Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By logging in, creating an account, subscribing to meal plans, or using any services provided on the BellyBox website (bellybox.in) or our progressive web app (PWA), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, you are prohibited from using our services.

2. The BellyBox Intermediary Role & Food Safety Moat

BellyBox is a technology-enabled marketplace matching customers with vetted local home chefs and tiffin cooks.

• Mandatory FSSAI Compliance: We enforce that 100% of our onboarded home kitchens possess active licenses from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Under no circumstances is a vendor allowed to cook without a verified license.
• Quality Moat: To ensure taste and safety, we programmatically cap all home cooks at a limit of 100 meals/day. We conduct unexpected weekly inspections, paneer iodine testing, and remove any vendor falling below a 4.2 rating.
• Liability Limitation: BellyBox acts strictly as a digital intermediary platform under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000. While we audit kitchen safety, the ultimate legal responsibility for ingredients, allergens, preparation, and hygiene lies with the independent, FSSAI-licensed home cook.

3. Subscription Lifecycle & Payment Rules

BellyBox operates on a strict subscription-first model. We collect payments in advance to protect vendor supply pipelines:

• Weekly Subscriptions: Billed on a Monday-to-Sunday cycle. Payments must be completed on or before the preceding **Sunday**.
• Monthly Subscriptions: Billed on a calendar-month basis (1st to the last day). Payments must be completed on or before the **30th (or last day)** of the preceding month.
• No Grace Period & Retry Timeline: If a scheduled renewal payment (manual or UPI Autopay mandate) fails on the renewal date, we run an automated retry sequence: **+6 hours, +24 hours, and +48 hours**. If all retries fail, your subscription is paused automatically, and no tiffins will be prepared or delivered.
• One-Time non-renewing Trials: 3-day (or similar) trials are one-time, paid, non-renewing programs. We do NOT run automatic trials-to-subscription conversions; customers must manually subscribe after trial completion.

4. Skip, Pause, and Cancellation Rules

To prevent food waste and manage chef capacities, the platform enforces strict notice periods:

• Skip Cutoff (3 Hours): Meals can only be skipped through the app 3 hours prior to the slot delivery window start. Credit is created per skip up to weekly limits (2 skips/week) or monthly limits (8 skips/month). Skips beyond these limits will skip delivery but will not issue credit.
• Pause notice (24 Hours): You can pause your subscription with a 24-hour advance notice. Subscriptions can stay paused for a maximum of 60 days. Paused subscriptions are auto-cancelled on the 60th day, and notice is sent 7 days in advance. Remaining meals in the cycle are converted to wallet credits.
• Cancellation notice (24 Hours): Subscriptions can be cancelled with a 24-hour advance notice. The cancellation is effective immediately after the 24-hour notice period, and remaining meals are refunded/credited based on current platform policy.

5. Governing Law

These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising out of these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in Bangalore, Karnataka.