Terms & Conditions

AGREEMENT TO OUR LEGAL TERMS

We are Pathrika Tech Solutions, doing business as Pathrika ("Company", "we", "us", or "our").

We operate the website http://www.pathrika.in (the "Site"), the mobile application Pathrika (the "App"), as well as any other related products and services that refer or link to these legal terms (the "Legal Terms") (collectively, the "Services").

You can contact us by email at support@pathrika.in or by mail to:
Pathrika Tech Solutions, VTPRA 44A, Thaliparambu Lane, Vennala P.O, 682028, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.

These Legal Terms constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity ("you"), and Pathrika Tech Solutions, concerning your access to and use of the Services.

USER CLASSIFICATIONS:

For the purpose of these terms, users are classified into two categories:

• Agents: Independent newspaper delivery business owners who use our software to manage their ledger, generate bills, and collect payments.
• Customers (End-Users): The subscribers or readers who receive newspaper deliveries from Agents and use our platform to view and pay their bills.

You agree that by accessing the Services, you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these Legal Terms. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE LEGAL TERMS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE SERVICES AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY.

1. OUR SERVICES AND PLATFORM ROLE

The Services provide a digital ledger, billing, and payment routing system.

Crucial Disclaimer: Pathrika is solely a technology service provider. We do not print, distribute, or deliver newspapers or magazines.

• We are not responsible for the physical delivery of goods.
• Any dispute regarding missed deliveries, damaged newspapers, or subscription changes must be handled directly between the Customer and the Agent.
• Pathrika merely facilitates the calculation of dues and the routing of online payments.

2. INVOICING AND LEDGER MECHANICS

As a billing platform, Pathrika provides tools for Agents to calculate and issue bills. The following strict rules apply to ledger management:

• Invoice Immutability: To maintain financial integrity and a clear audit trail, once an invoice is generated by an Agent for a specific billing cycle, it becomes final and immutable. Generated invoices cannot be edited, altered, or deleted by the Agent or the Customer.
• Add-ons and Adjustments: Agents have the ability to manually add extra charges (e.g., delivery fees, magazine add-ons) and adjustments (e.g., previous arrears, discounts) before generating an invoice. If a mistake is made on a generated invoice, the Agent must resolve it by applying an "Adjustment" to the next billing cycle or by settling the difference directly with the Customer offline.
• Late Fees and Penalties: The platform allows Agents to configure automated late fees (fines) that are added to overdue invoices based on a grace period set by the Agent. Pathrika programmatically executes these additions based strictly on the Agent's custom configuration. It is the sole responsibility of the Agent to ensure these fines are fair, properly communicated to their customers, and legally permissible. Any disputes, customer grievances, or loss of business arising from the imposition of late fees must be managed and resolved entirely by the Agent. Pathrika assumes no liability for disputes over automated fines.
• Pause Deliveries (Vacation Mode): The platform features a "Pause" function allowing Agents to halt daily billing calculations for specific dates (e.g., when a Customer goes on vacation). It is strictly the Agent's responsibility to use this feature accurately and accept or reject requests coming from the customer side. Pathrika calculates prorated bills based purely on the data inputted by the Agent and is not liable for overcharging or undercharging due to an Agent's failure to log a pause.
• Regional Pricing & Agent Verification: The publication rates available to an Agent on the platform are based on the geographic address provided during onboarding. While Pathrika centrally updates these rates, it is the sole responsibility of the Agent to verify that the platform prices match the actual physical market prices before generating invoices. Any discrepancy must be immediately notified to Pathrika. If an Agent generates an invoice using an incorrect or outdated price, the Agent assumes full liability for any resulting customer disputes.

3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Services, including all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, text, and graphics in the Services (collectively, the "Content").

Subject to your compliance with these Legal Terms, we grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access the Services solely for your personal or internal business use (in the case of Agents).

4. USER REPRESENTATIONS

By using the Services, you represent and warrant that:

• (1) all registration and KYC information you submit will be true, accurate, current, and complete;
• (2) you will maintain the accuracy of such information;
• (3) you have the legal capacity to comply with these terms;
• (4) you are not a minor (under 18 years of age);
• (5) you will not use the Services for any illegal or unauthorised purpose, including fraudulent billing.

