Terms of Service - Stark Chat

Last updated: April 2026

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Stark Chat, a service provided by Aduro Creative Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 11200639), trading as Stark Chat ("we", "us", "our").

By creating an account or using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use our services.

If you are using Stark Chat on behalf of an organisation, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organisation to these Terms, and "you" refers to both you individually and that organisation.

2. Description of Service

Stark Chat is a platform that enables you to:

Upload files and documents to create searchable knowledge bases
Connect third-party sources including Google Drive, Notion, and Dropbox
Query your content using AI-powered chat functionality
Share projects with others via email-based access rules or public links

Our service processes your content using AI technology to generate responses based on your uploaded materials. The AI does not train on your data and your content remains isolated from other users.

3. Account Registration

3.1 Account Creation

To use Stark Chat, you must create an account by providing accurate and complete information, including your name and email address. You are responsible for maintaining the accuracy of this information.

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately at privacy@starkchat.com if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.

3.3 Account Eligibility

Our services are intended for business and professional use. By creating an account, you represent that you have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

4. Your Content

4.1 Ownership

You retain all ownership rights in the content you upload to Stark Chat ("Your Content"). We do not claim any ownership over Your Content.

4.2 Licence to Us

By uploading content to Stark Chat, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide licence to process, store, convert, and display Your Content solely for the purpose of providing and improving our services to you. This includes:

Converting files to markdown or plain text format
Generating and storing text embeddings and content chunks
Processing queries against Your Content using AI technology
Displaying content chunks to users you have authorised

This licence terminates when you delete Your Content or close your account, subject to our data retention policy.

4.3 Your Responsibilities

You represent and warrant that:

You own or have the necessary rights and permissions to upload Your Content
Your Content does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party
Your Content does not violate any applicable laws or regulations
You have obtained any necessary consents to share personal data contained in Your Content

4.4 Shared Content

When you share a project publicly or grant access via email rules, you are responsible for ensuring you have the right to share that content. Content chunks (but not original source files) will become accessible to those you authorise.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Stark Chat to:

Upload, store, or share any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
Upload content containing malware, viruses, or other harmful code
Infringe the intellectual property rights of others
Violate the privacy or data protection rights of others
Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems or other users' accounts
Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of our services
Use automated means to access our services without our prior written consent
Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of our software
Use our services to develop a competing product or service
Resell or redistribute our services without our prior written consent

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access if we reasonably believe you have violated these acceptable use terms.

6. Third-Party Integrations

Stark Chat allows you to connect third-party services including Google Drive, Notion, and Dropbox. When you connect these services:

You authorise us to access content from these services on your behalf
You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to access and use that content
Your use of third-party services remains subject to their respective terms of service
We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of third-party services

You may disconnect third-party integrations at any time through your account settings.

7. Usage, Credits and Token Consumption

7.1 Credit-Based Billing Model

Stark Chat operates on a credit-based usage model. All AI functionality on the platform consumes credits, which are deducted from your available credit balance.

One credit represents a fixed allocation of token consumption used to process operations on the platform. The number of credits consumed by a given operation depends on the type of operation and the AI model used. Indicative credit consumption rates are published on our pricing page.

The following types of activity consume credits:

Embedding operations: Generated when you upload files or sync content from connected sources. Your content is processed and converted into embeddings to enable search and retrieval functionality.
Query operations: Generated when users send messages, including the retrieval of relevant content and the generation of AI responses.
Reranking and retrieval operations: Performed automatically as part of query processing to improve response quality.

The effective credit cost of any operation is determined at the time of processing based on the AI models in use. We may update these rates from time to time as set out in section 8.7.

Credits are consumed in order of earliest expiry first.

7.2 Subscription Plans and Included Credits

We offer subscription plans that include a monthly allocation of credits. The number of credits included, the per-message credit cap, and the available platform features vary by plan. Current plan details are available on our pricing page.

Included subscription credits expire at the end of each billing period and do not roll over to the next period.

