Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of instacharge—our mobile apps, website, charging cabinets, power banks, and related services (collectively, the “Service”). Please read them carefully. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Acceptance of terms

By creating an account, scanning a cabinet, or renting a power bank, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you use the Service on behalf of another person or entity, you represent that you are authorised to bind them.

2. The service

instacharge operates a network of IoT-enabled charging cabinets across the Philippines. Each cabinet dispenses a portable power bank after payment and accepts returns at any cabinet in the network. Cabinet coverage, operating hours, and available power bank quantities vary by location and may change without notice.

3. Eligibility & account

• You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract under Philippine law.
• You must sign in with a valid Philippine mobile number, which we verify via one-time password (OTP).
• You are responsible for keeping your phone and OTP codes secure. We will treat any rental started from your verified account as authorised by you unless you notify us promptly of unauthorised use.
• You must provide accurate information and update it if it changes.
• You may only maintain one (1) account. We may merge or close duplicate accounts.

4. How a rental works

1. Open the instacharge app and scan the QR code on the cabinet.
2. Confirm the rental in the app. We place a pending hold on your wallet for the initial rental period.
3. The cabinet ejects a power bank. Inspect it before walking away.
4. Use the power bank. Billing continues as long as the power bank is out.
5. Return the power bank to any cabinet in our network with an empty slot. The cabinet confirms the return and the app shows your final charge.

The rental begins when the cabinet successfully ejects a power bank, and ends the moment a cabinet accepts it back. If a cabinet is full, locate another cabinet in the app. You remain responsible for the power bank until a cabinet confirms the return.

5. Pricing & billing

Pricing is shown in the app before you confirm a rental and may vary by location. Unless stated otherwise at the time of rental, the standard rate is:

Item	Rate
Rental fee	Charged per 30-minute block, pro-rated upward
Daily cap	Shown in the app at the time of rental, where applicable
Replacement fee for lost or unreturned power bank	Up to PHP 1,500

We may offer promotions, discounts, or partner rates. Promotional rates apply only during the stated period and cannot be combined unless we say so in writing.

All fees are in Philippine Pesos (PHP) and are inclusive of VAT where applicable. We will issue a receipt in the app for every completed rental.

6. Wallet & top-ups

• You may top up your in-app wallet using GCash, Maya, or other payment methods we support. Top-ups are processed by our payment partners and are subject to their own terms.
• Wallet balance is denominated in PHP and may only be used to pay for instacharge services.
• Wallet balance is non-transferable. Unused balance is refundable on request, minus any amounts owed to us and any payment processor fees, subject to identity verification.
• We may place a temporary hold on your wallet while a rental is in progress. The hold is released and replaced with the final charge once the power bank is returned.

7. Your responsibilities

While a power bank is in your possession, you agree to:

• Use it only to charge consumer electronics (phones, tablets, earbuds, and similar devices) via its built-in cables and ports.
• Keep it dry, within normal temperature ranges, and away from fire, liquids, and sharp objects.
• Not open, modify, reverse-engineer, or attempt to repair the power bank.
• Not lend, sell, transfer, or pledge the power bank to any third party.
• Return it to an instacharge cabinet as soon as you are done.

8. Damage, loss & non-return

If a power bank is damaged beyond normal wear, lost, stolen, or not returned within 72 hours of the rental start, we may charge your account the replacement fee shown in section 5 plus any outstanding rental charges accrued up to that point. The rental closes once the replacement fee is charged; further rental time is not billed.

If a returned power bank cannot be charged by our cabinet because of damage attributable to you, we may additionally charge a diagnostic or repair fee, up to the replacement fee.

If you believe a charge for damage or non-return is incorrect, contact support@instacharge.ph within 30 days and we will review the case in good faith.

9. Prohibited conduct

You may not:

• Use the Service for anything unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful.
• Tamper with, damage, deface, or remove any cabinet, power bank, or signage.
• Attempt to bypass payment, eligibility checks, or rental limits.
• Use automated tools, scripts, or APIs we did not authorise to interact with the Service.
• Impersonate another person or create accounts using false information.
• Interfere with our systems, MQTT messaging, or other users’ ability to use the Service.
• Use the Service in ways that violate Philippine law, including the Data Privacy Act, Cybercrime Prevention Act, or any regulation governing consumer electronics and lithium-ion batteries.

10. Service availability

We work to keep the Service available, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. Cabinets may be temporarily offline for maintenance, power outages, venue closures, network disruption, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control. We are not liable for fees or inconvenience caused by such interruptions beyond what is required by law.

11. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or terminate your access if we believe, in good faith, that you have violated these Terms, caused risk to other users or our equipment, owe us outstanding fees, or engaged in fraudulent activity. We may also close accounts that have been inactive for 24 months after notifying you.

You may close your account at any time by emailing support@instacharge.ph. Closing your account does not erase your obligation to pay any outstanding fees.

12. Intellectual property

The instacharge name, logo, app, website, cabinets, and all associated content, software, and designs are owned by or licensed to instacharge. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Service for personal, non-commercial rentals in the Philippines. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission.

13. Warranties & disclaimer

We use reasonable care to keep power banks safe and functional. However, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Service and power banks are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that every cabinet will have a power bank available at any given time.

14. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Philippine law:

• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits or data.
• Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) PHP 2,000, or (b) the total fees you paid to us in the 3 months immediately before the claim.
• Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Philippine law, such as liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or gross negligence.

15. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold instacharge, its directors, employees, and venue partners harmless from any claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your misuse of the Service, violation of these Terms, or violation of any applicable law.

16. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. We will try to resolve any dispute amicably. If we cannot, the dispute will be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Cebu City, Philippines, unless another venue is required by consumer protection law.

Consumers may also raise complaints with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or, for data protection matters, the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

17. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If changes are material, we will notify you in-app or by email at least 15 days before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree, stop using the Service and close your account.

18. Contact