Terms of Service
These terms are a legal agreement between you and Tithe LLC, a New York limited liability company ("Tithe," "we," "us," "our"). They govern your use of the Tithe app and website. By creating an account, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the app.
What Tithe is
Tithe is a focus app for iPhone. You select apps to block during focus windows you set. If you exit a session early, a redirect fires — a transfer to your savings, a donation to charity, or a fitness requirement. If you complete the session, nothing happens.
Tithe is a tool for managing your own attention. It is not a financial advisor, investment platform, healthcare provider, or licensed money transmitter. Tithe facilitates transfers between your own accounts — we never hold, pool, or control your funds.
Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and a United States resident to use Tithe. You must have a valid U.S. bank account to use the savings redirect. By linking a bank account, you confirm you are the authorized account holder.
Your account
You're responsible for keeping your account secure. Use Sign in with Apple or a strong password. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@takeyourtithe.com.
One account per person. Don't share accounts or create accounts on behalf of others.
Financial redirects
How transfers work. When you break a focus session early and have the savings redirect enabled, Tithe initiates an ACH transfer from your linked checking account to your linked savings account for the amount you set. Transfers are processed through Dwolla's ACH infrastructure and typically settle within 1-3 business days.
Authorization. You provide authorization for ACH transfers at two points: (1) when you link your bank accounts during setup, you agree to an authorization statement that is stored for NACHA compliance; and (2) when you break a focus session, you confirm the transfer via a slide-to-confirm gesture before any money moves. Each transfer is recorded with your authorization text, amount, timestamp, and session reference.
You control the amount. Redirect amounts range from $1 to $100 per session. You choose your rate during setup and can adjust it in settings at any time. Tithe does not set, recommend, or adjust your amount.
Balance verification. Before initiating any transfer, Tithe checks your available checking account balance through Plaid. If your balance is insufficient, the transfer will not be attempted and no funds will move.
Reversals. Once an ACH transfer is initiated, it cannot be reversed through Tithe. If you need to dispute a transfer, contact your bank directly. Transfer records are retained on our servers for your reference and for compliance purposes.
Me-to-me only. All savings redirects transfer money between your own accounts. Each user has their own Dwolla customer account with individually linked funding sources. No funds are pooled, held by Tithe, or transferred to third parties through the savings redirect. Tithe acts solely as a technology platform facilitating transfers you authorize between accounts you own.
Charity redirects
If you choose the charity redirect, you select from a curated list of nonprofit organizations. When a redirect fires, you are directed to Every.org — a third-party donation platform — through an in-app browser to complete the donation. Tithe does not process donations directly and does not transmit your personal information to Every.org. Your donation is a transaction between you and Every.org, governed by their terms of service.
Tithe does not provide tax receipts for charitable donations. Contact Every.org or the receiving organization for tax documentation.
Fitness redirects
If you choose the fitness redirect, your apps unlock when you meet the fitness goal you set. Tithe reads data from Apple HealthKit to verify your progress. If you don't meet your goal, your apps remain blocked until the goal is met or the blocking period ends.
Subscription and pricing
Tithe offers a 14-day free trial. After the trial, continued use requires a paid subscription:
- Monthly — $9.99 per month
- Annual — $79.99 per year ($6.67/month)
Subscriptions are billed through Apple's App Store and renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Tithe does not process payments directly — all billing is handled by Apple. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your iPhone's Settings > Subscriptions. Cancellation and refund requests are handled by Apple, not by Tithe.
We may change pricing with 30 days notice. Price changes won't affect your current billing period.
App blocking
Tithe uses Apple's Screen Time framework to block apps during focus sessions. When a session is active and you've confirmed blocking, blocked apps cannot be accessed until the session ends or the redirect conditions are met.
This is by design. By starting a session with blocking enabled, you acknowledge that you will not be able to access blocked apps until the session concludes. Do not block apps you may need in an emergency — phone, messages, and essential apps should remain accessible.
