Terms of Service

Quroot Innovations Pvt Ltd ("GuardPe", "we", "our", or "us") operates an escrow orchestration platform that facilitates protected transactions between buyers and sellers in India. We are not a bank, wallet, NBFC, or payment aggregator.

Payments made through GuardPe are processed and held by Cashfree Payments India Pvt. Ltd., an RBI-licensed payment aggregator, through a dedicated nodal account. GuardPe never directly holds, stores, or controls user funds.

To use GuardPe you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be a resident of India with a valid mobile number.
• Have a valid PAN and Indian bank account (required for seller payouts above ₹10,000).
• Not be prohibited from receiving services under any applicable law.

GuardPe uses phone OTP authentication. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your registered mobile number. You may not share your account with any other person.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that we believe are being used fraudulently, in violation of these Terms, or in a manner harmful to other users or the platform.

A "Deal" is a structured agreement between a seller (who creates the deal) and a buyer (who funds it). Each deal is milestone-based — the seller defines deliverables and the buyer funds the total amount before any work begins.

The escrow process works as follows:

• Funding: The buyer pays via UPI or card. Funds are held in Cashfree's nodal account.
• Delivery: The seller submits proof of delivery through the platform.
• Approval: The buyer reviews and approves. Payment is released to the seller.
• Auto-release: If the buyer does not respond within 7 days of delivery submission, funds are automatically released to the seller.
• Dispute: Either party may raise a formal dispute before funds are released.

GuardPe charges a platform fee of 2% of the total deal amount, plus 18% GST on that fee. This fee is collected from the buyer at the time of payment and is separate from the deal amount received by the seller.

Example: For a ₹50,000 deal — platform fee is ₹1,000, GST on fee is ₹180. The buyer pays ₹51,180 total. The seller receives ₹50,000.

GuardPe will issue a GST-compliant invoice for its platform fee only. This invoice does not cover the deal amount, which is a direct transaction between the buyer and seller.

Fees are non-refundable once a deal is funded, unless the deal is cancelled before the buyer accepts.

Sellers who wish to receive payouts above ₹10,000 must complete KYC (Know Your Customer) verification. This involves submitting a valid PAN number and a linked Indian bank account. KYC is processed by Cashfree Payments on behalf of GuardPe.

GuardPe does not store full bank account numbers. Account numbers are encrypted at rest using AES-256 and are used solely to facilitate payouts.

Either the buyer or seller may raise a dispute during an active deal. Disputes must be raised before funds are released. Once raised:

• Both parties may submit evidence (files, messages, delivery records).
• A GuardPe review agent will assess the evidence and determine an outcome.
• Outcomes include: full release to seller, full refund to buyer, or partial release.
• GuardPe's dispute decisions are final within the platform.

GuardPe is not a court of law and does not provide legally binding arbitration. Parties retain the right to seek legal remedies through appropriate Indian courts.

GuardPe monitors transactions for suspicious activity and may restrict, suspend, or freeze accounts in compliance with applicable Indian laws, including the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and RBI guidelines applicable to payment aggregators. Restrictions may be applied without prior notice where required by law or to protect other users.

In cases of suspected fraud, GuardPe reserves the right to withhold payout until an investigation is complete and may share relevant data with law enforcement or regulators.

You may not use GuardPe to:

• Facilitate illegal transactions, including sale of prohibited goods.
• Launder money or circumvent AML/KYC obligations.
• Conduct transactions where the underlying deal is fictitious or fraudulent.
• Use another person's identity or payment credentials.
• Abuse the dispute mechanism to delay or avoid legitimate payments.

Violation of these prohibitions will result in immediate account suspension and may be reported to appropriate authorities.

GuardPe's liability is limited to the platform fee collected for a specific deal. We are not liable for:

• Losses arising from the underlying deal (product or service quality, non-delivery, etc.).
• Disputes between parties that go beyond the platform's dispute mechanism.
• Third-party payment processing delays or errors (Cashfree).
• Consequential, incidental, or indirect damages of any kind.

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users of material changes via the platform or registered mobile number. Continued use of GuardPe after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

For questions about these Terms, contact us at legal@guardpe.com or visit our Contact page.