TheGroup

Terms of Service

Effective Date: May 30, 2026

Welcome to TheGroup. Please read these Terms of Service (these "Terms") carefully before downloading, installing, or using TheGroup mobile application (the "App") or accessing our companion website (the "Site"). The App is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

01. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, downloading, accessing, or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not download, install, access, or use the App. These Terms form a binding legal agreement between you and TheGroup("we," "us," "our," or "Operator").

02. Eligibility

To use the App, you must be at least 17 years old (or the minimum age required by the app stores in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher). By registering an account and subscribing, you represent and warrant that you are at least 17 years of age and possess the legal capacity to agree to these Terms. You may not use the App on behalf of any minor under the age of 17, and parents or legal guardians may not authorize minors under 17 to use the App.

03.Account Creation & Accounts

To access the App, you must register for a free account. Accounts are created, authenticated, and managed using your choice of supported social identity providers (such as Apple Sign-In or Google Sign-In). Your user profile details, membership status, and rank identifiers are securely processed and stored on cloud-hosted databases. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.

04.Subscription Tiers & Billing

TheGroup is a subscription-based mobile application. The core feature, content, and utility of the App is the membership itself, which is represented by a permanent rank identifier.

  • Pricing: Subscriptions are available on a monthly basis for $1.99 per month or an annual basis for $19.99 per year. Prices are subject to local taxes and currency conversions controlled by the app stores.
  • App Store Billing: All billing, invoicing, payments, and renewals are handled directly through Apple App Store Billing (for iOS devices) and Google Play Store Billing (for Android devices). Payments are not processed directly by us.
  • Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle (monthly or annually) unless you disable auto-renewal in your app store account settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends.
  • Cancellation: You can cancel your subscription at any time. Because billing is handled via third-party platforms, you must cancel your subscription directly through your Apple ID or Google Play account settings. Subscriptions cannot be canceled or managed from within the App itself. Upon cancellation, your subscription remains active, and your benefits (including your rank) remain secure until your current billing period ends (the "Expiration Date").

05. The Rank System

The rank system is the core mechanic of TheGroup. Please read this section carefully, as it outlines your rights and the rules regarding your assigned rank number.

5.1 Rank Assignment

Upon your initial subscription purchase ("Initial Purchase"), our system automatically assigns you the lowest available rank number (e.g., #1, #2, #47) currently vacant in the global group pool. This rank number is a permanent integer identifier that is unique to you and displayed on your member card, throughout the App, and on the public leaderboard.

5.2 Rank Loss on Expiration (Irreversible Release)

Your rank is tied directly to your active subscriber status. If your subscription expires (meaning your paid billing period has ended and has not been successfully renewed or paid), your rank number will be immediately, permanently, and irreversibly released back into the available pool.

  • Immediate Release: Ranks are released at the exact moment of subscription expiration, not subscription cancellation. Cancellation merely stops auto-renewal; your rank remains safe until the end of your prepaid period. However, once the Expiration Date passes without payment, the rank is released.
  • No Reclaiming: Once your rank is released, it can be claimed by the very next user who subscribes. You cannot reclaim your previous rank under any circumstances. Even if your subscription is renewed minutes or seconds after expiration, you will be assigned a new, lowest available rank number from the pool. We cannot manually restore or recover a released rank for you.
  • Billing Failures: It is your responsibility to ensure your billing information (credit card, store balance, etc.) is up-to-date in your Apple App Store or Google Play account. We are not responsible for rank loss resulting from payment failures or billing issues.

5.3 No Rank Cascading

Ranks are absolute and do not shift or compress when a vacancy occurs. For example, if the member holding rank #5 lets their subscription expire, rank #6 does NOT shift down to become rank #5. Gaps in the leaderboard numbering are intentional, permanent design features of TheGroup.

5.4 No Rank Purchasing or Trading

Ranks are strictly associated with the subscribing account and are non-transferable. You cannot purchase, sell, trade, swap, or transfer ranks with other users under any circumstances. Ranks cannot be exchanged for cash, real-world assets, or other digital items. Any attempt to sell, lease, or trade a rank will result in the immediate and permanent termination of your account and forfeiture of all ranks and badges without refund.

5.5 Seat Drops and Batch Limits

TheGroup operates with a strict, limited capacity of active members. When all available seats are filled, no new subscriptions can be purchased. The Operator reserves the right to periodically release new seats in batches ("Seat Drops") at its absolute discretion. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and the lowest available ranks are assigned to the first users who subscribe after a drop.

06.Virtual Items (Badges & Member Cards)

As a member of TheGroup, you may be awarded digital badges ("Badges") and a shareable member card ("Member Card").

