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Terms of Service — GCOS

Effective date: October 15, 2026

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Version: 1.0

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you", or "your") and GCOS ("GCOS", "we", "us", or "our"), operator of the platform available at https://thegcos.com/.

By accessing, registering for, or using the GCOS platform, services, website, API, or any related products (collectively, the "Services"), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our User Agreement. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.

If you are using the Services on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms, and the terms "User", "you", and "your" refer to that entity.

2. Definitions

3. Services Description

GCOS provides a customs compliance platform designed primarily for exporters, 3PLs, forwarders, and customs brokers operating in the Asia-Pacific region and shipping goods to the United States and other destinations. The Services include, but are not limited to:

Features available to a User depend on the Subscription tier. GCOS reserves the right to modify, add, or remove features of the Services at any time, with reasonable notice for material changes affecting paid Subscriptions.

4. Account Registration

4.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract to register for the Services. If registering on behalf of an organization, you must be authorized to do so.

4.2 Account Information

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to maintain and promptly update such information. You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

4.3 One Account per User

Each User (natural person or organization) may hold only one Free account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent usage limits, pricing, or restrictions is prohibited and may result in suspension of all associated accounts.

4.4 Verification

We may require email, phone, or payment-method verification to activate or maintain an account. We may refuse registration or suspend accounts that fail verification or appear to violate these Terms.

5. Free Launch Trial

5.1 Trial Scope

From October 15, 2026 to January 15, 2027 (the "Launch Trial Period"), all newly registered accounts shall receive unlimited HTS classifications and access to premium features including batch upload, multi-language ingestion, audit trail, and reasoning — subject to Section 5.2.

5.2 Fair Use

The Launch Trial is subject to reasonable fair-use limitations to prevent abuse. We may rate-limit, suspend, or terminate accounts that exhibit automated scraping, resale of outputs, or usage patterns inconsistent with legitimate business use at our sole discretion.

5.3 Trial Conclusion

At 23:59 UTC on January 15, 2027, all Launch Trial accounts shall automatically transition to the standard Free tier limits (approximately 300 classifications per month, basic HTS classification only, 1 user per account). To preserve access to premium features and higher volumes, Users may upgrade to a paid Subscription at any time before or after this date.

5.4 No Credit Card Required

No payment method is required to register for the Launch Trial. Users will not be automatically charged upon trial conclusion.

6. Subscription Tiers and Pricing

6.1 Available Tiers

GCOS offers the following Subscription tiers, with features and limits as published on our pricing page:

6.2 Launch Promotional Pricing

Launch promotional prices on Starter and Growth tiers are available for a limited period following public launch, as indicated on our pricing page. Users who subscribe during the launch period will retain the promotional rate for the duration of their initial Subscription term and any uninterrupted renewals at the same tier for up to twenty-four (24) months. Thereafter, standard list pricing applies.

6.3 Price Changes

We may change Subscription prices with at least thirty (30) days' advance notice via email to the account holder. Price changes shall take effect at the next billing cycle following the notice period.

7. Payment and Billing

7.1 Billing Cycle

Paid Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance, as selected at purchase. Enterprise Subscriptions follow terms specified in a separate order form.

7.2 Payment Methods

We accept major credit cards and other payment methods specified at checkout. For Enterprise customers, we may accept bank transfer and invoice-based payment.

7.3 Automatic Renewal

Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled by the User at least seven (7) days before the renewal date for monthly plans, or thirty (30) days before renewal for annual plans. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing cycle; no partial refunds are provided for unused portions of the term.

7.4 Overage Charges

If a User exceeds the classification volume included in their Subscription tier, overage charges apply at the rate published on the pricing page ($0.10 per classification on Starter, $0.05 on Growth). Overages are billed with the next regular invoice.

7.5 Taxes

All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes, duties, and governmental charges, which the User is responsible for paying.

7.6 Non-Payment

Failure to pay fees when due may result in suspension of Services. Accounts that remain in arrears for more than thirty (30) days may be terminated and data deleted in accordance with Section 16.

7.7 Refunds

Except as required by applicable law, Subscription Fees are non-refundable. New Users on annual plans may request a full refund within fourteen (14) days of initial purchase, provided no material consumption of the Services has occurred. Enterprise refund terms may be specified in the applicable order form.

8. User Obligations and Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Services to:

Violations of this Section may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account without refund.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 GCOS IP

The Services, including all software, models, algorithms, databases, interfaces, trademarks, logos, and content provided by GCOS, are the exclusive property of GCOS and its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws. These Terms do not grant you any ownership rights in the Services.

9.2 Limited License to User

Subject to compliance with these Terms, GCOS grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for your internal business purposes during the term of your Subscription.

9.3 Customer Data Ownership

You retain all ownership rights in your Customer Data. By submitting Customer Data to the Services, you grant GCOS a worldwide, royalty-free license to use, process, store, reproduce, and modify such data solely for the purposes of: (a) providing the Services to you; (b) complying with legal obligations; and (c) training and improving our AI models and compliance forecasting engine, as further described in Section 10.

9.4 Feedback

Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide regarding the Services may be used by GCOS without obligation or compensation to you.

