1. Agreement and authority
These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) are a binding agreement between the person or entity accepting them (“Customer,” “you,” or “your”) and Backline Business Solutions (“Backline,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). They apply to Backline Books and related websites, applications, support, and online features (collectively, the “Service”). By clicking acceptance, creating or using an account, signing an order that incorporates these Terms, or continuing to use the Service after notice of an update, you agree to them.
If you use the Service for an organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind it. If you lack authority, do not accept or use the Service for that organization. Additional users are bound through Customer, and Customer is responsible for their compliance.
2. Contract documents and order of precedence
An order, proposal, bookkeeping engagement, statement of work, data-processing addendum, or other agreement signed by both parties may add to these Terms. A signed document controls over these Terms only for the conflicting subject it expressly addresses. The Privacy Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, AI Disclosures, and any plan or order terms are incorporated by reference. Customer purchase-order boilerplate does not modify the agreement.
3. Eligibility and accounts
The Service is for business use by persons legally able to contract. You must provide accurate information, keep it current, designate authorized administrators, protect authentication methods, and promptly report suspected compromise. Accounts are personal to each user and may not be shared. Actions taken through an account are treated as Customer instructions unless Backline knew the account was compromised.
4. License and acceptable use
During a paid or authorized trial term, Backline grants Customer a limited, nonexclusive, nontransferable, revocable right for authorized users to access the Service for Customer’s internal business purposes. No ownership is transferred. You may not use the Service in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy, bypass controls, resell access, or permit unauthorized third-party use. Contractors may use the Service for Customer only if Customer remains responsible for them.
5. Service scope and changes
The Service may support accounting operations, bookkeeping workflows, reporting, forecasting, document handling, collaboration, integrations, and automated assistance. Features, limits, and service levels depend on the applicable plan or signed engagement. We may modify the Service to improve it, address risk, comply with law, or respond to provider changes. We will not materially reduce a paid Service’s core functionality during the term without reasonable notice, except when needed for security, law, or third-party dependency changes.
Beta, preview, pilot, and evaluation features are optional, may be incomplete, and may be changed or withdrawn at any time. They are provided without service-level commitments and should not be used for production decisions unless a signed agreement says otherwise.
6. Professional-services boundary
The software Service does not itself provide banking, custody, money transmission, legal, tax, investment, audit, attestation, credit, insurance, or fiduciary services. Software output and general support are not professional advice. Backline provides bookkeeping, fractional finance, implementation, or advisory services only when a signed engagement expressly states the scope, deliverables, responsibilities, and fees. Unless expressly agreed, Backline does not audit or independently verify Customer Data and is not responsible for detecting fraud, misappropriation, or legal noncompliance.
7. Customer responsibilities
Customer is responsible for: the legality, completeness, and accuracy of Customer Data; account and role configuration; timely responses and approvals; maintaining source records and legally required books; reviewing classifications, reconciliations, entries, reports, forecasts, filings, payments, recipients, and exports before reliance or submission; and obtaining appropriate accounting, tax, legal, and other advice. Customer retains sole control over business decisions and transactions.
8. Connected services
If Customer connects QuickBooks Online, a bank-data service, payment processor, tax service, payroll system, or another third party, Customer authorizes Backline to access and process the data and perform the actions made available by permissions Customer approves. Customer is responsible for its third-party accounts and terms. Providers may change or terminate integrations, and Backline is not responsible for their systems, data accuracy, downtime, fees, or acts.
Backline currently requests the QuickBooks Online Accounting permission and not QuickBooks Payments permission. QuickBooks and Intuit are services and marks of Intuit Inc.; Backline is independent from Intuit. Revocation and deletion instructions appear on the Data Access and Deletion page.
9. Customer Data and instructions
As between the parties, Customer retains its rights in information submitted to or obtained through the Service (“Customer Data”). Customer grants Backline and its service providers a worldwide, nonexclusive right to host, copy, transmit, transform, display, and otherwise process Customer Data only to provide, secure, support, and improve the Service; comply with documented instructions; and meet legal obligations. Customer represents that it has all rights, notices, consents, and lawful bases needed for that processing.
Backline may create and use aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably identify Customer or an individual to operate, secure, analyze, and improve its services. Backline will not attempt to reidentify it except to test de-identification or as legally required.
10. AI and automated features
Automated features may prepare suggestions, extractions, matches, summaries, drafts, exceptions, or forecasts. They can be wrong. Customer must apply qualified human review before posting, paying, filing, distributing, or relying on output. The AI Disclosures describe limits and data handling. Customer may not use automated output as the sole basis for a decision producing legal or similarly significant effects on a person without required authority and safeguards.
11. Privacy, security, and confidentiality
Our Privacy Policy explains personal-information practices, and our Security page describes safeguards and shared responsibilities. Each party will protect the other’s nonpublic business information with at least reasonable care and use it only for the relationship. Confidentiality does not cover information that is public without breach, lawfully known without restriction, independently developed, or lawfully received from another source. A party may disclose information as legally required, giving advance notice where permitted.
