Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who perform Services booked through the Platform, all salon locations at which those Services are performed, and all prices charged to Customers for those Services.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs how prices for Services booked through the Platform are set, how a Customer's total is built, which surcharges may be charged and on what conditions, and which discounts may be given. Its central rule is that the Customer is charged only a price the Customer saw and accepted before the Service: the catalog price, plus surcharges disclosed before the Appointment, less authorized discounts, plus tax.
1.2 Who sets prices depends on the Groomer's participation mode, as the modes are defined in the Groomer Terms of Service, and this document states the rule for each mode separately in Article 3. In no mode does an individual Groomer set prices at the register.
1.3 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Groomer participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Terms of Use and in the Groomer Terms of Service are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Pricing Authority: the person or body entitled under Article 3 to set or change the price of a Service for a given participation mode.
2.3 Surcharge Schedule: the recorded schedule of surcharges for a location or program, each entry stating the surcharge's name, description, amount or percentage, the Services to which it applies, whether it applies automatically, whether manager approval is required, whether it is taxable, and whether it counts toward commission.
2.4 Tier: a size tier determined by the pet's weight: SMALL at twenty (20) pounds and under, MEDIUM at twenty-one to forty (21–40) pounds, LARGE at forty-one to sixty (41–60) pounds, and XLARGE at sixty-one (61) pounds and over.
Article 3: Who Sets Prices
3.1 The Service Catalog is the price authority for booking. The price of a Service for an Appointment booked through the Platform is the price in the Service Catalog at the time of booking, at the Tier applicable to the pet. Prices displayed before checkout are display figures; the price is verified against the Service Catalog at checkout, and the catalog price is the price charged if the two differ.
3.2 Salon program Services. For Services performed by a Salon Groomer at a salon location, the operator of that location sets the location's prices within the Service Catalog, by a location price override recorded in the catalog. The Salon Groomer performing the Service does not set or vary the price.
3.3 Marketplace Groomer Services. For Services offered by a Marketplace Groomer as an independent contractor, the Marketplace Groomer sets the prices of the Marketplace Groomer's own Services in the Service Catalog. Once a price is set in the catalog and an Appointment is booked at that price, the Marketplace Groomer shall not vary the price for that Appointment except as Article 5 permits.
3.4 Company salon Services. For Services at a salon location operated by the Company, the Company sets prices in the Service Catalog. A Company salon employee does not set or vary prices.
3.5 A price change, by whichever Pricing Authority, applies only to Appointments booked after the change. A price change shall not alter the price of an Appointment already booked: the price quoted at booking is the price charged for that Appointment.
3.6 A Groomer who quotes or charges a price other than the catalog price, without applying an instrument authorized by this document, violates the Groomer Terms of Service. Where a catalog price is wrong, the correction is a catalog change by the Pricing Authority, not a variation at the register. Header rows in the Service Catalog: menu structure entries priced at $0, such as category headings: are not bookable Services and shall not be booked or charged.
Article 4: How the Total Is Built
4.1 A Customer's total is built in this order: (a) the service lines at their Tier prices; plus (b) surcharges from the Surcharge Schedule, charged in accordance with Article 5; less (c) discounts authorized under Article 6; plus (d) tax, computed on the discounted subtotal at the services tax rate applicable to the location. No other element enters the total.
4.2 Package Services and premium treatments are priced by Tier; add-on Services are priced flat. A booking carries exactly one package and not more than one premium treatment; add-on Services are unlimited. A premium treatment at the XLARGE Tier for which the catalog states no price is booked as a custom quote at $0 online and is priced and confirmed with the Customer at the salon before work begins.
4.3 Membership pricing stated in the Service Catalog: including Bath Club member prices: applies at the register exactly as the catalog states it. A Groomer shall not substitute a non-member price for a member price or the reverse.
Article 5: Surcharges
5.1 A surcharge exists only on the Surcharge Schedule. If a surcharge is not recorded on the Surcharge Schedule for the location or program, it shall not be charged. There are no verbal surcharges.
5.2 The standard surcharges are (a) Weekend surcharge: applies to Appointments starting on a Saturday or Sunday. Exactly one active weekend surcharge may exist for a location at a time.
(b) Matting surcharge: applies where severe matting requires extra dematting time or a shave-down. The recorded trigger shall be stated in objective terms a Customer can verify: matting requiring more than fifteen (15) minutes of dematting, or a shave-down required. This surcharge always requires manager approval and never applies automatically.
