Terms of Service

Important Notice

SereneReader ("the Service") is operated by JonesLabs LLC ("JonesLabs", "we", "us", or "our"). By using the Service on the web or in our apps, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully. If you don't agree to them, please don't use the Service.

Service Description

SereneReader is a calm, minimal RSS/Atom feed reader that allows you to subscribe to and read content from websites that publish feeds. The Service:

• Fetches and aggregates RSS/Atom feeds you subscribe to
• Stores articles and your reading progress in your account
• Provides a distraction-free reading experience with customizable themes
• Syncs your subscriptions and reading state across devices

The Service displays content published by third-party websites via their RSS/Atom feeds. We do not control, endorse, or take responsibility for any third-party content displayed through the Service.

Account & Authentication

To use SereneReader, you must create an account using a valid email address. By creating an account, you:

• Confirm you are at least 13 years of age
• Agree to provide a valid email address for authentication
• Are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and email
• Agree to notify us if you suspect unauthorized access to your account

You can sign in with a one-time code sent to your email address, with your Google or GitHub account, or, in our apps, with Sign in with Apple. There are no passwords. You're responsible for securing your email account and any account you use to sign in.

Subscription Plans & Billing

Where you can subscribe

SereneReader Pro can be purchased in two places. On the web, it is billed by Polar, our merchant of record. Inside the iOS and macOS app, it is billed by Apple through your Apple Account. Team plans are available on the web only. You can hold only one active subscription per account at a time: the Service prevents you from holding an Apple subscription and a web (Polar) subscription at the same time.

Web purchases (Polar)

For purchases made on the web, Polar Software, Inc. acts as the merchant of record. This means:

• Invoices and receipts will be issued by "Polar Software, Inc."
• Credit card statements will show charges from Polar
• Polar handles international sales tax collection and compliance
• Your billing information is processed according to Polar's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

App Store purchases (iOS & macOS)

When you subscribe to SereneReader Pro inside the iOS or macOS app, your purchase is an auto-renewable subscription billed by Apple through your Apple Account.

• Price and term: Pro in the app is an auto-renewable monthly subscription. The price is shown in the app at the point of purchase in your local currency (US price $6.99/month; App Store prices vary by storefront).
• Automatic renewal: Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically each month unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Apple charges the renewal within 24 hours before the period ends.
• Manage or cancel: You can manage or cancel the subscription using the in-app Manage subscription control or in your device Settings (Apple Account > Subscriptions). Cancelling stops the next renewal; your Pro access continues until the end of the paid period, after which your account reverts to Free.
• Refunds:Refunds for purchases billed by Apple are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com, under Apple's media services terms. SereneReader cannot issue refunds for purchases billed by Apple.

Plans

SereneReader offers the following subscription tiers:

• Free: Up to 150 feeds, 90-day article history, article search, unlimited devices
• Pro ($5/month on the web): Up to 250 feeds, 180-day saved article retention, all themes, API access
• Team ($25/month): Unlimited feeds, unlimited saved article retention, shared feeds, up to 5 seats, team management

Plan limits and features may change over time. We will notify existing subscribers before making changes that reduce their current plan's capabilities.

Pricing differences

Prices may differ between the web and the App Store. The price that applies to you is the one shown at your point of purchase: on the web for Polar purchases, or in the app for Apple purchases.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time. Where you cancel depends on how you subscribed: web (Polar) subscriptions are cancelled from your SereneReader settings, and subscriptions purchased in the app are cancelled through your Apple Account, as described above. Upon cancellation, you retain access to your paid plan's features through the end of your current billing period, after which your account reverts to the Free tier. We do not provide refunds for partial billing periods; refunds for Apple-billed purchases are handled by Apple.

Deleting your account ends an active web (Polar) subscription immediately, without a refund for the rest of the billing period. If the subscription can't be cancelled, your account isn't deleted. We can't cancel App Store subscriptions for you: cancel yours in your Apple Account settings, because Apple keeps billing until you do. If you lead a Team, deleting your account disbands the team and moves its members to the Free plan.

Public API

We provide a public REST API ("the API") to subscribers on paid plans (Pro and Team). It gives read-only access to your feeds, articles, and API usage, using Bearer token authentication.

API Access & Keys

• API access is available exclusively to Pro and Team subscribers
• You may generate and manage API keys from your account settings
• API keys are credentials. You're responsible for keeping them secure and must not share them publicly
• If you believe an API key has been compromised, revoke it immediately and generate a new one
• We may revoke API keys at any time if we suspect misuse

Rate Limits & Usage

• API requests are limited to 30 per minute per account, shared across all of your API keys
• Exceeding rate limits may result in temporary throttling or suspension of API access
• Settings shows when each key was last used, and GET /api/v1/usage returns the calling key's request counts for the past 1, 8, and 24 hours
• We may adjust rate limits at any time with reasonable notice

Permitted Use

You may use the API to:

• Read your own feed subscriptions and articles
• Build personal integrations, automations, and workflows
• Develop applications for your own use or within your Team workspace

Prohibited Use

You may NOT use the API to:

• Build a competing RSS reader service or redistribute SereneReader's functionality
• Resell, sublicense, or commercially redistribute API access to third parties
• Circumvent subscription plan limits or access features not included in your plan
• Perform excessive or abusive requests intended to degrade the Service
• Access or attempt to access other users' data
• Scrape, harvest, or bulk-export content for purposes unrelated to your personal reading

API Availability & Changes

The API is provided on an "as available" basis. We may modify, deprecate, or discontinue API endpoints at any time. We'll make reasonable efforts to communicate breaking changes in advance, but we don't guarantee backward compatibility. Your continued use of the API after changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to use the Service to:

• Attempt to circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features of the Service
• Overload, flood, or spam the Service with excessive requests
• Access the Service with automated tools such as scrapers or bots, other than our apps and the public API as described in these Terms
• Resell, redistribute, or commercially exploit the Service without authorization
• Subscribe to feeds containing illegal content
• Use the Service to infringe on intellectual property rights
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity
• Violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party rights

Third-Party Content

SereneReader aggregates content from third-party RSS/Atom feeds that you choose to subscribe to. We do not create, edit, endorse, or verify this content. You acknowledge that:

• Third-party content is the responsibility of its respective publishers
• We make no representations about the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of third-party content
• Feed publishers may change, restrict, or remove their feeds at any time
• We are not liable for any harm arising from third-party content displayed through the Service

Feed Availability

You can add feeds from third-party sources to SereneReader. We do not guarantee that any particular feed or source can be added, or that a feed will remain available after it has been added. A feed or source may be unavailable, or may be removed after being added, for reasons that include:

• Takedown notices, copyright claims, or other legal or regulatory requests concerning a source.
• Technical difficulties, such as a source that is unreliable, repeatedly fails to load, or rate-limits or blocks our requests.
• Risks to the security, stability, or integrity of the Service or the people who use it.
• Content or conduct that violates these Terms or applicable law.

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion and without prior notice, to restrict, disable, remove, or block any feed or source, whether by individual feed address or by entire domain, for the reasons above or for any other reason we consider appropriate to protect the Service, the people who use it, or third parties. The unavailability or removal of a feed does not affect your subscription plan or your access to other feeds, and we are not liable for any feed being unavailable.

Takedown and Removal Requests

If you hold rights in content made available through a feed, or you believe a feed violates these Terms or applicable law, you may request its removal or blocking. Please reach out through our contact page with the feed's address and the basis for your request. We review takedown requests promptly and may disable or remove the feed while a request is under review.

Limitation of Liability

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless JonesLabs LLC and its members, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Content you access through the Service

Intellectual Property

Service IP: The SereneReader name, logo, website design, code, features, and functionality are owned by JonesLabs LLC and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our prior written consent.

Your Data: You retain ownership of your feed subscriptions, reading preferences, and organizational data. You can export your subscriptions and folders as an OPML file, and delete your account, at any time.

Feedback: If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Service, you grant JonesLabs LLC a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use and incorporate such feedback without obligation to you.

Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Reasons for termination may include:

• Violation of these Terms of Service
• Abusive or excessive use of the Service
• Requests by law enforcement or government agencies
• Discontinuation or material modification of the Service

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including limitation of liability and indemnification.

Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall take place in Atlanta, Georgia, and the language of arbitration shall be English.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights.

Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service: