Terms of Service

Chord Express is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects people who want items brought to them (“requesters”) with travelers already heading their way (“travelers”). Chord Express provides the software that lets the two sides find each other, agree on a price, and settle payment through an on-chain escrow. Chord Express is not a party to the transaction between a requester and a traveler, is not a courier, retailer, or importer of any item, and does not take custody of items.

You sign in with an email address via our authentication provider (Privy), which creates an embedded Solana wallet for your account. You must be legally able to enter into contracts in your jurisdiction to use Chord Express. You are responsible for activity that happens under your account and for keeping access to your email secure.

When a requester accepts a traveler’s offer, the agreed amount (item cost plus the traveler’s reward) is locked in a smart-contract escrow on the Solana blockchain, denominated in USDC. Funds stay in escrow until one of the following happens:

• the requester confirms receipt of the item, releasing the escrow to the traveler;
• a verified venue witnesses the handover (see section 4), which settles the escrow;
• the order is cancelled, abandoned, or times out under the rules encoded in the escrow program; or
• a dispute is resolved (see section 5).

Escrow releases are executed by on-chain program logic. Blockchain transactions are irreversible: once an escrow releases, Chord Express cannot claw the funds back.

Some handovers take place at registered partner venues. A venue may attest - including by signing on-chain - that both parties were present and the handover occurred. You agree that a valid venue attestation may be used to settle the escrow and to resolve disputes about whether a handover took place. Venues are independent businesses, not agents of Chord Express.

Disputes follow an escalating process:

• Self-settlement first. The parties are expected to resolve issues directly through the in-app chat and the built-in settle/cancel actions.
• Platform arbiter. If self-settlement fails, either party may escalate to Chord Express’s arbiter, who reviews the order record (chat history, venue check-ins, attestations) and directs the escrow to the party they determine is entitled to it. The arbiter’s decision on escrow disposition is final within the platform.
• Timeouts. If an accepted order passes its delivery window plus a grace period without a handover, the requester may reclaim the escrow; a traveler who abandons an accepted order may forfeit their bond.

Chord Express may charge a platform fee on settled orders; any fee is shown before you commit funds. Network transaction fees on Solana are currently covered by the platform for embedded-wallet users. Third parties you use to fund your wallet (on-ramp providers) charge their own fees under their own terms.

• Legality of items. Requesters must not request, and travelers must not carry, items that are illegal, restricted, counterfeit, or dangerous in the origin, transit, or destination country.
• Customs and import rules. Travelers are personally responsible for complying with customs, import/export, duty, and declaration requirements for anything they carry. Requesters are responsible for the legality of receiving the item where they live. Chord Express does not provide customs advice.
• Accuracy. Descriptions, prices, and delivery windows you post must be honest and accurate.
• In-person safety. Choose public, safe meeting points - partner venues exist for exactly this reason.

Chord Express escrows are denominated in USDC on Solana. Nothing on Chord Express is investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Digital assets carry risk, including the risk of loss from network conditions or from errors in third-party infrastructure outside our control.

Do not use Chord Express to launder money, evade sanctions, defraud counterparties, manipulate reviews or attestations, interfere with the escrow program, or harass other users. We may suspend accounts that do.

Chord Express is provided “as is.” To the maximum extent permitted by law, Chord Express disclaims warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and is not liable for the acts or omissions of requesters, travelers, or venues, for the quality or authenticity of items, or for losses arising from blockchain networks, wallets, or third-party services. Our aggregate liability for any claim is limited to the platform fees you paid us for the order giving rise to the claim.

We may update these terms; material changes will be posted here with a new “last updated” date. Continued use after changes means you accept them. Questions? Reach us through the in-app support channels.