5. USER REGISTRATION AND ACCOUNTS

• For Agents: You are required to register and provide KYC details (such as Bank Account, PAN, and Udyam Registration) to receive settlements. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential.
• For Customers: You may access your billing ledger via secure, one-time links sent via SMS/WhatsApp by your Agent and through the customer portal available on the website. You are responsible for verifying the bill details before making a payment.

6. PURCHASES, PAYMENTS, AND SETTLEMENTS

• For Customers: You agree to pay the charges generated by your Agent for newspaper deliveries. We accept UPI, Cards, and Netbanking via our secure payment gateway partners. All payments shall be in Indian Rupees (INR).
• For Agents (Settlements & Fees): Pathrika facilitates the routing of customer payments directly to the Agent's linked bank account.

  • By using the platform, Agents agree to the deduction of a Platform Fee and applicable Gateway Processing Fees from every successful online transaction.
  • The net amount will be settled to the Agent's verified bank account per the standard settlement cycle of the payment gateway (usually T+1 or T+2 working days).
• Withheld Funds / Gateway Holds: Pathrika is not liable for any delayed settlements, withheld funds, or account freezes initiated by our payment gateway partners due to the Agent's incomplete KYC, suspicious transaction flags, chargebacks, or banking issues. If the payment gateway places a hold on your funds, you agree to cooperate with the gateway's compliance team and provide the required documentation to release the funds.
• For Agents (Pathrika Credits & Ledger Usage): Agents may use the platform to record offline/cash payments.

  • Prepaid Credits: To record cash transactions, Agents must purchase "Pathrika Credits" (where 1 Credit = ₹1 INR).
  • Usage Fee: A predetermined number of credits is deducted from the Agent's balance for every cash transaction successfully recorded in the ledger.
  • Closed-Loop System: Pathrika Credits hold no real-world monetary value outside the platform. They can solely be used to pay for Pathrika software usage fees. They cannot be transferred to other users, used to purchase third-party goods, or withdrawn to a bank account as cash.

7. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

As a user of the Services, you agree not to:

• Fraudulently inflate bills or charge Customers for services not rendered (Agents).
• Refuse to honour payments made successfully through the platform.
• Systematically retrieve data to create a competing database.
• Trick, defraud, or mislead us or other users.
• Interfere with security-related features of the Services.
• Upload or transmit viruses, Trojan horses, or harmful code.
• Use the Services to harass, abuse, or harm another person.

8. PRIVACY POLICY

We care about data privacy and security. Please review our Privacy Policy located on our website. By using the Services, you agree to be bound by our Privacy Policy. The Services are hosted in India, and all data is processed in compliance with Indian data protection laws.

9. TERM AND TERMINATION

These Legal Terms shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Services. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account (especially in cases of suspected fraud, excessive customer complaints, or breach of these terms) at any time, without warning, in our sole discretion.

10. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS

We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Services at any time or for any reason at our sole discretion without notice. We cannot guarantee the Services will be available at all times and will not be liable for any downtime.

11. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

These Legal Terms shall be governed by and defined following the laws of India. Pathrika Tech Solutions and yourself irrevocably consent that the courts of Ernakulam, Kerala, India shall have exclusive jurisdiction to resolve any dispute which may arise in connection with these Legal Terms.

12. DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS AND AS-AVAILABLE BASIS. PATHRIKA DOES NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE ADVERTISED OR OFFERED BY AN AGENT THROUGH THE SERVICES.

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT OR LOST REVENUE, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY DISPUTES BETWEEN AGENTS AND CUSTOMERS REGARDING NEWSPAPER DELIVERY.

13. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand made by any third party due to or arising out of: (1) your use of the Services; (2) breach of these Legal Terms; or (3) any overt harmful act toward any other user of the Services.

14. SMS AND WHATSAPP MESSAGING

By using Pathrika (as an Agent or Customer), you consent to receive transactional notifications, billing updates, and payment links via SMS and WhatsApp. Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier. You may opt out of promotional messages, but transactional messages are necessary for the functioning of the billing service.

15. CONTACT US

In order to resolve a complaint regarding the Services or to receive further information, please contact us at: