Nara
Merchant Partnership Agreement
Version: merchant_v1.0 — Last Updated: March 17, 2026
This Merchant Partnership Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into between you ("Merchant," "you," or "your") and Narrative Guides LLC, a Texas limited liability company ("Nara," "Platform," "we," "us," or "our"), and governs your participation in the Nara merchant program. By clicking "Join the Route" or otherwise activating your merchant account, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.
1. How It Works
Nara operates GPS-triggered audio tours. When a user on an active tour comes within 50 meters of your business location, your discount offer appears on their screen. This event is called a "Verified Reveal." Verified Reveals are the commercial transaction at the core of this Agreement — you are only charged when a user physically encounters your offer in the real world.
2. Merchant Dashboard and Registration
To participate, you must register a merchant account and complete the onboarding flow, including providing accurate business information (name, address, category, GPS coordinates), a valid discount offer, and payment method. You represent and warrant that: (a) you are authorized to operate the business you register; (b) all information you provide is accurate and current; and (c) you will update your dashboard information promptly if it changes.
3. How Nara Works
3.1 GPS Proximity Detection
Nara uses GPS location signals from users' mobile devices to determine proximity to registered businesses. A Verified Reveal is triggered only when a user's device reports a position within 50 meters of your registered business address while the user is on an active tour.
3.2 Automated Verification
All Verified Reveals are processed through Nara's automated verification system, which logs GPS coordinates, timestamps, user session data, and tour state at the moment of each reveal. These records are maintained and used as evidence in the event of billing disputes. By accepting this Agreement, you acknowledge that Nara's automated verification system records are valid and reliable evidence of reveal activity.
3.3 Disclosure to Users
Your participation constitutes sponsored commercial content. Nara may identify your business as a "Local Partner" or "Sponsored" in the app interface. Audio mentions of your business during tours will be presented as contextual recommendations consistent with Nara's narrative style. Nara's FTC and ASA disclosure practices are incorporated by reference and available at narrativeguides.com/legal/terms.
4. Fees and Billing
4.1 Pay-per-Reveal Fee
The Pay-per-Play fee for each Verified Reveal begins at $1.50 USD and may vary based on the Platform's bidding system or promotional pricing model as displayed in the Merchant Dashboard. Merchant's first Verified Reveal will be provided at no charge as an introductory offer. There are no monthly fees, no setup fees, and no minimum commitments. The Platform reserves the right to modify the base fee with 30 days' written notice.
4.2 Billing and Payment
Reveal fees are aggregated and charged to your payment method on file through Stripe on a monthly basis, or when your accrued balance reaches a threshold displayed in your dashboard. You are responsible for maintaining a valid payment method in your dashboard at all times.
4.3 Taxes
You are responsible for all taxes, duties, or levies arising from your participation in the merchant program, including sales tax, VAT, or other transaction-based taxes applicable in your jurisdiction. Nara's fees are exclusive of any applicable taxes.
5. Merchant Responsibilities
5.1 Honor Your Offer
You agree to honor the discount code you configure in your Merchant Dashboard for every user who presents it at your business location. You are responsible for training your staff to recognize and accept valid Nara codes.
5.2 Dashboard Maintenance
You agree to keep your business information, discount terms, and operating hours accurate and current through your Merchant Dashboard. Nara may rely on your dashboard information when displaying your business to users on active tours.
5.3 Acceptance Rate
You agree to maintain a code acceptance rate of at least 90% over any rolling 30-day period. An "acceptance" is recorded when a user reports their code was honored. A "refusal" is recorded when a user reports their code was not honored and Nara's automated verification system confirms the user was within 50 meters of your registered business location.
5.4 Administrative Service Fee
If a refusal is verified by Nara's automated system: (a) the affected user will receive a $5.00 platform credit; and (b) Merchant will be charged an administrative service fee of $10.00 to cover the cost of verification, user support processing, and dispute handling. This fee is a reasonable estimate of Nara's actual costs and is not a penalty.
5.5 Refusal Dispute Window
Merchant may dispute any refusal determination within 7 calendar days of receiving notification, through the Merchant Dashboard. Nara will review the dispute and provide a written determination within 5 business days. If the refusal determination is reversed, the administrative service fee will be credited and the user credit will be recalled if not yet applied.
5.6 Suspension for Excessive Refusals
If Merchant's refusal rate exceeds 10% over any rolling 30-day period, Nara may suspend Merchant's listing with 48 hours' advance notice via email to the address on file. Merchant may appeal a suspension by contacting support@narrativeguides.com within 7 calendar days. Nara will review the appeal within 5 business days.
6. Billing Records and Chargebacks
6.1 Platform Records as Evidence
By accepting this Agreement, Merchant explicitly agrees that Nara's GPS logs, timestamp records, session data, and automated verification records constitute valid and reliable evidence for billing, dispute, and chargeback purposes. In any chargeback or billing dispute proceeding, Nara is authorized to submit these records as proof of Verified Reveal activity.
6.2 Evidence Package
In response to any chargeback or formal dispute, Nara will submit an evidence package that may include: a copy of this Agreement and Merchant's acceptance record; GPS logs showing user proximity at the time of each disputed reveal; automated verification system records; OCR-verified receipt data where available; and system-generated billing records. Merchant consents to this submission by entering into this Agreement.
