Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the software platform operated by The Catalyst Rail, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“Catalyst Rail,” “we,” “us”), including the website at catalystrail.org and the payment-collection and payment-initiation tools it provides (the “Service”). By creating an account, sending an invoice, or making a payment through the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. What the Service Is

Catalyst Rail is software that lets organizations — schools, booster clubs, PTAs, and small vendors — collect payments (dues, trip and fundraiser payments, vendor invoices) over bank payment rails (ACH, RTP, FedNow), and pay their own vendors, instead of routing everything through card networks.

Catalyst Rail is a software platform, not a bank and not a money transmitter. Actual money movement — holding funds, moving them between bank accounts, and any related banking compliance — is performed by our banking-services partner, Moov Financial, Inc. (“Moov”), and bank-account linking and verification is performed by Plaid Inc. (“Plaid”). Each organization using the Service to receive funds opens and controls its own account directly with Moov (subject to Moov’s own approval and terms) — Catalyst Rail never receives, holds, or has custody of your funds at any point. This is a structural fact about how payments move through the Service, not just a policy statement.

3. Eligibility & Accounts

The Service is available to organizations and individuals in the United States who are at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract. If you create an account on behalf of an organization, you represent that you’re authorized to do so and to bind that organization to these Terms.

You’re responsible for the accuracy of information you provide and for maintaining the security of your account credentials. Notify us promptly at lee@catalystrail.org if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

4. Fees

Catalyst Rail charges a flat software fee for use of the Service, disclosed to you before you send or accept a payment. This fee is billed separately from the payment itself — it is never deducted or netted out of funds in transit between a payer and a payee. Moov and/or Plaid may charge their own fees for banking or bank-linking services under their own terms; those are separate from, and in addition to, any Catalyst Rail fee.

5. Payments & ACH Authorization

If you make a payment through the Service using a bank account (via ACH), you authorize Catalyst Rail, acting through Moov, to initiate a debit entry to that bank account for the amount and on the date shown to you at the time of payment, in accordance with NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association) operating rules. This authorization applies to the specific payment you’re making; it does not authorize any other or future debit unless you separately agree to one (for example, a recurring payment you explicitly set up).

You have the right to revoke this authorization by contacting the organization that sent you the invoice, or by contacting us, before the payment is processed. Once a payment has settled, further correction is handled through the dispute process below and, where applicable, your rights under Regulation E and your bank’s own error- resolution procedures.

6. Cancellations, Refunds & Disputes

Refund and cancellation policies for a specific trip, fundraiser, or vendor payment are set by the organization that issued the invoice or bill, not by Catalyst Rail — contact that organization first for a refund of a specific payment. Catalyst Rail does not itself hold your funds and cannot unilaterally reverse a completed transfer, but we will assist in good faith with a documented, legitimate dispute.

If you believe a payment was made in error, was unauthorized, or was processed incorrectly, contact us at lee@catalystrail.org as soon as possible. Consumers making ACH payments retain their rights under Regulation E to dispute an unauthorized or erroneous transaction with their own bank.

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Collect or send payments for any illegal purpose, or on behalf of any person or entity you’re not authorized to represent
• Engage in fraud, money laundering, or any activity restricted under Moov’s or Plaid’s own platform agreements
• Misrepresent your identity, your organization, or the purpose of a payment
• Attempt to interfere with, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to the Service or its underlying infrastructure

8. Data & Privacy

Our collection and use of your information is described in our Privacy Policy, which is part of these Terms.

9. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The Service is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Catalyst Rail is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the fees you paid Catalyst Rail (not the underlying payment amounts, which are held and moved by Moov, not us) in the twelve months before the claim arose.

10. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate access to the Service for a violation of these Terms, at Moov’s or Plaid’s direction under their own platform agreements, or as reasonably necessary to comply with law or protect the Service and its users.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We’ll post the updated version here with a new “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Service after a change takes effect means you accept the updated Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms: The Catalyst Rail, LLC — lee@catalystrail.org.