Referral Fuel Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose of this policy

Referral Fuel provides infrastructure for referral programmes and email communications. This AUP exists to:

• protect recipients, end users, and the public;
• protect the security, stability, and deliverability of the Services;
• ensure compliance with applicable laws (including UK GDPR, PECR, consumer protection and advertising rules); and
• maintain trust with mailbox providers, partners, and regulators.

2. Who must comply

This AUP applies to:

• Business Customers;
• Authorised Users of a Business Customer's account; and
• any other person accessing or using the Services.

Business Customers are responsible for ensuring their Authorised Users comply with this AUP. Any breach by an Authorised User is treated as a breach by the Business Customer.

3. Lawful and permitted use

You may use the Services only:

• for lawful business purposes;
• in accordance with the Terms of Service, this AUP, and all applicable laws and regulations; and
• in a manner that does not harm Referral Fuel, recipients, third parties, or the wider internet ecosystem.

4. Prohibited activities

Legal compliance obligation

You must comply with all applicable laws, regulations and regulatory guidance in connection with your access to and use of the Services. This includes, without limitation, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), consumer protection laws, advertising standards, and any other applicable local, national or international laws.

Prohibited conduct

Without limiting the general obligation above, you must not (and must not attempt to):

4.1 Unlawful, deceptive or harmful conduct

• use the Services for any unlawful purpose;
• engage in fraud, deception, misrepresentation, or unfair commercial practices;
• promote or facilitate scams, pyramid schemes, or get-rich-quick schemes;
• distribute malware, spyware, ransomware, or other harmful code;
• harass, threaten, defame, abuse, discriminate against, or otherwise harm others;
• promote hate, violence, or illegal activities.

4.2 Spam and unlawful marketing

• send spam or unsolicited bulk communications;
• send emails without a valid lawful basis (including consent where required);
• use misleading subject lines, sender names, or content;
• bypass, disable, or interfere with unsubscribe, opt-out, or suppression mechanisms;
• re-upload or reuse addresses that have unsubscribed, bounced, or complained;
• violate PECR, UK GDPR, CAN-SPAM, or similar marketing laws.

4.3 List integrity and data sources

You must not:

• upload, import, sync, or use lists that are purchased, rented, scraped, harvested, or obtained from third parties without valid disclosure and lawful basis;
• use co-registration lists without clear, specific disclosure naming the Business Customer;
• upload role-based or generic addresses (for example info@, sales@, admin@) unless you can demonstrate lawful basis;
• fail to retain evidence of opt-in or other lawful basis for each contact.

4.4 Abuse of referral programmes

You must not:

• create fake referrals, fake sign-ups, or self-referrals;
• use bots, scripts, or automated methods to generate referrals, clicks, or conversions;
• manipulate referral attribution or reward logic;
• offer rewards that are unlawful, misleading, or impossible to fulfil.

4.5 Content restrictions

You must not use the Services to create, host, or distribute content that:

• infringes intellectual property rights;
• is obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit;
• promotes illegal drugs, weapons, or regulated products without proper authorisation;
• contains false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims;
• targets or exploits vulnerable individuals.

4.6 Special category and criminal offence data

You must not upload, include, or process:

• special category data (for example health, biometric, genetic data, religious beliefs, sexual orientation), or
• criminal offence or conviction data,

through the Services.

4.7 Security and platform abuse

You must not:

• attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Services, accounts, or systems;
• probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Services without permission;
• reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code (except where permitted by law);
• interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Services;
• use automated means to scrape or extract data unless expressly authorised in writing.

5. CSV uploads and contact imports

Where the Services permit CSV uploads or contact imports, you certify that:

• every contact has been obtained lawfully with valid consent or another lawful basis;
• you retain records demonstrating opt-in or lawful basis for each contact;
• no purchased, scraped, rented, or unlawfully obtained lists are included;
• all data provided is accurate and up to date.

We may audit uploaded lists and imports at any time. Failure to demonstrate compliance may result in suspension or termination. These certifications apply on an ongoing basis and not only at the time of upload.

6. Monitoring, audits and enforcement

To protect the Services, we may:

• monitor usage patterns, complaint rates, bounce rates, and deliverability signals;
• investigate suspected violations of this AUP or the Terms of Service;
• audit content, lists, referral activity, and configurations;
• restrict features, impose sending limits, suspend or terminate accounts.

We are not required to provide advance notice before taking enforcement action where we reasonably believe there is risk to recipients, deliverability, security, or compliance.

7. Consequences of violations

If you breach this AUP, we may (without limitation):

• suspend or terminate your account or access;
• disable campaigns, referral programmes, or features;
• delete or block content or data;
• report unlawful activity to regulators or law enforcement;
• seek indemnification or other remedies available under the Terms of Service.

The measures described above are non-exhaustive, and we may take any other action permitted under the Terms of Service or applicable law. Any breach of this AUP may give rise to indemnification obligations under the Terms of Service.

8. Reporting abuse

If you believe the Services are being used in violation of this AUP, please contact us at info@referralfuel.co.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this AUP from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website and will apply from the date indicated above.