Referral Program Terms

1. About the Referral Program

ChefSphere offers a referral program (the "Program") that rewards existing users ("Referrers") for inviting new users ("Referred Users") to the Service. Participation is voluntary and subject to these terms, our Terms of Service, and our Privacy Policy.

2. Eligibility

To participate you must:

• have a verified ChefSphere account in good standing;
• be at least 16 years old (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction);
• not have been previously suspended, terminated, or flagged for fraud.

Each person may only be referred once. Duplicate, bulk, or automated sign-ups do not qualify.

3. How it works

1. Share your code. Every user receives a unique referral code. Share it via the in-app share sheet, QR code, or link.
2. Friend signs up. When a new user creates an account and enters your code during registration, a referral is recorded in Pending status.
3. Friend subscribes. Once the Referred User activates a paid subscription and their first payment succeeds, the referral advances and rewards are created.

4. Rewards

The current default rewards are:

Recipient	Reward	Timing
Referrer	500 ChefCoins	After 30-day hold period
Referred User	7 days Premium free	Immediate upon subscription activation

ChefSphere may change reward types, amounts, or structure at any time. Changes apply to future referrals only; rewards already in the pipeline honour the terms at the time of referral creation.

5. Hold period and revocation

Referrer rewards enter a 30-day hold period starting from the Referred User's subscription activation date. During the hold period:

• if the Referred User cancels their subscription (immediately or at period end), the held reward is revoked;
• if the Referred User's subscription expires without renewal, the held reward is revoked;
• if the referral is flagged for fraud, the held reward is revoked.

After the hold period ends without revocation, the reward transitions to Pending and is fulfilled (e.g., ChefCoins credited to the Referrer's account).

6. ChefCoins rewards

ChefCoins granted through the Program follow the same rules as ChefCoins described in our Terms of Service. They have no cash value, cannot be transferred to another user, and may only be spent within the Service.

7. Premium days rewards

Free Premium days granted to Referred Users provide access to Premium-tier features for the specified duration. They do not include the monthly ChefCoins allotment normally bundled with paid Premium subscriptions.

8. Fair use and fraud prevention

To protect the integrity of the Program, we collect and process:

• IP address hashes — one-way SHA-256 truncated hashes, not raw IPs;
• Device fingerprints — browser or device signal hashes used to detect multi-account abuse;
• Fraud scores — computed from IP patterns, device reuse, and timing signals.

We may, at our sole discretion:

• flag or reject referrals with a high fraud score;
• blacklist devices used in abusive patterns;
• revoke rewards that were obtained through manipulation, coordinated abuse, fake accounts, self-referral, or any violation of these terms;
• suspend or terminate accounts engaged in systematic abuse.

Referrers must not incentivise sign-ups through misleading promises, spam, purchased traffic, or any method that violates applicable law or our Acceptable Use Policy.

9. Taxes

You are solely responsible for any tax obligations arising from rewards received through the Program. ChefCoins and free Premium days are provided for personal use within the Service and are generally not taxable; however, tax treatment varies by jurisdiction.

10. Modifications and termination

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Program at any time with reasonable notice (typically displayed in-app or via email). Accrued rewards that have already cleared the hold period will be honoured.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by Estonian law and, for consumers in the EU, by the mandatory consumer-protection rules of your country of residence.

12. Contact

Questions about the Program: [email protected].