Terms version 2026-08-27. These terms are implementation-ready templates, not legal advice. Qualified Illinois counsel should review them before launch.

Terms and Conditions

1. Adults only

This service is for adults aged 18 and over. Registration requires an adult certification and is refused for anyone under 18 on the registration date.

2. Your account

You are responsible for the accuracy of your profile and for keeping your password secure. You must complete e-mail verification before using the pen-pal service. If you change your account e-mail address, verification is removed and you must verify again.

3. Community conduct

Be courteous. Harassment, hate speech, threats, sexually explicit content sent without indication, spam, and impersonation are prohibited. You may block any member; blocking removes the connection and prevents discovery and further contact in both directions. You may report received letters; moderators review reports.

4. Meeting strangers

Members are not identity-checked or background-checked. If you choose to meet a pen pal, do so in a public place and at your own risk.

5. Delivery estimates

Letters travel on a simulated postal schedule. Distances are approximate (calculated between ZIP centroids) and delivery times are estimates for the experience — they are not a USPS quote or a guarantee that anything physical will arrive.

6. Your content and license

You own what you write. You grant the operator a licence to store and display your letters to their intended recipient, and to moderators when a letter is reported or held for review, so that the service can work.

7. Availability

The service may be unavailable occasionally for maintenance, and simulated delivery depends on scheduled background jobs. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability.

8. Warranty disclaimer

The service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operator is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from use of the service.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify the operator against claims arising from your content or your breach of these terms.

11. Governing law and venue

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois. Exclusive venue for disputes lies in [Illinois county — configure in Pen Pals settings] County, Illinois.

12. Changes and electronic acceptance

We may update these terms and the privacy policy (https://penpal.tbare.dev/privacy-policy/); the current versions are always published on this site. When a new version is posted, you will be asked to accept it at your next visit. By registering you accept these terms electronically; your acceptance is recorded with the version and timestamp, which has the same effect as a signature under E-SIGN.

Contact

[Operator name — configure in Pen Pals settings] — [Contact e-mail — configure in Pen Pals settings] — [Mailing address — configure in Pen Pals settings]. Privacy policy: https://penpal.tbare.dev/privacy-policy/