  • Badges:Badges are virtual achievements awarded for subscription tenure (e.g., "1 Month", "1 Year"), group milestones, founding member status (awarded permanently to the first 250 members ever), streaks, and participation in temporary events. Some Badges are time-limited and cannot be earned after their specific earning window closes.
  • Member Cards: The App auto-generates a shareable visual graphic card displaying your rank number, join date, avatar, and active tenure. These cards are for personal social media sharing only.
  • No Monetary Value: Ranks, Badges, and Member Cards are virtual items with no real-world monetary value, no cash equivalent, and no property rights. They cannot be refunded, transferred, or exchanged. We reserve the right to modify, replace, suspend, or terminate any Badges, Member Cards, or ranks at any time for operational reasons without liability.

07. No Refund Policy

All subscription purchases are final and non-refundable. Except as required by applicable law or the explicit refund policies of the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, we do not offer refunds, credits, or prorated returns for canceled or expired subscriptions. Since all billing is processed by third-party app stores (Apple and Google), any requests for refunds must be submitted directly to the respective app store. The Operator does not have the administrative capability to process refunds directly.

08.User Conduct & Leaderboard Manipulation

You agree to use the App in good faith and in compliance with these Terms. You are strictly prohibited from engaging in the following conduct:

  • Creating, managing, or using fake, duplicate, or secondary accounts to hoard rank numbers or manipulate the global leaderboard.
  • Using bots, scripts, spiders, scrapers, or other automated tools to monitor seat availability, automate subscription purchases, or manipulate the App's UI.
  • Attempting to hack, reverse-engineer, decompile, or bypass the security, rank assignment, or billing verification layers of the App.
  • Harassing, abusing, threatening, or impersonating other members of the App.
  • Conducting or promoting any unauthorized commercial activity involving ranks or Badges.

Any violation of this section will result in immediate suspension or permanent termination of your account, absolute forfeiture of any assigned ranks or Badges, and potential referral to law enforcement.

09.Privacy & Data Collection

Your privacy is highly important to us. Our data practices are outlined in our separate, comprehensive Privacy Policy. By using the App, you acknowledge that we collect and process certain information to operate the core membership and rank mechanics, including:

  • Account Information: Your registration details, including email, username, profile avatar, and secure authentication identifiers provided during registration.
  • Subscription & Transaction Events: Payment status logs, billing lifecycle details (activation, renewals, cancellations, and expiration times) managed through our billing system integrations.
  • App Usage Data: Interactivity logs, device operating system details (iOS vs. Android), leaderboard displays, and achievement histories to calculate milestones and maintain global rankings.

10. Intellectual Property

All software, designs, layouts, graphics, branding, logos, the name "TheGroup," and the public feed known as "The Chronicle" are the sole intellectual property of the Operator and our licensors. You are granted a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to download and use the App for your personal, non-commercial entertainment.

User License Grant: By choosing a username and uploading a profile avatar, you grant the Operator a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to display your username, avatar, rank number, and group milestones in public feeds (such as the Leaderboard and The Chronicle) and on social media channels for sharing or promotion.

11. The Chronicle

The Chronicle is an append-only, read-only public feed within the App that records historical milestones of TheGroup. By subscribing, you agree that milestone events connected to your membership (such as your join date, rank assignment, major tenure milestones, or badges earned) may be permanently and publicly logged in The Chronicle, visible to all users.

12. Push Notifications

Upon installing the App, you will be prompted to consent to receive push notifications. These notifications are a critical part of the experience, delivering alerts for seat drops, rank safety warnings (such as payment issues or upcoming expiration), badge achievements, and milestone events. You can opt out of push notifications at any time through your mobile device's system settings, but doing so may prevent you from receiving time-sensitive rank warning notifications.

13. Third-Party Services Disclaimer

The App relies on external partners and services, including authentication providers, database hosting platforms, mobile subscription billing gateways, the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store. We make no guarantees regarding the continuous uptime, availability, safety, or reliability of these third-party services. Your interactions with these providers are governed by their respective terms of service and privacy policies.

14.Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The App, ranks, badges, and all services are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis, without any warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or entirely secure.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, TheGroup and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, or third-party service providers shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or relating to:

  • Your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) the App.
  • The permanent loss, release, or reassignment of your rank number due to subscription expiration, billing failures, or network errors.
  • Any payment processing errors, database synchronization failures, infrastructure hosting drops, or service outages caused by third-party platforms (including third-party auth, database, billing gateways, Apple, or Google).
  • Any unauthorized access to your account or data.

15.Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms, and any dispute arising out of or related to them or the App, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of France, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms shall be instituted exclusively in the courts located in France, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts.

16. Contact Information

If you have any questions, comments, or complaints regarding these Terms, please contact us at support@thegroup-app.com

17. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify or update these Terms of Service at any time. When updates are made, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. Your continued use of the App or companion website after any updates are posted constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you must cancel your subscription and delete the App.