Introduction
Welcome to Selnotes. By creating an account, making a purchase, listing a product, or simply browsing the platform, you're agreeing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. They govern everything — from how buyers purchase and receive digital products, to how sellers get paid, to what content is and isn't allowed on the platform.
Selnotes is operated by Selnotes Technologies L.L.C. (referred to in these Terms as "Selnotes", "we", "us", or "our"). Our platform connects independent creators and educators with students and learners worldwide who want to buy digital study materials, courses, templates, and tools.
These Terms apply to everyone who accesses or uses Selnotes — whether you're a buyer, a seller, or just browsing. If you don't agree with these terms, please don't use the platform.
Eligibility & Accounts
To use Selnotes you must be at least 16 years old. If you're under 18, you confirm that you have permission from a parent or legal guardian. By registering, you represent that the information you provide is accurate, current, and complete.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Any activity that occurs under your account is your responsibility, whether or not it was actually carried out by you. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately through our contact page.
Each person may hold one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions, exploit promotional terms, or evade a ban is a material breach of these Terms and will result in the permanent suspension of all associated accounts.
We reserve the right to suspend or permanently close any account at our discretion if we determine, acting reasonably, that it has been used in violation of these Terms, applicable law, or in a way that causes harm to users, the platform, or third parties.
The Platform
Selnotes is a marketplace. That means we provide the infrastructure — the storefront, the payment processing, the download delivery, the seller dashboard — but we don't create or own the products listed on the platform. Every product is created and sold by an independent third-party seller.
We do not pre-screen every product before it goes live, but we do actively moderate the marketplace and remove content that violates our policies. Selnotes is not a party to the transaction between buyer and seller — we're the platform through which the transaction happens.
That said, we don't disappear after a sale. We maintain a dispute process, enforce seller standards, and in clear cases of fraud or serious misrepresentation, we intervene. We've built Selnotes to be a trustworthy place, and that means taking responsibility when things go wrong.
We may introduce, modify, or discontinue features of the platform at any time. We'll do our best to give advance notice for material changes that affect sellers' businesses, but we can't guarantee this in all circumstances.
Buyers
When you buy a product on Selnotes, you're purchasing a digital license — the right to use that product for your own personal or professional purposes, as defined by the seller. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, you're not buying ownership of the content, and you may not resell, redistribute, sublicense, or republish the product in any form.
All prices displayed on Selnotes are in US Dollars (USD). Applicable taxes may be added at checkout depending on your location and local law. By completing a purchase, you confirm that you have the authority to use the payment method provided and that the billing information is accurate.
Digital products are delivered immediately upon confirmed payment. Once your payment clears, you'll receive a download link or access to your file through your Selnotes account under My Purchases. Purchase links do not expire, and you can re-download your files at any time from your account.
If you encounter a problem accessing or downloading a product — a broken file, a corrupted download, or a product that simply isn't what was described — please open a dispute through your account within 14 days of purchase. We take every dispute seriously and will review it promptly.
Pay What You Want Pricing
Some products on Selnotes are offered under a "Pay What You Want" (PWYW) model. With PWYW, the seller does not fix a single price — instead, the buyer chooses how much to pay at checkout, subject to the rules below. A PWYW listing is clearly marked as such on the product page before you buy.
How the price is set
Every PWYW listing has a minimum price set by the seller, and may also display a suggested price. The minimum is the floor — you cannot complete a purchase for less than it.
- If the seller sets a minimum above $0.00, you must pay at least that amount. Any attempt to pay less is rejected at checkout.
- If the seller sets the minimum to $0.00, you may take the product for free, pay the suggested amount, or pay anything in between or above — entirely at your discretion.
- The suggested price, where shown, is a recommendation only. It does not obligate you to pay that amount, and choosing to pay less (down to the minimum) is a legitimate use of the feature, not a breach of these Terms.
- You may always choose to pay more than the minimum or suggested price to support the creator. Amounts paid voluntarily above the minimum are final and are treated identically to the rest of the purchase price.
