Terms of Service
Welcome to Coupal! Please read these Terms of Service carefully as they contain essential information about your rights and obligations while using our services.
Effective Date: Effective on June 1, 2024
1. Introduction
Welcome to Coupal (“Platform”), operated by Bytech Minds Pvt Ltd (“Company/“we”). By creating an account or by browsing www.coupal.in or the Coupal mobile app you (“you”, “User”) agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions (“T&C”). If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.
2. Definitions
• “Services” – matchmaking, chat, profile discovery, push notifications, newsletter e-mails and any paid digital goods.
• “Content” – text, photos, audio, video, GIFs and metadata posted or sent by a User.
• “Verified Photo” – a profile photo approved after our AI compares it with the required live selfie and finds ≥ 80 % similarity.
3. Eligibility & Account Creation
• You must be at least 18 years old and legally competent under the Indian Contract Act 1872 to enter a binding agreement.
• Registration presently supports Google-based OAuth; additional methods may be added later.
• During onboarding you will provide: name, e-mail, date-of-birth, location (city & GPS point), gender, preferences and a live selfie. All fields marked “mandatory” are required to finish account setup.
• You warrant that the data you provide is accurate and kept up-to-date.
4. Photo & Identity Verification
1. Live Selfie Check – You must take an in-app selfie; our on-device AI matches subsequent uploads against the selfie (≥ 80 % confidence) before allowing them on-profile.
2. Storage & Access – Selfies are stored in an encrypted S3 bucket; access is limited to authorised staff on a strict need-to-know basis; selfies are never shared publicly.
3. Re-Verification – We may request a new selfie if our system flags discrepancies (e.g., drastic appearance change or potential impersonation).
5. User Conduct
You agree not to:
• upload Content that is unlawful, harassing, hateful, pornographic, or depicts minors in sexual activities – prohibitions required under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
• solicit money or share financial details in chat.
• post another person’s private data (phone, Aadhaar, etc.) without consent – violation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDP).
Moderation – Coupal uses automated classifiers and human reviewers to scan chats and images; offending material may be blocked or removed without notice. Repeated or egregious breaches lead to suspension under Rule 3(2) of the IT Rules 2021.
6. Licences
By posting Content you grant Coupal a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display and distribute that Content solely for operating the Services. You retain ownership of your Content.
7. Subscriptions & Paid Features
When paid features launch, prices will be shown in-app and charged via Google Play In-App Billing; refunds follow Google Play policies and Indian Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020.
8. Notifications & E-mail
• Transactional e-mails (welcome, match request, acceptance, unread-message alerts) are sent from no-reply@mail.coupal.in via Amazon SES.
• Marketing newsletters require opt-in consent and include unsubscribe links in compliance with DPDP Act and CAN-SPAM (for global recipients).
9. Privacy & Data
Collection, use, storage, cross-border transfer and retention are detailed in our Privacy Policy. Key highlights:
• Data minimisation & purpose limitation per DPDP 2023.
• Right to withdraw consent and account deletion flow in-app (takes ≤ 7 days).
• Security – encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256). Security incidents are reported to CERT-In within 6 hours as mandated (April 2022 direction).
10. Disclaimers & Liability
The Platform is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind. While we enforce rules and AI moderation, we cannot guarantee the behaviour of other Users. Coupal is not liable for offline meetings, loss, or damage arising from interactions initiated on the Platform.
To the fullest extent permitted by Indian law we disclaim implied warranties (merchantability, fitness, non-infringement). Our aggregate liability is limited to the greater of ₹ 5,000 or the total fees you paid to Coupal in the past 12 months.
11. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold Coupal harmless from any claim or demand arising out of your breach of these T&C or your misuse of the Services.
12. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your account for breach, repeated complaints, or on request from law-enforcement under Section 79 of the IT Act 2000. Upon termination, your limited licence ends but sections on IP, disclaimers, indemnity and governing law survive.
13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
These T&C are governed by the laws of India. Courts of [Jaipur, Rajasthan] have exclusive jurisdiction. Users may first write to support@coupal.in; unresolved disputes may be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996.
14. Changes
We may modify these T&C with 7 days’ notice via e-mail or in-app alert. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.