Effective Date: October 21, 2026
Last updated: October 21, 2026
What changed: sections 3.2, 3.3, 6.2 and 6.4 now say in plain words how Pickxel holds your payment, in place of the word "escrow". Section 7 says how long a refund takes to arrive. Section 7.4 says a photographer no-show is refunded through a dispute. Sections 8.1 and 8.2 say disputes are only for objective failures, and no longer name review times.
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Pickxel platform, including our website, mobile applications, and services (collectively, the "Service"). Pickxel is operated by Phire Labs LLC ("Pickxel," "we," "us," or "our").
By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.
Please read these Terms carefully. They contain important information about your legal rights, remedies, and obligations.
Eligibility Account Terms Marketplace Rules Photographer Terms Client Terms Payments & Fees Cancellations Disputes User Conduct Intellectual Property Liability Termination
To use the Service, you must:
By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet all eligibility requirements. We may refuse service, close accounts, or cancel transactions at our discretion.
For Photographers:
You must also have the legal right to perform photography services in your jurisdiction, including any required business licenses, permits, or insurance.
You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information updated. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account. We are not liable for any loss arising from unauthorized access to your account.
You may not maintain more than one account of each type. Creating duplicate accounts may result in termination of all accounts.
Pickxel is a marketplace platform that connects clients with photographers. We are not a party to the agreements between clients and photographers. Photographers are independent contractors, not employees of Pickxel.
Bookings initiated through Pickxel should be completed through the platform so both parties receive the protections offered by Pickxel, including payment held by Pickxel until the client approves the photos or the review window ends, contracts, and dispute resolution. Your direct clients and bookings outside of Pickxel are not affected by these terms.
Bookings that come through Pickxel stay on Pickxel. Until a booking is paid, you must not share or ask for phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles or other contact details. Payment for a Pickxel booking must be made through Pickxel. Asking for, offering or accepting payment by any other means, including a discount for paying outside Pickxel, is a violation whether or not the payment happens. These rules apply to photographers and clients alike. Our Platform Protection Policy explains them in more detail, including the consequences of breaking them, and forms part of these Terms.
All communication about a Pickxel booking takes place through Pickxel messaging, where the conversation is documented for both parties' protection. Pickxel never shares a client's or a photographer's email address or phone number with the other party. Until a booking is paid, messages cannot include contact details; after payment, you may share them in messages if you both choose.
As a photographer on Pickxel, you agree to:
Your profile, portfolio, and service descriptions must be accurate and not misleading. Portfolio images must be your own work. Misrepresentation may result in account termination.
You must respond to booking inquiries by the deadline shown on each inquiry. For an event that is close the deadline is earlier. An inquiry with no response by its deadline is canceled automatically, and missed inquiries may affect your response time metrics and search ranking.
You are responsible for maintaining appropriate business insurance and any required licenses or permits. Pickxel may verify insurance status and display verification badges.
As a client on Pickxel, you agree to:
Unless otherwise specified in the booking agreement, you receive a personal, non-commercial license to use delivered photos. Commercial usage rights must be explicitly agreed upon with the photographer.
You may leave reviews after completed bookings. Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on your actual experience. Defamatory, fraudulent, or retaliatory reviews may be removed.
Pickxel charges a 15% service fee on completed bookings, deducted from the photographer's payout. This fee covers platform operations, payment processing, customer support, and dispute resolution.
When you pay for a booking, Pickxel holds the payment until you approve your photos or the review window ends. If a booking is canceled, refunds follow the schedule in section 7. Disputes are only for the objective failures listed in 8.1, and are reviewed by Pickxel under section 8. Funds are released to the photographer as set out in 6.4.
All payments are processed through our third-party payment processor (Stripe). Payment processing fees are included in the 15% platform fee — there are no additional charges to photographers beyond the stated platform fee.
Photographers receive payouts minus the platform fee after the client's payment is released. Your payment is released the moment your client approves, or automatically when the review period after delivery ends. It then goes to your bank on your Stripe payout schedule, usually within 2 business days.
Users are responsible for determining and paying any applicable taxes. Pickxel may provide tax documentation (such as 1099 forms) as required by law.
Clients may cancel bookings subject to the following refund schedule:
The refund percentages in force when a booking is paid are locked to that booking. Bookings paid before October 19, 2026 keep the schedule they were paid under, in which the 25% step held through the day of the event. When a booking is moved to a later date at the client's request, the days are counted to the earliest date it was moved from.
If a photographer cancels a confirmed booking, the client receives a full refund. Photographer cancellations negatively impact credibility metrics and may result in account penalties for repeated cancellations.
Every refund under this section goes back to the original payment method automatically. It can take 5 to 10 business days to reach your original payment method.
Either party may request to reschedule a booking once. The other party must approve the new date. Rescheduling does not count as a cancellation if both parties agree.
If a client does not appear for a scheduled event, the photographer is paid in full, as if the booking had completed, and the client receives no refund. If a photographer does not appear, the client may open a dispute under section 8, and when Pickxel confirms the no-show, the client receives a full refund.
Either party may open a dispute through the Pickxel platform. Disputes are only for objective failures: a no-show, photos not delivered, photos that do not match the package, or unusable photos (for example, corrupted files or the wrong event). A difference in taste or style is not grounds for a dispute; the client may ask the photographer for a revision instead. Disputes must be opened before the delivery is approved, which happens automatically when the review period after delivery ends.
Pickxel may resolve disputes through:
Pickxel's dispute decisions are final and binding. By using the Service, you agree to accept Pickxel's dispute resolution decisions.
You may not:
All content you post must comply with our Content Guidelines. Pickxel reserves the right to remove content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable.
Violations may result in warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent termination of your account. Serious violations may be reported to law enforcement.
The Pickxel platform, including its design, features, and content, is owned by Phire Labs LLC and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or distribute Pickxel's intellectual property without permission.
You retain ownership of content you post to Pickxel. By posting content, you grant Pickxel a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content in connection with the Service.
Photographers retain copyright to their photos unless explicitly transferred. Clients receive usage rights as specified in their booking agreement.
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, Pickxel SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES.
Pickxel's total liability for any claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to Pickxel in the 12 months prior to the claim, or (b) $100.
Pickxel is not responsible for the actions, services, or quality of work provided by photographers or any third parties. Your interactions with other users are solely between you and those users.
You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting support. Closing your account does not cancel any active bookings or release you from payment obligations.
We may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or at our sole discretion. We will attempt to notify you of termination when possible.
Upon termination, you lose access to your account and all associated data. Pending bookings will be handled according to our cancellation policies. Earned but unpaid funds will be released according to standard payout schedules.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict of law principles.
We may modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes through the Service or via email. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other agreements referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Pickxel regarding the Service.
For questions about these Terms, please contact us at hello@pickxel.app
Your continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these Terms of Service.