(c) Senior and special-handling surcharge: applies where a pet requires extra time, a second handler, or heightened medical awareness, including senior pets, bite-risk pets, and pets with severe anxiety. The trigger shall be tied to the pet's documented handling flags in the handling profile where they exist. This surcharge always requires manager approval and never applies automatically.
5.3 Disclosure before the Appointment is the condition of collection. (a) An automatic surcharge shall be disclosed in the booking process before payment. (b) A surcharge requiring manager approval shall be disclosed to the Customer, and the Customer's agreement obtained, at intake and before the Service begins, together with the scope change it accompanies under the Service Standards. (c) A surcharge the Customer first learns of at checkout is not collectible: it shall be removed, and the failure of disclosure shall be recorded. The defect is in the disclosure, not in the Customer's objection.
5.4 A surcharge requiring manager approval shall not be charged without that approval, and the approving manager shall be recorded on the Appointment. A Groomer who applies such a surcharge without approval violates this document.
5.5 Each surcharge entry shall state correctly, at creation, whether it is taxable and whether it counts toward commission under the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms; the pricing administrator reviews both settings. An incorrect setting is a data-integrity defect and shall be corrected from the date of discovery, with affected totals re-stated.
Article 6: Discounts
6.1 A discount is recorded on the service line, in the amount given, with the reason recorded in the Appointment's internal notes. A discount without a recorded reason is not distinguishable from an unauthorized price reduction and shall be treated as one on review.
6.2 A Groomer may discount not more than ten percent (10%) of an Appointment's total on the Groomer's own authority, for service recovery or goodwill. A discount above ten percent (10%), and any discount on an Appointment already carrying a surcharge that required manager approval, requires manager approval recorded on the Appointment.
6.3 A discount shall not reduce a deposit already collected under the Deposit and Prepayment policy. A discount reduces the outstanding balance only.
Article 7: Price Integrity
7.1 The price quoted at intake: the base Service at the Tier price, plus disclosed surcharges, less authorized discounts, plus tax: is the price charged. A price increase after the Service, without a documented scope change consented to under the Service Standards, is prohibited. The Customer's consent to a scope change is consent only to the price change disclosed with it.
7.2 Package pricing is set by a fixed price or by a discount percentage, never both, and every package carries a validity period. An open-ended package without an expiry is prohibited.
7.3 Add-on prices are stated in one place: the Service Catalog. Where another list shows a different price for the same add-on, the Service Catalog governs the booking.
Article 8: Fees
8.1 No fee is charged to the Groomer under this document. Compensation, commission, and any amounts the Groomer owes the Company are governed by the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms and, for a Marketplace Groomer, the Groomer Services Agreement. A charge exists only if stated in the governing document; no other charge of any kind is payable.
Article 9: Liability
9.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
9.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Groomer paid to the Company under this document in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
9.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Groomer owes for fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
9.4 Nothing in this article limits liability for personal injury or injury to an animal caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit the limitation. An error in pricing does not transfer to the Groomer or to the Company any cost of veterinary care; that cost is allocated by the Incident and Injury Reporting policy according to whether the need arose from negligence in the Service or from a pre-existing condition of the animal.
9.5 The parties agree that this article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 10: Indemnification
10.1 The Groomer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Groomer's breach of this document, including charging a price or surcharge this document does not authorize; (b) the Groomer's Services, listings, or User Content; (c) the Groomer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Groomer is responsible under this document.
10.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Groomer shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Groomer shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
10.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 11: Enforcement and Appeals
11.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Groomer shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Groomer to keep.
11.2 If the Company determines that the Groomer has violated this document, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
11.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Groomer has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
11.4 If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content; (c) cancel an Appointment or a booking; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law.
11.5 The Company may hold disbursements to the Groomer while an investigation under this article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Groomer's obligations when the investigation closes.
11.6 The Groomer may appeal a measure under this article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
11.7 The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 12: Term and Termination
12.1 This document takes effect when the Groomer is activated under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy and continues until terminated under this article.
12.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Groomer materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
12.3 The Groomer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Groomer has no Appointment, booking, or investigation outstanding.
12.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
12.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 13: Dispute Resolution
13.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Article 14: General Provisions
14.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Groomer at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Groomer's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. If the Groomer does not accept an amendment, the Groomer's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
14.2 Legal notices under this document shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Groomer are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Groomer shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
14.3 This document is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
14.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
14.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Groomer for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
14.6 The Groomer shall not assign this document or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Groomer.
14.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
14.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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