These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Fern mobile app and this website (together, the Service), operated by JPDigital Software Solutions LLC ("Fern," "we," "us," or "our"). Please read them carefully.
1. Agreement and eligibility
By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use Fern. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
2. What Fern is — and isn't
Fern is a budgeting and savings tool for the self-employed. It estimates how much to set aside for taxes, what is safe to spend, and potential deductions, based on the information and settings you provide.
Fern is confirm-first: you decide what counts as income and what reserve percentage to use. Fern is non-custodial — we never hold or move your money on our own; transfers happen between your own accounts and only when you initiate them. Fern is not a bank, broker-dealer, money transmitter, investment adviser, or tax preparer.
3. Accounts and security
You sign in with a one-time passcode sent to your email or phone — there is no password. You are responsible for keeping access to your email, phone, and devices secure, and for activity that occurs under your account. Tell us promptly at hello@fern.app if you suspect unauthorized use.
4. Bank connections via Plaid
Connecting a financial account is optional. If you choose to connect one, you authorize Fern and our provider Plaid to access account and transaction information on your behalf. Your use of Plaid is also subject to Plaid's own terms and privacy policy. You may disconnect a connected account at any time, which stops future data access.
5. Fern Pro and billing
Some features may be offered free of charge during early access. When paid plans are enabled, Fern Pro is offered at $9 per month or $90 per year, billed through Apple or Stripe. Subscriptions auto-renew at the then-current price until canceled. You can manage or cancel your subscription through your app store account or our billing portal; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Except where required by law or by the applicable app store's policy, fees are non-refundable.
6. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent, or abusive purpose.
- Access another person's account or data without authorization.
- Interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its systems.
- Reverse engineer, scrape, or copy the Service except as permitted by law, or resell or misrepresent the Service.
- Upload malware or submit information you do not have the right to share.
7. Intellectual property
The Service, including the Fern app, website, branding, and content, is owned by Fern and protected by intellectual property laws. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Service for your own use. You retain ownership of the information you provide.
8. Third-party services
The Service relies on third parties — including Plaid (bank connections), Apple and Stripe (payments), and our AI provider (assistant responses). Your use of those features is also subject to the relevant third party's terms and privacy policy. We are not responsible for third-party services we do not control.
9. Disclaimers
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that its estimates will be accurate. You are solely responsible for your own tax filings, payments, and financial decisions.
10. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Fern and JPDigital Software Solutions LLC will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to your use of the Service. To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for all claims relating to the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts you paid us in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) US$100.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Fern, JPDigital Software Solutions LLC, and its personnel from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.
12. Termination
You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time (Profile → Delete account). We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or to protect the Service or other users. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination — including ownership, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and indemnification — will survive.
13. Changes to the Service and these Terms
We may modify the Service or these Terms from time to time. When we change the Terms, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the revised Terms.
14. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Before filing any formal claim, you agree to first try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at hello@fern.app; we will try to do the same. If we cannot resolve it within a reasonable time, the dispute will be subject to the courts located in New York, unless applicable law provides otherwise.
15. Contact us
Questions about these Terms? Email hello@fern.app, or write to Fern, JPDigital Software Solutions LLC. Learn more about the Service at https://www.getfernapp.com.