10. Customer Data and AI Training

10.1 Model Training

You acknowledge and agree that GCOS may use aggregated and de-identified Customer Data (including product descriptions, classifications, user corrections, and classification outcomes) to train, improve, and refine our artificial intelligence models and compliance forecasting engine. This is a core function of the Services and enables continuous improvement of classification accuracy.

10.2 Opt-Out

Users on Growth and Enterprise tiers may opt out of having their Customer Data used for model training, upon written request. Opt-out does not retroactively remove data already incorporated into trained models.

10.3 Confidentiality of Customer Data

GCOS treats Customer Data as confidential and shall not sell, rent, or disclose identifiable Customer Data to third parties except as described in our Privacy Policy or required by law.

10.4 Data Security

GCOS implements commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect Customer Data, including encryption in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256), access controls, and regular security assessments. Full details are described in our Privacy Policy.

11. Confidentiality

Each party ("Receiving Party") agrees to protect the confidential information of the other party ("Disclosing Party") with the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, and in no event less than reasonable care. Confidential Information excludes information that is: (a) publicly known through no fault of the Receiving Party; (b) rightfully received from a third party without obligation of confidentiality; (c) independently developed; or (d) required to be disclosed by law or court order (with reasonable notice to the Disclosing Party where legally permitted).

12. Service Availability and SLA

12.1 Target Uptime

GCOS targets 99.5% monthly uptime for Free and Starter tiers, 99.9% for Growth, and as specified in the order form for Enterprise. "Uptime" excludes scheduled maintenance (with advance notice) and events outside our reasonable control.

12.2 Service Credits

Service credits for SLA breaches apply to paid Subscribers who notify us in writing within thirty (30) days of the incident. Credits are calculated as 10% of the applicable monthly Subscription Fee for each full hour of unplanned downtime below the committed uptime target, up to a maximum of 50% of the monthly fee for that period. Credits are issued against future invoices and are the User's sole and exclusive remedy for availability issues.

12.3 Maintenance

We may perform scheduled maintenance that may temporarily affect availability. We shall provide at least 48 hours' notice for planned maintenance where practicable.

13. Warranties and Disclaimers

13.1 Limited Warranty

GCOS warrants that the Services will perform materially in accordance with the documentation during an active paid Subscription. Your sole remedy for breach of this warranty is correction of the non-conforming Services or, at our option, refund of the fees paid for the affected period.

13.2 Disclaimer of Other Warranties

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR ACCURACY. GCOS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR COMPLETELY SECURE.

13.3 Classification Accuracy

HTS CLASSIFICATIONS, COMPLIANCE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND OTHER OUTPUTS PROVIDED BY GCOS ARE INFORMATIONAL AND BASED ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODELS. THEY DO NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL OR CUSTOMS ADVICE. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OF CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS, FILINGS, AND COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. GCOS RECOMMENDS CONSULTATION WITH LICENSED CUSTOMS BROKERS OR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR HIGH-STAKES CLASSIFICATIONS.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL GCOS, ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST DATA, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES, WHETHER UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

GCOS'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS AND THE SERVICES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT PAID BY THE USER TO GCOS DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (USD $100).

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless GCOS, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of or access to the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party right, including intellectual property, privacy, or export-control laws; or (d) any content or data you submit through the Services.

16. Term and Termination

16.1 Term

These Terms remain in effect from your first use of the Services until terminated as described below.

16.2 Termination by User

You may terminate your account at any time via account settings or by contacting support. For paid Subscriptions, see Section 7.3 regarding cancellation and renewal.

16.3 Termination by GCOS

GCOS may suspend or terminate your access to the Services, with or without notice, if we determine in good faith that you have violated these Terms, that your use poses a security or legal risk, or for prolonged non-payment.

16.4 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Services ends immediately. You may export your Customer Data within thirty (30) days following termination; thereafter, we may delete your data in accordance with our data retention schedule. Sections 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, and any accrued payment obligations shall survive termination.

17. Modifications to Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we shall provide at least thirty (30) days' notice via email to the account holder or in-app notification. Continued use of the Services after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Services and may terminate your account.

18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

18.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply.

18.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute, the parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation for at least thirty (30) days following written notice of the dispute.

18.3 Arbitration

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, that is not resolved through negotiation shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of SIAC then in force. The seat of arbitration shall be Singapore. The tribunal shall consist of one (1) arbitrator. The language of arbitration shall be English. The arbitration award shall be final and binding on the parties, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

18.4 Injunctive Relief

Notwithstanding the arbitration clause, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property rights or confidential information.

19. Miscellaneous

19.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, User Agreement, and any applicable order form, constitute the entire agreement between you and GCOS regarding the Services.

19.2 Assignment

You may not assign these Terms without GCOS's prior written consent. GCOS may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

19.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

19.4 No Waiver

The failure of GCOS to enforce any right or provision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

19.5 Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, government action, labor disputes, or internet outages.

19.6 Notices

Legal notices to GCOS must be sent in writing to the contact address in Section 20. Notices to Users may be delivered via the email address associated with the account or via in-app notification.

20. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to: