Terms of Service

Last updated: 2 May 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of HiveThread ("the Service"), a unified-inbox platform operated by Funsquare Pty Ltd (ABN registered in Australia), referred to in these Terms as "HiveThread", "we", "us", or "our". By creating a HiveThread account or using the Service, you ("you" or "the merchant") agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Description of Service

HiveThread is a multi-channel messaging platform that enables small businesses to receive and reply to customer messages from Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messages, SMS (via Twilio), and an embeddable webchat widget, and to monitor and reply to public reviews on Facebook Pages and Google Business Profiles, all in one shared inbox. The Service includes team collaboration features such as assignments, internal notes, templates, auto-responders, and AI-drafted reply suggestions.

The Service is hosted at app.hivethread.io. We may update or modify the Service's features at any time.

2. Eligibility

To use HiveThread you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Use the Service for legitimate business purposes (HiveThread is not a consumer product).
• Have the legal authority to accept these Terms on behalf of your business.
• Provide accurate account information and keep it up to date.
• Hold valid credentials for any third-party platform you connect (Facebook Page, Instagram Business account, Twilio sub-account, Google Business Profile, etc.) and have authority to connect them.

3. Account and Access

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your HiveThread credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must promptly notify us of any unauthorised access or security incident affecting your account. We are not liable for losses arising from your failure to safeguard your credentials.

You may invite additional team members to your organisation. As the account owner, you are responsible for the actions of all users you invite.

4. Acceptable Use Policy

This section is HiveThread's Acceptable Use Policy. By using the Service you agree to comply with it in full. We may suspend or terminate your account for any breach.

4.1 General prohibitions

You agree not to use HiveThread to:

• Send unsolicited commercial messages (spam) through any channel.
• Send messages that are unlawful, deceptive, harassing, defamatory, obscene, or that infringe intellectual property rights.
• Impersonate another person or business.
• Circumvent platform-imposed rate limits, message caps, or access controls.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Service.
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or the servers and networks we use.
• Use the Service to store or transmit malware, viruses, or other harmful code.
• Use the Service in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our infrastructure.

4.2 Compliance with carrier and platform policies

HiveThread routes SMS through Twilio, uses Meta's Messenger Platform, Instagram Messaging API, and Pages API, and uses the Google Business Profile API. Your use of those channels is also subject to those providers' terms, and you agree to comply with them as a condition of using HiveThread:

• Twilio Messaging Policy and Twilio Acceptable Use Policy
• Meta Platform Terms and the Messenger Platform Policy
• The Instagram Platform Policy where you connect an Instagram Business account
• Google APIs Terms of Service and the Google API Services User Data Policy where you connect a Google Business Profile

4.3 Australian SMS regulation

If you send SMS messages to Australian recipients you must comply with all applicable Australian laws, including:

• Spam Act 2003 (Cth) — you must have the recipient's consent (express or inferred), include accurate sender identification in every message, and provide a functional unsubscribe facility.
• ACMA industry codes and standards — including the Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard, where applicable, and quiet-hours requirements (no commercial messages between 9pm and 9am local time on weekdays, or before 9am or after 5pm on weekends and public holidays, unless the recipient has expressly consented to receive messages outside those hours).
• The Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Cth) where it applies to your business.

4.4 United States SMS regulation

If you send SMS messages to United States recipients you must comply with all applicable U.S. laws, including:

• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) — you must have valid prior express written consent for marketing or promotional messages, and you must honour all opt-out requests promptly.
• CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices — including disclosure of message frequency, identification of the sender's brand on first message, and adherence to industry standards on prohibited content.

4.5 Prohibited message categories

The following categories of message are prohibited on all HiveThread channels regardless of recipient location, in line with Twilio's prohibited use policy and global SMS industry standards. Sending these will result in immediate suspension:

• Sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco-related content directed at minors.
• Cannabis-related messaging where prohibited by local law.
• Gambling messages where the recipient or sender is in a jurisdiction that requires a licence and the licence is not held.
• Payday loan, high-cost short-term credit, or debt collection messages without verified consent.
• Cryptocurrency promotion, get-rich-quick schemes, multi-level marketing pitches, or other content widely considered abusive by carriers.
• Phishing, deceptive content, fraudulent claims about the sender's identity or affiliation.
• Adult content of any kind, including illustrated or animated content.
• Content that violates any applicable local consumer protection or telemarketing law.

4.6 Opt-out and consent handling

You must honour all opt-out requests within 24 hours of receipt. Standard SMS opt-out keywords (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) are processed at the carrier level via Twilio and HiveThread will surface those events to you. You remain responsible for honouring opt-outs received via other channels (email, phone call, in-person request) by removing the contact from any further commercial messaging.

4.7 Sender identification

Every commercial message you send through HiveThread must clearly identify you as the sender. For SMS, this typically means including your business name in the message body or the recipient's first message of a session. For Messenger and Instagram, the connected Page or account name serves as identification.

5. Third-Party Platform Compliance

HiveThread connects to Meta (Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook Page reviews), Twilio (SMS), and Google (Business Profile reviews) to deliver its core functionality. When you connect these channels, your use of the Service is also subject to the terms of those platforms, and you are responsible for complying with them. In particular, you agree to comply with:

• Meta Platform Terms, Messenger Platform Policy, and Instagram Platform Policy — including restrictions on messaging windows, message types, content, and use of profile data and review data obtained from the Meta APIs.
• Google APIs Terms of Service and the Google API Services User Data Policy (including the Limited Use requirements) — when you connect a Google Business Profile.
• Twilio Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and Twilio Messaging Policy — including carrier-imposed restrictions on SMS content, opt-out handling, and sender identification.
• Australian Spam Act 2003 — you must have the recipient's consent (express or inferred), identify yourself as the sender, and provide a functional unsubscribe mechanism.
• United States Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) — if you are sending SMS to U.S. recipients, you must have valid prior express written consent and honour all opt-out requests.
• All other applicable anti-spam, telemarketing, and consumer-protection laws in the jurisdictions in which you operate and send messages.

We are not responsible for changes to third-party APIs, platform policies, or carrier rules that may affect the functionality of the Service. Meta, Google, or Twilio may suspend or revoke access to their platforms at any time, and in that case HiveThread's corresponding features may be unavailable until restored.

6. End-Customer Consent

You, the merchant, are solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining valid consent from your end-customers to receive messages from you through any channel connected to HiveThread, where such consent is required by law. HiveThread is a messaging tool; it does not obtain consent on your behalf and does not verify the lawful basis for any message you send. You indemnify HiveThread against any claim arising from a message you sent without valid consent.

7. Subscription, Billing, and Refunds

7.1 Plans and prices

HiveThread is offered on three monthly subscription tiers, payable in Australian Dollars and exclusive of GST. GST is added at checkout where applicable.

• STARTER — AUD $29 per month. 150 SMS segments per calendar month included; 2 team members.
• BUSINESS — AUD $79 per month. 500 SMS segments per calendar month included; 5 team members.
• PRO — AUD $149 per month. 1,000 SMS segments per calendar month included; unlimited team members subject to fair use.

SMS segments above your monthly cap are billed at AUD $0.10 per segment on all tiers. Overage usage is invoiced at the start of the next billing cycle.

7.2 Billing

Subscriptions are billed monthly on the same date each month, beginning on the date your paid plan starts. Annual billing is not offered at launch.

All payment processing is handled by Stripe. Card data and payment-method tokens are held by Stripe and never touch HiveThread servers. By providing payment information, you authorise HiveThread (via Stripe) to charge the agreed monthly amount and any incurred SMS overage to your nominated payment method.

If a payment fails, your account moves to a 7-day grace period during which you can update payment details from the in-app customer portal. Sending features may be suspended once the grace period lapses; the account is reactivated automatically once payment is successful.

7.3 Free trial (Australia only)

HiveThread offers a 14-day free trial of the full PRO tier to new sign-ups whose business is based in Australia. The trial is identified at signup based on the location selected during onboarding.

A valid credit or debit card is required at signup via Stripe Checkout. No charge is made during the 14-day trial period. If you do not cancel before the end of the 14th day, the card is charged for the plan you selected and the subscription begins.