For buyers
The amount you choose to pay is the full and final price of that purchase. A PWYW purchase grants you exactly the same digital license and access rights as any other purchase on Selnotes — paying the minimum (including $0.00, where permitted) does not reduce your rights, and paying more does not expand them, unless the seller's listing explicitly states otherwise.
PWYW pricing is offered in good faith. Repeatedly manipulating the feature in bad faith — for example, scripting bulk $0.00 acquisitions for resale or redistribution, or abusing the model to circumvent a seller's pricing — is a breach of these Terms and may result in account suspension and forfeiture of access to the products obtained.
For sellers
When you enable PWYW on a listing, you accept that buyers may pay any amount at or above your stated minimum, and that some buyers will pay only the minimum. If you set your minimum to $0.00, you accept that the product may be acquired for free. You set both the minimum and the suggested price, and you may change them for future sales at any time — but changes never apply retroactively to completed purchases.
Discount codes and coupons do not stack on PWYW listings — because the buyer already names their own price, promotional discounts are not applied at checkout to PWYW products. Selnotes' standard commission applies to the actual amount paid by the buyer. Where a buyer pays $0.00, no commission is charged because no revenue is generated; the sale is still recorded for your statistics and the buyer still receives a valid license.
Refunds on PWYW purchases
Refunds for PWYW purchases follow the same rules set out in Refunds & Disputes below. Where a refund is due, it is limited to the amount actually paid by the buyer for that purchase. Purchases acquired for $0.00 carry no refundable amount, though the standard remedies — such as a working replacement file — still apply.
Refunds & Disputes
Because Selnotes deals exclusively in digital products that are delivered instantly, our refund policy is more nuanced than a standard retail return policy. Here's how it works.
When you can get a refund
We offer refunds or replacements in the following situations:
- The file is corrupted or fundamentally broken and the seller is unable or unwilling to provide a working replacement within 3 business days of being notified.
- The product description materially misrepresents what was actually delivered — for example, a "100-page complete study guide" that turns out to be 12 pages of loosely related notes.
- You were charged incorrectly (duplicate charge, wrong amount) due to a technical error on our end.
- A seller's account was suspended for fraud prior to delivery of the product you purchased.
When refunds are not available
We don't issue refunds because you changed your mind, because the product didn't match your subjective expectations, or because you've already accessed, downloaded, or reviewed the full content. We're firm on this — it's a necessary policy to protect creators from bad-faith returns.
We also don't issue refunds for products that are partially used, for purchases made with discount codes that are still valid and were applied correctly, or for any situation where access to the product was granted and the content matched the published description.
How to open a dispute
If you believe you're entitled to a refund, go to My Purchases in your account and select the order in question. You'll find an option to open a dispute. Provide as much detail as possible — screenshots of the issue, a description of the problem, and what resolution you're looking for.
Disputes must be raised within 14 calendar days of the purchase date. After 14 days, all sales are considered final and no disputes can be opened. The seller has 72 hours to respond; if they don't, or if we determine the claim is valid, we'll issue a refund to your original payment method. Refunds typically appear within 5–10 business days depending on your bank or card issuer.
Sellers & Creators
Becoming a seller on Selnotes is free. To list products for sale, you'll need to register a seller account and agree to the additional seller responsibilities outlined in this section. By activating your seller account, you confirm that you have the right to sell everything you list.
Product listings
You're responsible for the accuracy of every product you list — the title, description, file contents, preview images, and any claims you make about what the buyer will receive. Listings must include an accurate English description. You may not use misleading thumbnails, fake reviews, or inflated product metrics.
Selnotes reserves the right to edit, delist, or permanently remove any product that violates our content policies, misleads buyers, or is reported for intellectual property infringement. We'll notify you before taking action where possible, but we may act immediately in cases of serious violation.
Your relationship with buyers
When you sell on Selnotes, you're granting buyers a license to use your product. The scope of that license — personal use only, commercial use, classroom use — should be clearly stated in your product description. If you don't specify, the default is personal, non-commercial use.
Sellers who repeatedly receive valid dispute claims, who misrepresent their products, or who engage in any form of buyer manipulation face account suspension and forfeiture of pending earnings related to the fraudulent transactions.