12. Fees, taxes, and payment
Customer will pay fees and taxes stated in the applicable order or engagement. Unless stated otherwise, subscription fees are billed in advance, usage and professional-service fees may be billed in arrears, and payment obligations are noncancelable and amounts paid are nonrefundable except where law or the signed agreement requires otherwise. Customer must raise a good-faith billing dispute within 30 days of the invoice and pay undisputed amounts. We may suspend for overdue undisputed amounts after reasonable notice. Customer is responsible for sales, use, and similar taxes, excluding taxes on Backline’s net income.
13. Trials, renewal, and cancellation
Trial terms and conversion terms will be disclosed at enrollment. Paid subscriptions renew for the period stated in the order unless either party gives required cancellation notice. Cancellation stops future renewal but does not erase accrued charges or terminate a separate professional-services engagement. Consumer auto-renewal rules apply only when legally applicable.
14. Intellectual property
Backline and its licensors own the Service, software, interfaces, documentation, designs, methods, and marks, including all improvements. Except for the limited access right above, no rights are granted. Customer may use reports and exports generated from Customer Data for its internal business purposes. Third-party materials remain subject to their licenses.
If Customer provides feedback, Backline may use it without payment or restriction, provided Backline does not disclose Customer Confidential Information or identify Customer without permission.
15. Suspension
We may temporarily suspend access when reasonably necessary to prevent or address a security threat, unlawful conduct, material policy violation, harm to another customer or provider, nonpayment, or legal requirement. We will limit suspension to affected functions where practical and restore access after the condition is resolved. Emergency notice may occur after suspension.
16. Term and termination
These Terms continue while Customer uses the Service. Either party may terminate for an uncured material breach after 30 days’ written notice, or immediately if the breach cannot be cured, continued service would violate law, or the other party enters insolvency proceedings not dismissed within 60 days. Customer may stop using a free Service at any time. Paid cancellation and professional-services termination follow the applicable signed terms.
After termination, access ends. On verified request, Backline will make Customer-controlled data available or delete it as described in the Privacy Policy and Data Access and Deletion page, subject to technical feasibility, legal obligations, backups, dispute records, and the signed agreement. Provisions that by nature should survive—including payment, confidentiality, ownership, disclaimers, liability limits, indemnity, and dispute terms—survive.
17. Disclaimers
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICE, BETA FEATURES, OUTPUTS, AND THIRD-PARTY CONNECTIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” BACKLINE DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND RESULTS. BACKLINE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE AGAINST EVERY THREAT, OR THAT OUTPUT WILL BE COMPLETE, COMPLIANT, OR SUITABLE FOR A PARTICULAR DECISION. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION CREATES A WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN A SIGNED AGREEMENT.
18. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NEITHER PARTY WILL BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, SAVINGS, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY; OR LOSS, CORRUPTION, OR RECONSTRUCTION OF DATA, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY.
EXCEPT FOR EXCLUDED CLAIMS BELOW, EACH PARTY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE FEES PAID OR PAYABLE TO BACKLINE FOR THE AFFECTED SERVICE DURING THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRST EVENT GIVING RISE TO LIABILITY. FOR A FREE SERVICE, BACKLINE’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED $100.
The exclusions and cap do not apply to Customer’s payment obligations; either party’s fraud or willful misconduct; Customer’s violation of the Acceptable Use Policy; or liabilities that applicable law does not permit to be limited. These allocations are an essential basis of the bargain and apply regardless of the legal theory or failure of a limited remedy.
19. Indemnification
Customer will defend and indemnify Backline and its affiliates, personnel, and providers from third-party claims, damages, penalties, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees arising from Customer Data; Customer’s unlawful or unauthorized use; Customer’s violation of the Acceptable Use Policy; or Customer’s instructions, products, services, or business activities. Backline will promptly notify Customer and allow Customer to control the defense, subject to Backline’s right to participate and to approve any settlement that admits fault, imposes obligations, or does not fully release Backline. Customer has no obligation to the extent a claim was caused by Backline’s willful misconduct.
20. Disputes, governing law, and time limit
Before filing a claim, a party will give written notice describing the dispute and allow 30 days for good-faith resolution. Ohio law governs, excluding conflict rules. State and federal courts serving Champaign County, Ohio have exclusive jurisdiction, and each party consents to venue and personal jurisdiction there. EACH PARTY WAIVES A JURY TRIAL TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Claims must be filed within one year after they accrued unless law prohibits shortening the period. Either party may seek temporary equitable relief for unauthorized access, misuse, or intellectual-property or confidentiality harm.
21. General
Neither party is liable for delay caused by events beyond reasonable control, except payment obligations. Neither party may assign the agreement without consent, except to an affiliate or in connection with a merger, reorganization, financing, or sale of substantially all relevant assets, provided the assignee assumes the obligations. The parties are independent contractors; no agency, partnership, employment, or fiduciary relationship is created. Notices may be delivered to the account email and Backline contact below. Electronic acceptance and records are valid. Failure to enforce is not a waiver. If a provision is unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary and the remainder continues. Headings are for convenience. The agreement is the complete agreement for its subject.
22. Changes
We may update these Terms. We will post a new effective date and give reasonable notice of material changes. Changes generally apply prospectively. If Customer objects to a material change, Customer must stop using the affected Service and may cancel as permitted by the order; continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
23. Contact
Legal notices and questions may be sent to admin@backlinebusinesssolutions.com, +1 937.591.1828, or Backline Business Solutions, PO Box 254, Urbana, OH 43078.