You may cancel at any time during the 14-day trial period by visiting the customer portal in the app. If you cancel during the trial, no charge is made and your account is closed at the end of the day. One trial per business or billing entity.

Sign-ups outside Australia are not eligible for the free trial. United States and Canadian sign-ups can begin a paid subscription at any time. Sign-ups from other jurisdictions can join the waitlist; subscriptions in those regions will be enabled progressively as compliance and infrastructure roll out.

7.4 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time from the in-app customer portal. There are no annual contracts, no minimum terms, and no termination fees. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You retain access to the Service until the end of that period, after which the account moves to a read-only state and is deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Outside the 14-day trial period, no pro-rata refund of the unused portion of a billing cycle is offered, except where required by law (see Section 7.5).

7.5 Refunds and Australian Consumer Law

HiveThread does not offer voluntary refunds for paid months that have already been incurred. Cancellations stop further charges going forward but do not retrospectively refund prior periods.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any rights or guarantees that you have under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) or any other consumer-protection law that cannot lawfully be excluded. Where the Australian Consumer Law applies and a guarantee implied into your contract with us is not met (for example, if there is a major failure of the Service), you are entitled to a refund or other remedy as required by that law.

To request a refund or remedy on the basis of a statutory guarantee, contact [email protected] with a description of the issue. We will respond within 14 days.

7.6 Plan changes

You may change plan tier at any time from the in-app customer portal. Upgrades take effect immediately, and a pro-rata charge is applied for the remainder of the current billing period. Downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing period; tier-gated features cease to be available from the cycle start.

7.7 Price changes

We may change subscription prices from time to time. Existing customers will be given at least 30 days' notice of any price increase, by email or via in-app notification, before the new price takes effect for their account. You can decline a price increase by cancelling your subscription before the new price takes effect.

8. Intellectual Property

The HiveThread application, including its source code, design, brand, and documentation, is owned by Funsquare Pty Ltd and protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for your own internal business purposes, subject to these Terms.

Your content — including messages sent and received through the Service and any data you upload — remains your property. By using the Service, you grant us a limited licence to store, process, transmit, and display your content strictly for the purpose of operating the Service for you.

9. Availability and Uptime

We aim to provide a reliable service but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. The Service depends on third-party infrastructure including Railway, Cloudflare, Meta, and Twilio. We are not liable for downtime or degraded performance caused by these third parties, by scheduled maintenance, or by events beyond our reasonable control.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Service is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and uninterrupted or error-free operation. Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, HiveThread and Funsquare Pty Ltd shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising from or related to your use of the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to these Terms or the Service, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred Australian dollars (A$100).

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HiveThread, Funsquare Pty Ltd, and its directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use or misuse of the Service.
• Your breach of these Terms.
• Your breach of any third-party platform terms (Meta, Twilio, or otherwise).
• Any message you sent through the Service without a lawful basis or valid end-customer consent.
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Any content you or your team members upload or transmit through the Service.

13. Termination

By you. You may terminate your account at any time by contacting [email protected] or by using the account deletion feature in the app when available. Upon termination, your conversation data will be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

By us. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service, with or without notice, if:

• You materially breach these Terms or violate any applicable law.
• Your use of the Service creates a security, legal, or reputational risk to us or other users.
• A third-party platform (Meta, Twilio, or otherwise) requires us to suspend your access.
• We discontinue the Service or a material feature of it.

Termination does not relieve you of any obligations accrued before the termination date (including payment obligations, once paid plans launch).

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify merchants of material changes by email or through the app. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent change. Your continued use of the Service after a change becomes effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, your sole remedy is to stop using the Service and close your account.

15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. You agree that any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria, Australia.

16. Dispute Resolution

Before commencing any formal legal proceeding, you agree to first contact us at [email protected] and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally. If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days of that initial contact, either party may pursue formal remedies in the courts of Victoria, Australia.

17. General

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent; we may assign these Terms without restriction. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and HiveThread regarding the Service.

18. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact:

HiveThread
Email: [email protected]
Based in Doncaster, Victoria, Australia

HiveThread is operated by Funsquare Pty Ltd, an Australian Pty Ltd company registered in Victoria.