If your usage exceeds the credits included in your subscription plan, additional credits will be charged at the overage rate applicable to your plan, as published on our pricing page. By subscribing to a plan and enabling auto-reload you authorise us to charge for any overage usage incurred.

For enterprise customers, billing terms are agreed separately and may include custom credit allocations, custom per-message limits, and invoice-based payment as set out in section 8.1.

7.3 Per-Message Credit Cap

Each individual message processed through Stark Chat is subject to a maximum credit consumption limit ("per-message cap"). This cap varies by plan:

Essentials plan: 1 credit per message (approximately 25,000 tokens)
Premium plan: 5 credits per message (approximately 125,000 tokens)
Enterprise plan: No per-message cap by default; custom limits may be configured

Messages that would exceed the applicable per-message cap will be rejected with an error response. The per-message cap is a technical safeguard against unexpected costs and supports the platform's predictability of credit consumption.

The per-message cap for your account is shown in your account settings.

7.4 Liability for All Project Usage

You are responsible for and will be charged for all credit consumption on your projects, whether those projects are private or public. This includes:

Usage generated by you directly
Usage generated by users you have granted access to via email-based access rules
Usage generated by any third party accessing your publicly shared projects

By making a project public or sharing it with others, you accept full liability for all credit consumption incurred by any user who accesses that project. We strongly recommend configuring appropriate rate limits before sharing projects.

7.5 Rate Limits

You may configure rate limits on your projects to control usage, including:

Maximum sessions per user
Maximum credits per session

It is your responsibility to configure appropriate rate limits to manage your credit consumption and costs. We are not liable for any charges incurred due to unconfigured or misconfigured rate limits.

7.6 Free Trials

We may, at our sole discretion, offer free trial credits to allow you to evaluate our services. Trial credits are subject to the following terms:

Trial credits are provided for evaluation purposes only and may be limited in quantity or duration.
Unused trial credits are automatically forfeited when you subscribe to a paid plan. Any remaining trial credit balance at the point of conversion will not carry over.
Trial credits that are not used before the end of the trial period will expire and be removed from your account.
We reserve the right to modify or discontinue trial offers at any time without prior notice.

8. Payment Terms

8.1 Prepaid Credits

Stark Chat primarily operates on a prepaid credit model. You must maintain a positive credit balance to use our services. Credit consumption is deducted from your balance as it is reconciled. Credits may be obtained through subscription plans or one-off top-up purchases.

For enterprise clients, we may offer invoice-based billing where usage is billed monthly in arrears. If you are on an invoice billing arrangement, postpaid credits are allocated at the start of each billing period based on your subscription, and your usage from the previous period is reconciled and invoiced accordingly. Invoiced amounts are subject to applicable taxes including VAT.

8.2 Payment Methods

You may add credits to your account through:

Auto-reload: Your payment method will be charged automatically when your credit balance falls below a threshold you configure. By enabling auto-reload, you authorise us to charge your payment method automatically without further approval for each transaction.
Manual top-up: You may manually purchase credits at any time through your account settings.
Subscription billing: Subscription plan fees are charged automatically at the start of each billing period. Overage charges are charge on a pay as you go basis.

8.3 Payment Processing

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. By providing payment information, you authorise us to charge your chosen payment method for credit purchases, subscription fees, overage charges, and auto-reload transactions. You agree to provide accurate and complete payment information.

8.4 Pricing

Current subscription prices, included credit allocations, top-up rates, and overage rates are available on our pricing page. The credit cost of operations varies depending on the AI model used to process your queries and content. Different operations consume credits at different rates.

All fees are quoted in the currency specified at the point of purchase and are exclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated. Pricing may also vary based on your billing arrangement and subscription plan.

8.5 Insufficient Balance

If your credit balance reaches zero and auto-reload is not enabled or fails, access to AI functionality on your projects will be suspended until you add credits to your account or your next subscription billing period begins. Your uploaded content will remain stored but queries will not be processed.

Any credit consumption that was processed before your balance was depleted but not yet reconciled will be recorded as overage. Overage represents a debt that must be settled. When you next add credits to your account or your next subscription period begins, the overage amount will be deducted from your new credits before they become available for use. For invoice-billed clients, overage will be included in your next monthly invoice.

8.6 Credit Expiry and Refund Policy

Purchased credits are non-refundable except where required by law. Credits are subject to the following expiry terms:

Subscription credits expire at the end of the applicable billing period (typically one month from the date of issuance). Unused subscription credits do not roll over to the next billing period.
Top-up credits expire 12 months from the date of purchase.
Trial credits are forfeited immediately upon subscribing to a paid plan, or at the end of the trial period, whichever occurs first.

Subscription fees are non-refundable for partial billing periods. If you cancel a subscription mid-period, you will retain access to your plan until the end of the current billing period, after which the subscription will not renew.

Upon account termination, any remaining credits are forfeited. Expired or forfeited credits cannot be reinstated or refunded.

8.7 Price Changes

We may change our subscription prices, included credit allocations, per-message caps, and credit consumption rates from time to time. We will provide you with reasonable notice of any price changes before they take effect. Price changes will apply from the next billing period for subscription customers and to future credit purchases for top-up customers, and will not affect credits already purchased.

8.8 Failed Payments

If a payment, subscription charge, or auto-reload fails, we may retry the charge. If payment cannot be processed, your access to AI functionality may be suspended until payment is successfully completed. We reserve the right to terminate your account for persistent payment failures.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 Our Intellectual Property

Stark Chat, including its software, design, logos, and documentation, is owned by Aduro Creative Ltd and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works based on our intellectual property without our prior written consent.

9.2 Feedback

If you provide us with feedback, suggestions, or ideas about our services, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to use, modify, and incorporate that feedback into our services without any obligation to you.

10. AI-Generated Responses

Stark Chat uses artificial intelligence to generate responses based on Your Content. You acknowledge and agree that:

AI-generated responses may not always be accurate, complete, or appropriate
You are responsible for reviewing and verifying any AI-generated output before relying on it
AI-generated responses should not be treated as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice
We do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of AI-generated content

11. Privacy and Data Protection

Our collection and use of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

If you upload content containing personal data of third parties, you are the data controller for that data. You are responsible for ensuring you have a lawful basis for processing that data and for complying with applicable data protection laws.

12. Data Processing Agreement

Where we process personal data on your behalf as a data processor, the Data Processing Agreement available at starkchat.com/dpa applies and forms part of these Terms.

13. Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

Our services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory
We disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
We do not warrant that our services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any AI-generated content

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by English law.

14. Limitation of Liability

Subject to the disclaimers above, to the maximum extent permitted by law:

We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, business, or goodwill
Our total liability to you for any claims arising from or related to these Terms or our services shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) £100

These limitations apply regardless of the theory of liability, whether based on contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or any other basis.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Aduro Creative Ltd and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

Your use of our services
Your Content or your sharing of content
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any rights of a third party

16. Suspension and Termination

16.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at privacy@starkchat.com or through your account settings.

16.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time if:

You breach these Terms
You fail to pay applicable fees
We are required to do so by law
We decide to discontinue our services (with reasonable notice)

16.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use our services will cease immediately. We will delete Your Content in accordance with our data retention policy (within 90 days), unless we are required to retain it for legal purposes. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on our website and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also notify you by email.

Your continued use of our services after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using our services and close your account.

18. General Provisions

18.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

18.2 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any applicable Data Processing Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding our services and supersede any prior agreements.

18.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

18.4 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

18.5 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

18.6 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, strikes, or shortages of transportation, facilities, fuel, energy, labour, or materials.

19. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

Email: privacy@starkchat.com

Company: Aduro Creative Ltd (trading as Stark Chat)
Company Number: 11200639

Address: Aduro Creative Ltd (trading as Stark Chat)
27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX