to report any issues, subject to the proof-tier policy below.
- PIECES is currently US-to-US only. International shipping is planned for a future release.
Proof-tier delivery policy
When the carrier records delivery proof — a signature, a photo, or GPS coordinates — your inspection window begins at delivery. When the carrier reports delivery without proof, you have 24 hours during which the app will prompt you to flag any non-receipt before the inspection window starts. After 24 hours with no flag, the inspection window begins automatically.
Sellers are responsible for packaging items appropriately to prevent damage during transit. PIECES is not liable for items damaged, lost, or stolen during shipment. In the event of damage during transit, buyers should raise a dispute during the inspection window.
11. Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
- List counterfeit, stolen, or misrepresented items.
- Manipulate prices, reviews, or market data.
- Use the Service for any unlawful purpose.
- Circumvent the PIECES platform to complete transactions off-platform in order to avoid fees.
- Harass, threaten, or abuse other users.
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other users' accounts.
- Use automated tools to scrape, index, or access the Service without our permission.
- Upload fraudulent documentation, including falsified Certificates of Authenticity or provenance records.
12. Intellectual Property
The Service and its contents, including but not limited to the PIECES name, logo, software, and design, are owned by PIECES Market, Inc. and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works based on the Service without our express written permission.
By uploading images or content to the Service, you grant PIECES a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute that content in connection with operating and promoting the Service.
13. Disclaimers
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. PIECES DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. PIECES MAKES NO WARRANTIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY OF MARKET DATA, COMPARABLE-SALES DATA, OR OTHER MARKET INTELLIGENCE FEATURES. PIECES DOES NOT AUTHENTICATE, APPRAISE, OR GUARANTEE THE AUTHENTICITY, CONDITION, OR VALUE OF ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE PLATFORM. SELLER VERIFICATION BADGES INDICATE COMPLETION OF OUR VERIFICATION PROCESS AND TRANSACTION HISTORY; THEY DO NOT CONSTITUTE A GUARANTEE OF SELLER RELIABILITY OR ITEM AUTHENTICITY.
14. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PIECES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES ARISING FROM TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN BUYERS AND SELLERS, DISPUTES OVER ITEM AUTHENTICITY OR CONDITION, OR LOSSES DURING SHIPPING. PIECES'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) $100 OR (B) THE TOTAL FEES PAID BY YOU TO PIECES IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.
15. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless PIECES and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Service, your listings, your transactions, your uploaded documentation, or your violation of these Terms.
16. Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved by binding arbitration in New York, New York, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.
17. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms in the app and updating the effective date above. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
18. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these Terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. Sections 12 through 16 survive termination.
19. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
PIECES Market, Inc.
support@pieces.market