Tax obligations
Selnotes collects and remits applicable taxes on digital sales in jurisdictions where we're required to do so. As a seller, you're responsible for understanding and complying with your own income tax obligations in the country or region where you're tax-resident. We provide transaction records and earning summaries from your dashboard, but we are not your accountant, and nothing on this platform constitutes tax advice.
Commission & Fees
Selnotes operates on a progressive tiered commission model. This means the more you earn on the platform, the lower your effective commission rate — similar to how income tax brackets work. Each rate applies only to the revenue within that bracket, not to your total.
Our commission starts at 1% on your first $1,000 of revenue and decreases progressively as your lifetime earnings grow — all the way down to 0.10% at $2,000,000+. There are no subscription fees, listing fees, or monthly charges. You pay nothing until you make a sale.
To see the full tier breakdown and calculate your exact take-home earnings, visit the Pricing section of your seller dashboard. The calculator shows you exactly what Selnotes takes and what you keep.
We reserve the right to adjust our commission tiers. Any increase in commission rates will apply only to sales made after the change takes effect — never retroactively. We'll give at least 30 days' notice before any commission increase.
Payouts & Withdrawals
Your earnings exist in two states: pending and available. When a sale is made, the funds enter a holding period of 7 to 14 days before becoming available to withdraw. This holding period accounts for potential chargebacks, payment reversals, and valid buyer disputes. Once funds are available, they stay in your balance until you request a withdrawal — there's no automatic payout schedule.
Withdrawal methods
You can withdraw your available balance via three methods, all free of charge:
- Stripe — Instant transfer to your connected Stripe account.
- PayPal — Sent to your verified PayPal email within 1–3 business days.
- Bank transfer (IBAN) — Direct deposit to your bank account within 2–5 business days. Supports IBAN, UK sort code, and US routing number formats.
Withdrawal limits
The minimum withdrawal amount is $10.00. The maximum per request is $4,000.00. There is no limit on the number of withdrawal requests you can submit — if you need more than $4,000, submit multiple requests.
Processing time
Once you submit a request, it enters our processing queue. In most cases this is instant or near-instant. However, we perform routine verification checks, particularly for new accounts or unusually large amounts — this may take up to 5 business days. You may cancel a pending request from your dashboard before it has been initiated; once a transfer is underway, it cannot be reversed.
Account holds
If your account is placed under review — due to an elevated dispute rate, a suspected policy violation, or a chargeback investigation — your available balance may be temporarily frozen. We'll notify you promptly and aim to resolve reviews within 10 business days. If no violation is found, funds are released in full. If a violation is confirmed, we reserve the right to apply penalties, including forfeiture of earnings from fraudulent transactions.
Taxes on earnings
Selnotes does not withhold income tax from seller earnings. You receive your full net amount after commission and are responsible for declaring this income under the laws of your jurisdiction. Where legally required, Selnotes may issue tax information reports.
Prohibited Content & Conduct
Selnotes is a platform for original, legitimate digital products. The following are prohibited and will result in immediate removal and account suspension:
- Content that infringes copyright, trademark, or any intellectual property right of a third party — including textbook scans, leaked exam papers, pirated software, and copied academic materials.
- Products that are falsely described, contain misleading previews, or misrepresent the nature, volume, or quality of their contents.
- Content that is illegal under applicable law — including material that facilitates academic fraud where this is prohibited, or content constituting defamation, harassment, or hate speech.
- Personal data belonging to individuals without their explicit, documented consent.
- Products designed to circumvent software protection, export controls, or other technical or legal restrictions.
- Spam, artificial review manipulation, or coordinated inauthentic behavior — including purchasing your own products, incentivizing reviews, or using bots to inflate metrics.
Prohibited categories
Regardless of format, Selnotes does not permit listings that sell, promote, or provide instructions for the following categories. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive — we may remove anything we reasonably judge to fall within its spirit:
- Firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons, or any guide, blueprint, or file intended to manufacture, modify, or 3D-print them.
- Illegal drugs, controlled substances, or products marketing their production, sourcing, or use.
- Regulated goods that require a licence to sell — including pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling products.
