Terms of Service
Last updated: June 22, 2026
Welcome to Shieldz. These terms govern your use of the Shieldz platform, including our website, API, merchant dashboard, and hosted checkout pages (collectively, the "Service"). By accessing or using the Service you agree to these terms.
1. What Shieldz does
Shieldz is a non-custodial payment detection and notification service. We help merchants accept crypto payments directly to their own wallets across seven chains and twelve payment rails, with zero transaction fees. Here is exactly what we do and what we don't:
- We do, generate invoices, derive per-invoice receive addresses from your mnemonic, watch blockchains for incoming payments, and deliver HMAC-signed webhook notifications and Telegram DMs when funds land.
- We do NOT, custody, hold, or control your funds at any point. Payments flow directly from the buyer's wallet to yours.
- We do NOT, exchange, convert, or swap currencies. There is no intermediary in the value flow. We observe, we never touch.
- We do NOT, collect personal information from buyers. Privacy is not a feature we bolt on, it is the foundation of the product.
2. Supported payment rails
Shieldz currently supports the following assets and networks:
- Shielded Zcash (ZEC), privacy-preserving payments via the Zcash shielded pool
- Native Bitcoin (BTC)
- USDC on Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and Ethereum
- USDT on Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and Ethereum
New chains and assets may be added over time.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to use Shieldz. By using the Service you represent that you meet this requirement and that your use of the Service does not violate any applicable law or regulation in your jurisdiction.
4. Merchant accounts
4.1 Registration and key generation
Merchants authenticate via wallet-native sign-in (Sign-In-With-Ethereum or Telegram). During onboarding you generate a 12-word mnemonic in your browser. This mnemonic derives all your receive addresses, Bitcoin zpub, EVM addresses, and Zcash UFVK. Shieldz never sees or stores your mnemonic. You are solely responsible for backing it up.
4.2 Merchant responsibilities
As a merchant using Shieldz, you agree to:
- Securely back up your 12-word mnemonic. If you lose it, you lose access to your receive addresses and any funds sent to them. Shieldz cannot recover it.
- Keep your API keys (
sk_live_…/sk_test_…) and webhook signing secrets confidential. Treat them like passwords. - Verify webhook signatures on your server before acting on payment events.
- Comply with all laws, regulations, and tax obligations applicable to your business and jurisdiction.
- Handle customer refunds and disputes directly, Shieldz does not process refunds on your behalf at this time.
- Not use the Service for any unlawful purpose, including money laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions evasion, or fraud.
4.3 Account suspension
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate merchant accounts that violate these terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or pose a risk to the integrity of the Service. Where possible, we will notify you before taking action.
5. Buyer terms
Buyers interact with Shieldz through hosted checkout pages. As a buyer:
- You are responsible for selecting the correct payment rail and verifying the payment details (amount, address, network) before confirming any transaction in your wallet.
- Sending funds to the wrong address, on the wrong network, or in the wrong amount may result in permanent loss. Shieldz has no ability to access, redirect, or refund funds on the blockchain.
- All blockchain transactions are final and irreversible once confirmed on-chain.
6. Pricing and fees
6.1 Free Forever
Shieldz is free to use, unlimited invoices, all twelve payment rails, webhooks, API access, hosted checkout, and Telegram notifications. The free tier displays two tasteful ad slots on the buyer checkout page. There are zero transaction fees, $0 per payment, always. Your customers' money goes to you, not to us.
6.2 Pro, $99/month
Pro is an optional upgrade for businesses that want a polished experience. Pro includes everything
in Free, plus: ad-free checkout, custom domain support (pay.yourbrand.com),
white-label checkout with no "Powered by Shieldz" branding, priority webhook delivery,
10x API rate limits, direct team support, and early access to new chains.
Pro is paid in crypto via Shieldz itself, we dogfood our own product.
6.3 Network fees
Blockchain transactions are subject to the native network fees of the chain being used (e.g. Bitcoin miner fees, Ethereum gas). These are standard blockchain costs, not charged by Shieldz.
6.4 Pricing changes
We may adjust Pro pricing with at least 30 days' prior notice delivered through the merchant dashboard. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new pricing. The free tier will remain free.
7. The non-custodial model
Shieldz is designed so that funds flow directly from the buyer's wallet to the merchant's wallet. We derive a unique receive address per invoice from your mnemonic and watch the blockchain for the payment. At no point does Shieldz hold, control, or have access to funds. This means:
- We cannot freeze, seize, or reverse any payment.
- We cannot recover funds sent to an incorrect address.
- We cannot access your wallet or move your funds, we only have viewing keys, never spending keys.
This is a feature, not a limitation. Your money stays yours.
8. Service availability
We aim to keep Shieldz available 24/7 but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service depends on third-party infrastructure including blockchain networks and RPC providers. We will make reasonable efforts to communicate planned maintenance or known outages via our Twitter account.
9. Intellectual property
The Shieldz name, logo, website content, and software are owned by the Shieldz team. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute our software or branding without permission. Merchant content (logos, product descriptions, checkout customizations) remains your property.
10. Limitation of liability
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Shieldz shall not be liable for:
- Funds sent to an incorrect address or on the wrong network by the buyer or merchant.
- Loss of a merchant's mnemonic or private keys.
- Network congestion or confirmation delays on any blockchain.
- RPC provider outages or blockchain downtime beyond our control.
- Unauthorized access to your account resulting from compromised API keys or wallet credentials.
- Losses arising from a merchant's failure to validate webhook signatures.
- Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising from or related to the Service is limited to the amount you paid to Shieldz in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Shieldz and its team from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any applicable law.
12. Termination
You may stop using Shieldz at any time by discontinuing use of the Service. We may terminate or suspend your access if you violate these terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases, but provisions that by their nature should survive (including limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution) will remain in effect. Your mnemonic and funds remain yours regardless, we never had access to them.
13. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the merchant dashboard or our public channels at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
14. Dispute resolution
Any dispute arising from these terms or your use of the Service shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If we can't resolve it informally, either party may pursue resolution through binding arbitration under the rules of a mutually agreed arbitration body. Class actions and jury trials are waived to the extent permitted by law.
15. Contact
Questions about these terms? Reach out:
- Twitter: @shieldzcash
- Email: [email protected]