Terms of Service | Cottage CMS

Welcome to Cottage CMS

These Terms of Service govern your use of Cottage CMS, a website platform designed specifically for cottage food entrepreneurs. By using our service, you agree to these terms and our commitment to helping you build a successful cottage food business online.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Cottage CMS ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Service.

Key Points:

• These terms apply to all users of Cottage CMS
• By creating an account, you accept these terms
• Age requirements vary by state - see eligibility section
• We may update these terms with notice

2. Description of Service

Cottage CMS provides a website building platform specifically designed for cottage food businesses. Our service includes:

Core Features

• Website building tools and templates
• Cottage food compliance features
• Product showcase capabilities
• Customer management tools
• Mobile-responsive designs

Optional Services

• Domain setup assistance
• Billing and domain renewal notices
• Support for account and cancellation questions

3. SMS and Text Messaging Terms

SMS Program Overview

Program Name: Cottage CMS SMS Notifications

By providing your mobile phone number and opting in, you agree to receive text messages from Cottage CMS. We offer three separate SMS messaging services:

1. Security Codes: One-time passcodes for customer sign-in, account verification, and two-factor authentication
2. Order Texts: Transactional text updates about a specific order, such as confirmation, payment updates, order changes, pickup reminders, delivery reminders, and shipping updates, when the customer opts in for that order
3. Shop Alerts: Marketing and promotional texts such as drop lists, ordering windows, new availability, announcements, and offers, only after explicit opt-in and verification

Types of Messages

Transactional Messages

These service-related messages are sent only when needed for security or when a customer opts in to receive order texts:

• Account security alerts and verification codes
• Password reset confirmations
• Payment and billing notifications
• Order confirmations and receipts
• Shipping and delivery updates
• Service disruption notices

Marketing Messages

These promotional messages require your prior express written consent:

• Special offers and discounts
• New feature announcements
• Product updates and tips
• Event invitations
• Educational content and resources
• Promotional campaigns

Message Frequency

Platform Messages: You will receive up to 4 messages per month for account-related communications. Frequency may vary based on your account activity and critical updates
Customer Order Messages: Customers who opt in at checkout may receive 1-4 messages per order, such as confirmation, payment updates, pickup/delivery reminders, or order changes
Marketing Messages: Frequency is disclosed at opt-in time. Typically up to 4 messages per month, but may vary based on the specific campaign you subscribe to

Consent Requirements

TCPA Compliance: By opting in to receive SMS messages, you provide your prior express written consent to receive text messages from Cottage CMS using an automatic telephone dialing system or artificial/prerecorded voice to the mobile phone number you provide.

Consent is Not Required for Purchase: You are not required to consent to receiving marketing text messages or order text updates as a condition of purchasing any goods or services from Cottage CMS
One-to-One Consent: Your consent applies only to Cottage CMS and cannot be shared with third parties or affiliates for their marketing purposes
Opt-In Methods: You may provide consent by:
- • Checking an opt-in checkbox on our website forms
- • Texting a keyword (e.g., START, JOIN) to our SMS number
- • Verbally agreeing during a recorded phone call
- • Confirming via email with a double opt-in process

Message and Data Rates

Message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. Standard messaging rates from your mobile carrier will apply to all SMS messages. We do not charge for SMS messages, but your carrier may. The number of messages you receive will depend on your opt-in preferences and account activity. Check with your mobile carrier for details about your messaging plan.

How to Opt-Out (Stop Messages)

You can opt out of SMS messages at any time. To stop messages from the Cottage CMS number that contacted you, reply to that message with any of these keywords:

• STOP
• STOPALL
• UNSUBSCRIBE
• CANCEL
• END
• QUIT

After texting any of these keywords, you will receive one final confirmation message that you have been unsubscribed from messages sent by that number. No further messages will be sent from that number unless you opt in again. You will not be charged by Cottage CMS for this STOP message.

Note: Replying UNSUB with a shop key or UNSUBALL stops marketing/shop alerts. Opting out of marketing messages will not prevent you from requesting security codes or separately opting into transactional messages related to a specific order.

How to Get Help

If you are experiencing issues with the messaging program, you can reply with the keyword HELP for more information.

After texting HELP, you will receive information about the SMS program including customer support contact details.

Additional Support Options:

• Email: support@cottagecms.com
• Support Portal: cottagecms.com/support
• Response Time: Within 48 hours for email inquiries

SMS Service Provider

Cottage CMS uses Twilio as our third-party SMS gateway provider to deliver text messages. By opting in, you acknowledge that your phone number and message content will be shared with Twilio for the purpose of message delivery, routing, abuse prevention, delivery reporting, and related messaging operations. Twilio processes this information according to its privacy terms.

Carrier and Device Limitations

Important Limitations:

• Carrier Liability: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Message delivery depends on factors outside our control including network availability, device compatibility, and carrier policies
• Supported Carriers: SMS service is available for U.S. mobile phone numbers from participating carriers. Some prepaid plans or MVNOs may not support all message types
• Device Requirements: You must have a mobile device capable of receiving SMS text messages
• Time Restrictions: Marketing messages will not be sent before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM in your local time zone, in compliance with TCPA regulations
• No Guarantee: While we make reasonable efforts to ensure message delivery, we do not guarantee delivery or timing of SMS messages

User Responsibilities

By opting in to SMS messaging, you agree to:

Provide accurate and current mobile phone number information
Update your phone number if it changes
Notify us immediately if you no longer have access to a phone number you provided
Maintain an active mobile phone plan capable of receiving SMS messages
Review and comply with your mobile carrier's terms of service
Not hold Cottage CMS liable for carrier-related issues or charges

Privacy and Data Protection

If you have any questions regarding privacy, please read our Privacy Policy. Our privacy policy explains in detail how we collect, use, store, and protect your phone number and SMS-related data. Key points include:

We do not sell, rent, or share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes
Your SMS opt-in status and consent records are kept confidential
We retain opt-out records indefinitely to honor your preferences
You have the right to access, update, or delete your SMS data

SMS Service Modifications and Termination

We reserve the right to:

Modify the SMS program, message frequency, or content with reasonable notice
Suspend or terminate SMS services for technical, legal, or business reasons
Block or restrict SMS access for accounts that violate these terms
Change SMS service providers with notification to users

In the event of SMS service termination, we will provide at least 30 days advance notice when possible, and will continue to honor opt-out preferences indefinitely.

4. User Eligibility and Compliance

Eligibility Requirements

Age Requirements: You must meet your state's minimum age requirement for operating a cottage food business:
- If you are 18 or older, you may create an account independently
- If you are under 18 but meet your state's requirements (some allow from age 13), a parent or legal guardian must create and manage the account on your behalf
- The account holder must have legal capacity to enter into contracts
You must have legal authority to operate a cottage food business in your jurisdiction
You must comply with all applicable cottage food laws and regulations
You may not use our service where prohibited by law

📝 Minor Operators

If you are a minor operating a cottage food business under your state's laws:

• Your parent/guardian must create and maintain the account
• Your parent/guardian is responsible for all account activity
• Your parent/guardian must supervise your business operations
• All legal agreements are with the parent/guardian, not the minor

⚠️ Legal Compliance Notice

You are solely responsible for:

• Obtaining required cottage food permits and licenses
• Ensuring product labeling compliance
• Following approved food lists for your state
• Meeting local health department requirements
• Collecting and remitting applicable taxes

5. Account Registration and Security

Account Requirements

The account holder must be legally able to enter into contracts (18+ or emancipated minor, or parent/guardian for minor operators)
You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
One person or business entity per account

Account Security

Important: You are solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication when available.

6. Pricing, Billing, and Payment Terms

Current Plans

Subscription Plans

Free: Available at no recurring platform fee with included Free features.
Pro: $20 per month or $200 per year, plus any applicable taxes. Pro includes paid platform features such as custom domains, theme customization, unlimited pages, and priority support.

Legacy Lifetime and Founders Plans

Lifetime and Founders plans are no longer sold as of January 2026. Existing eligible Lifetime and Founders plan holders keep lifetime access to platform features for the account that purchased or received that access, subject to these Terms. Lifetime access does not include separately billed third-party costs, managed domain renewals, SMS usage, taxes, or optional services unless expressly stated.

Domain Setup Assistance

Domain setup assistance is available for $97 as a one-time optional service. This service is non-refundable once purchased.

Managed Domain Purchases

Managed domain registrations and renewals are separate from Pro subscription fees and are not covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee. Once a registration or renewal is submitted to or accepted by our registrar, the domain purchase is non-refundable except where required by law or by the registrar.

The transfer restriction is not a Cottage CMS policy. ICANN explains that registrars may deny a transfer request when a domain is within 60 days of initial registration, and our registrar applies that lock to managed domain purchases.

Newly registered managed domains cannot be transferred away from our registrar for 60 days after registration.
Cottage CMS cannot provide a transfer authorization code before the 60-day transfer lock expires.
The 60-day transfer lock does not prevent you from using the domain with Cottage CMS during that period.
Cancelling, downgrading, or refunding Pro does not cancel, refund, or transfer a managed domain purchase.

Automatic Renewal and Payment

Pro subscriptions renew automatically through Stripe until cancelled or scheduled for downgrade.
Monthly Pro renews each month. Annual Pro renews each year.
We send annual Pro renewal reminder emails about 30 days before annual renewal when we have a valid account email and the subscription remains eligible for renewal.
Managed domains renew annually through Stripe. The amount shown at purchase is the current renewal amount; future renewals may change if registrar or provider renewal pricing changes. We may update the scheduled renewal amount for future billing periods and send managed-domain renewal reminders about 30 days and about 7 days before eligible renewals when we have a valid account email.
We accept card payments through Stripe. We do not store full card numbers on our servers.
Applicable taxes may be added based on your billing information and legal requirements.
Failed or past-due payments may result in loss of Pro features, service restrictions, downgrade to Free, or account suspension after reasonable notice when practical.
We may change prices with advance notice. Price changes apply to future billing periods, not charges already completed.

Managing or Cancelling Pro

You can manage billing or schedule cancellation from your dashboard Billing page. You may also contact support@cottagecms.com for billing help. Cancelling Pro schedules a downgrade to Free at the end of the current paid billing period unless the account is closed earlier.

7. Refund and Cancellation Policy

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

The 30-day money-back guarantee applies only to the first 30 days after your first paid Pro membership begins. If you are not satisfied during that first 30-day period, you may request a refund review for your initial monthly or annual Pro charge. Approved refunds are based on the amount you actually paid for that initial Pro charge, less non-refundable fees and pass-through costs.

Refund Conditions

First paid Pro membership only: Refunds are limited to the initial Pro charge actually paid and must be requested within 30 days after your first paid Pro membership begins.
No rolling renewal guarantee: The 30-day money-back guarantee does not reset for renewals, plan changes, reactivations, or later Pro charges.
Reasonable course-correction effort: By requesting the 30-day money-back guarantee, you agree to give Cottage CMS a reasonable opportunity to understand the issue and attempt to resolve it through setup help, troubleshooting, configuration changes, or product guidance. Your refund request date is preserved while we make that good-faith effort.
Fees and pass-through costs: Refunds do not exceed the amount actually paid and are issued less non-refundable payment processing fees, chargeback or dispute fees, taxes that cannot be returned, and third-party or pass-through costs.
After the guarantee period: Pro charges are non-refundable, and we do not provide prorated refunds or credits for unused time.
Domain setup assistance: The $97 one-time domain setup assistance fee is non-refundable once purchased.
Managed domains and third-party costs: Domain registrations and renewals are non-refundable once submitted to or accepted by our registrar. Taxes, SMS usage, and other pass-through or third-party costs are non-refundable unless required by law or by the applicable provider.
Cancellation: Cancelling Pro schedules a downgrade to Free at the end of the current paid billing period. It does not automatically delete your account.

To request a refund, cancellation help, billing correction, or dispute review, contact support@cottagecms.com.

8. User Content and Intellectual Property

Your Content

You retain all rights to content you create and upload to your Cottage CMS website, including:

Product descriptions and business information
Photos and images you upload
Blog posts and written content
Business branding and logos

License to Cottage CMS

By using our service, you grant Cottage CMS a limited, non-exclusive license to use your content solely for the purpose of providing our service, including:

Storing and displaying your content on your website
Creating backups for data protection
Technical processing for website functionality
Anonymized use in aggregate analytics (no personal identification)

Cottage CMS Intellectual Property

The Cottage CMS platform, including software, templates, features, and branding, is owned by Cottage CMS. You receive a license to use our platform but do not own the underlying technology.

9. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use Cottage CMS for:

Illegal or Harmful Activities

• Violating any laws or regulations
• Selling prohibited food items
• Operating without proper permits
• Making false health claims
• Infringing on others' intellectual property

Platform Abuse

• Attempting to hack or disrupt the service
• Sharing account credentials
• Creating multiple accounts
• Reselling platform access
• Using automated tools without permission

⚠️ Cottage Food Compliance

You are responsible for ensuring your cottage food business complies with all applicable state and local laws. Cottage CMS provides tools and guidance but cannot guarantee legal compliance.

10. Service Availability and Modifications

Service Availability

We strive to provide reliable service but cannot guarantee 100% uptime. We may experience:

Scheduled maintenance windows
Unexpected technical issues
Third-party service disruptions
Force majeure events

Service Modifications

We may modify, update, or discontinue features of our service with reasonable notice. We will:

Provide advance notice of significant changes
Maintain core functionality for existing users
Offer migration assistance when possible
Honor legacy Lifetime and Founders access for existing eligible accounts

11. Downgrade, Account Closure, and Deletion

Cancelling Pro Downgrades to Free

Cancelling a recurring Pro subscription schedules your account to downgrade to Free at the end of the current paid billing period. It does not automatically delete your account, website, content, customers, orders, or account records.

Requesting Account Deletion

Account deletion is available from the dashboard for eligible account owners:

Go to Dashboard, then Settings, then Account.
Confirm you are signed in as the account owner.
Resolve account blockers. Recurring Pro users must first schedule cancellation or downgrade from Billing. Free users and legacy Lifetime users can request deletion if no active Square blocker exists.
Select exit feedback.
Confirm your password.
Type DELETE, then submit the deletion request.

Account deletion is permanent. It removes the site, content, customer data, order data, account data, and related business records from the active service. Legacy Lifetime users lose Lifetime benefits if they close the account.

Termination by Cottage CMS

We may suspend or terminate accounts for violations of these Terms, including:

Violating prohibited use policies
Non-payment after notice when practical
Abusive behavior toward staff or other users
Legal violations or court orders

We will provide reasonable notice and opportunity to cure violations when possible, except in cases of severe misconduct, security risk, legal requirement, or urgent platform protection.

12. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

Service Disclaimers

COTTAGE CMS IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Cottage CMS's total liability for any claims arising from your use of our service shall not exceed the amount you paid for the service in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Specific Disclaimers

Legal Compliance: We provide tools and guidance but cannot guarantee compliance with cottage food laws
Business Success: We cannot guarantee your business success or income levels
Third-Party Services: We are not responsible for third-party integrations or services
Data Loss: While we maintain backups, you should independently backup important data

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Cottage CMS from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

Your use of the service in violation of these terms
Your cottage food business operations
Content you post or publish through our platform
Violation of any laws or third-party rights
Your failure to comply with cottage food regulations

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Dispute Resolution

We prefer to resolve disputes amicably. Before pursuing legal action:

Contact support@cottagecms.com to discuss the issue
Allow 30 days for good faith resolution attempts
Consider mediation through a mutually agreed mediator

Any legal proceedings will be conducted in the courts of Bexar County, Texas, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make changes:

We'll post the updated Terms on our website
We'll notify you by email of material changes
Changes take effect 30 days after posting
Continued use constitutes acceptance of new terms
You may terminate your account if you disagree with changes

16. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Use of Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain your session and authentication
Remember your preferences
Analyze site usage and performance
Prevent fraud and enhance security

Analytics and Marketing

We may use third-party analytics services including:

Google Analytics for usage statistics
Meta Pixel for conversion tracking
Cloudflare Analytics for performance monitoring

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect site functionality.

17. API Terms and Developer Access

If we provide API access or developer tools:

API access is subject to rate limiting
You may not use APIs to compete with our service
We may revoke API access for abuse or violations
API availability is not guaranteed

18. Export Controls and Sanctions

You may not use our service if you are:

Located in a country subject to U.S. embargo
On any U.S. government restricted parties list
Prohibited from receiving U.S. origin products or services

19. California Consumer Rights

California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) including the right to know, delete, and opt-out of the sale of personal information. See our Privacy Policy for details.

20. Force Majeure

We are not liable for any delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including:

Natural disasters or acts of God
War, terrorism, or civil unrest
Government actions or regulations
Internet or utility failures
Labor disputes or shortages
Pandemic or epidemic

21. Contact Information

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

Support and Billing Questions

Email: support@cottagecms.com

Last Updated: June 2026
Effective Date: June 2026
By using Cottage CMS, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service.