- Malware, hacking tools, credential dumps, stolen data, or anything designed to compromise systems or accounts.
- Content promoting violence, terrorism, self-harm, or the exploitation or endangerment of any person.
Adult and illegal content
Selnotes is a marketplace for educational and productivity materials, and is not a platform for adult or sexually explicit content. Pornographic material, sexual services, and content created primarily for sexual gratification are not permitted, and any listing marketed to an audience under 18 must be entirely age-appropriate.
Any content that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers a minor is absolutely prohibited. We report suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the relevant authorities, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), preserve associated records as required by law, and permanently ban the accounts involved. There is no warning and no appeal for this category.
AI-generated content
You may sell products that were created with the help of AI tools, but you must be honest about it. Where AI was used to generate a material part of a product — the writing, images, code, or core substance — the listing must clearly disclose this so buyers can make an informed decision. You remain fully responsible for anything you sell, including ensuring it does not infringe third-party rights, is not misleading, and does not simply resell raw, unedited AI output as original work.
Automated moderation and image scanning
To keep the marketplace safe, we use automated systems — including third-party image moderation and CSAM-detection technology such as the scanning provided by our image host — to review uploaded images and product content. These systems may flag, block, or remove content automatically, and may escalate matches to our team or to law enforcement where required. By uploading content to Selnotes, you consent to this automated scanning. Automated moderation supplements, but does not replace, our right to review and remove content manually.
Buyers may not attempt to reverse-engineer, re-upload, resell, or distribute any product purchased on Selnotes without the seller's explicit written permission. Doing so may constitute copyright infringement and could expose you to legal action by the seller, Selnotes, or both.
Intellectual Property
When you upload a product to Selnotes, you retain full ownership of that content. You grant Selnotes a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, deliver, and promote your product on the platform and in our marketing channels. This license exists solely for the purpose of running the marketplace and terminates when you remove the product from the platform.
The Selnotes brand, logo, platform interface, and all proprietary technology are owned by Selnotes Technologies L.L.C. You may not reproduce, copy, or use any of these without our express written permission.
If you believe that a product on Selnotes infringes your intellectual property rights, submit a takedown request through our contact page (select the Copyright / IP category). Include the URL of the infringing listing, a description of the original work, and your contact details. We respond to all valid takedown requests within 3 business days.
Privacy
Your privacy matters to us. We collect and use your personal data only to the extent necessary to operate Selnotes, process payments, communicate with you, and comply with our legal obligations. We don't sell your data to third parties, and we never will.
For the full details on what we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and your rights under applicable data protection law, please read our Privacy Policy. By using Selnotes, you agree to the data practices described there.
Limitation of Liability
Selnotes provides the platform on an "as is" basis. While we work hard to keep things running smoothly, we can't guarantee uninterrupted availability or that the platform will be free of errors at all times. We're not responsible for service interruptions outside our direct control — including third-party payment processor outages, server downtime, or force majeure events.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Selnotes' total liability to you in connection with any claim arising out of your use of the platform is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid to or through Selnotes in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) $100.
We are not liable for the quality, accuracy, legality, or any characteristic of products sold by third-party sellers. While we moderate the marketplace, the responsibility for each product ultimately rests with its creator.
Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Selnotes Technologies L.L.C. is incorporated, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms that cannot be resolved informally will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in that jurisdiction.
Before pursuing formal legal action, we ask that you reach out through our contact page and give us a genuine opportunity to resolve the issue. Most problems can be sorted out directly. We commit to responding to all formal complaints within 5 business days.
Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in the law, changes to our platform, or improvements to how we've articulated our policies. When we make significant changes, we'll notify you — by email if you have an account, and by a notice on the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects when the current version came into effect.
If you continue to use Selnotes after a Terms update, you're accepting the revised Terms. If you don't agree with the changes, you should stop using the platform and, if you're a seller, withdraw your available balance before closing your account.
Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, want to report a violation, or need to reach our legal or compliance team, please get in touch through our contact page. It routes your message to the right team and is the fastest way to get a response.
Selnotes Technologies L.L.C.
We respond to all formal legal enquiries within 5 business days.