6.3 Chargeback Threshold
More than 2 lost chargeback disputes within any 12-month period may result in Nara suspending or terminating Merchant's account. If Nara prevails in a chargeback dispute, Merchant will be charged a $15.00 dispute processing fee in addition to the original Verified Reveal fee.
7. Data, Privacy, and Analytics
7.1 Privacy Policy Incorporation
Nara's collection and processing of data in connection with the merchant program is governed by the Nara Privacy Policy, available at narrativeguides.com/legal/privacy, which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference. Merchant acknowledges that the Platform processes location signals from users' mobile devices and generates anonymized analytics data in connection with tour activity near Merchant's business.
7.2 Anonymized Analytics
Nara will not share any personally identifiable customer data with Merchant. Dashboard analytics — including heat maps, reveal counts, and engagement metrics — use anonymized, aggregated data only. Nara will never disclose the identity of specific users to Merchant.
7.3 Merchant Data
You grant Nara a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display your business name, address, discount offer, and any other information you provide through your dashboard to users of the Service.
8. Sponsored Placement and Content
Your participation in the Nara merchant program constitutes sponsored commercial content. You are responsible for the accuracy of any business description, discount terms, or promotional content you provide. Nara may edit your content for tone and consistency with our brand voice, but will not change the substance of your offer without your approval. Nara will identify your placement as sponsored consistent with applicable advertising disclosure requirements.
9. Term and Termination
9.1 Term
This Agreement begins when you click "Join the Route" and continues until terminated by either party.
9.2 Termination by Merchant
You may cancel your participation at any time through your Merchant Dashboard. Cancellation takes effect within 24 hours. Outstanding charges for Verified Reveals already triggered remain due upon cancellation. Dashboard access remains available for 90 days following cancellation for billing records.
9.3 Termination by Nara
Nara may terminate this Agreement at any time with 30 days' written notice, or immediately in the event of: (a) material breach of this Agreement; (b) fraudulent activity; (c) activity that Nara reasonably believes poses legal, reputational, or safety risk to the Platform or its users; or (d) violation of applicable law.
9.4 Effect of Termination
Upon termination for any reason: (a) your discount will stop appearing on active tours within 24 hours; (b) all outstanding fees remain due and payable; (c) provisions of this Agreement that by their nature should survive (including Sections 6, 11, 12, and 13) shall survive termination.
9.5 Pause and Resume
Merchant may temporarily pause participation through the Merchant Dashboard at any time. While paused, Merchant's discount will not be displayed to users and no charges will be incurred. Merchant may resume participation at any time.
10. Intellectual Property
Merchant retains all rights to its business name, logo, and content. Merchant grants Nara the limited license described in Section 7.3. Nara retains all rights to the Platform, the Service, and any content or technology Nara creates in connection with the merchant program. Neither party grants the other any license or right not expressly stated in this Agreement.
11. General Provisions
11.1 Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NARA'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO MERCHANT FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL FEES PAID BY MERCHANT TO NARA IN THE THREE (3) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM. NARA IS NOT LIABLE FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST CUSTOMERS, LOST REVENUE, OR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, EVEN IF NARA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
11.2 Changes to This Agreement
Nara may update this Agreement with 30 days' notice via email to the address on file. Your continued participation after the notice period constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with the updated terms, you may cancel per Section 9.2.
11.3 Electronic Acceptance
By clicking "Join the Route," Merchant provides a legally binding electronic signature to this Agreement. Merchant's IP address and timestamp are recorded at the time of acceptance as part of this electronic signature record. Merchant represents that they have authority to bind the business entity to this Agreement.
11.4 Entire Agreement
This Agreement, together with the Nara Privacy Policy and any Merchant Dashboard settings, constitutes the entire agreement between Merchant and Nara regarding the merchant program. Representations made in marketing emails or outreach communications do not modify these terms unless incorporated in a written amendment signed by both parties.
12. Indemnification
Merchant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Nara, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and successors from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or relating to: (a) Merchant's products or services; (b) Merchant's failure to honor valid discount codes; (c) Merchant's violation of this Agreement or applicable law; (d) any dispute between Merchant and a user of the Platform; or (e) any claim that Merchant's content infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party.
13. Dispute Resolution
13.1 Informal Resolution
Before initiating arbitration, the parties agree to attempt good-faith informal resolution of any dispute for a period of 30 days following written notice of the dispute.
13.2 Binding Arbitration
If informal resolution fails, all disputes arising from or relating to this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. Arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis — class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this Section.
13.3 Venue
Arbitration shall be conducted in the State of Texas, or by video conference if agreed by the parties. Either party may seek emergency injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm pending arbitration.
13.4 Governing Law
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict of law principles.
14. Force Majeure
Neither party shall be liable for failure or delay in performing obligations under this Agreement due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, acts of government, internet or telecommunications outages, third-party service failures (including Stripe or Supabase), or other events outside the affected party's control. The affected party shall notify the other party promptly and resume performance as soon as reasonably practicable.
15. Independent Relationship
The parties are independent contractors. This Agreement does not create a partnership, joint venture, employment relationship, franchise, or agency between Merchant and Nara. Merchant has no authority to bind Nara to any obligation. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create any fiduciary duty from Nara to Merchant.
Questions about this Agreement? Contact us at support@narrativeguides.com or write to Narrative Guides LLC, 500 Westover Dr #20307, Sanford NC 27330.