Community features
Tithe offers optional community features. If you opt in:
- You can connect with other users via invite links that expire after 48 hours
- Connected friends can see your display name and whether you are currently in a focus session
- Aggregated community statistics (total hours focused, total members in session) are visible to all users — these contain no individually identifiable information
No financial data, redirect outcomes, session details, or bank account information is shared through community features. You can disconnect from friends or opt out at any time.
Don't use community features to harass, pressure, or monitor others.
Acceptable use
Don't:
- Use Tithe to facilitate fraud or unauthorized financial transactions
- Link bank accounts you're not authorized to use
- Attempt to reverse-engineer, exploit, or circumvent the app's blocking mechanisms
- Create multiple accounts to abuse the free trial
- Use the app in any way that violates applicable laws
Intellectual property
Tithe, its design, code, and content are owned by us. You get a personal, non-transferable license to use the app while your subscription is active. You don't get rights to our trademarks, branding, or proprietary technology.
Third-party services
Tithe integrates with the following third-party services, each subject to their own terms:
- Plaid — bank account linking and identity verification. By using Tithe, you grant Tithe the right, power, and authority to act on your behalf to access and transmit your personal and financial information from your relevant financial institution. You agree to your personal and financial information being transferred, stored, and processed by Plaid in accordance with the Plaid End User Privacy Policy
- Dwolla — ACH transfer processing
- Every.org — charitable donation processing
- Firebase (Google) — authentication, database, and crash reporting
- Apple App Store — subscription billing and payment processing
- Apple HealthKit — fitness data for goal verification
- Apple FamilyControls — app blocking via Screen Time
We are not responsible for the operation, availability, or terms of third-party services. If a third-party service experiences an outage or changes its terms, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you, but your use of those services is governed by their respective agreements.
Security
Tithe implements organizational security practices designed to protect your data and the integrity of our systems. These include:
- Automated access de-provisioning for terminated or transferred personnel, ensuring revocation of all system access within 24 hours of a role change
- Zero trust access architecture requiring identity verification, multi-factor authentication, and device validation for all access to internal systems regardless of network location
- Periodic access reviews and audits to verify that privileges remain appropriate, with audit logs maintained for sensitive system access
- End-of-life software monitoring with policies requiring timely updates or compensating controls before software reaches end-of-support
- Vulnerability scanning of application code, dependencies, and infrastructure, with defined remediation timelines based on severity
For a detailed description of our security practices, see our Privacy Policy.
Financial disclaimer
Tithe is not a bank, money transmitter, broker-dealer, or financial advisor. We do not hold customer funds, provide investment advice, or make financial recommendations. All ACH transfers are me-to-me transactions between your own accounts, facilitated through Dwolla's payment infrastructure. Tithe does not participate in the movement of funds beyond initiating authorized transfer requests on your behalf.
The redirect amounts you set are your own decision. Tithe does not evaluate whether a particular amount is appropriate for your financial situation. If you have concerns about the financial impact of using Tithe, consult a qualified financial professional.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Tithe LLC, its officers, and agents from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the app, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any third party's rights.
Limitation of liability
Tithe is provided as-is. We do our best to keep the app reliable, but we can't guarantee uninterrupted service. We are not liable for:
- Failed or delayed ACH transfers due to bank or payment processor issues
- Loss of access to blocked apps during active sessions
- Inaccurate fitness data from HealthKit
- Third-party service outages (Plaid, Dwolla, Firebase)
- Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the app
Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of Tithe is limited to the amount you paid for the service in the 12 months preceding the claim.
Account deletion
You can delete your account at any time through the app's settings. When you delete your account:
- All your data is removed from our servers
- Your Plaid bank connections are revoked
- Your Dwolla account is deactivated
- Any active subscription continues until the current billing period ends (managed through Apple)
Termination
We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms. We'll notify you by email if possible. You can stop using Tithe at any time by deleting your account.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms. If we make material changes, we'll notify you through the app or by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of Tithe will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
Contact
Questions about these terms? Reach us at support@takeyourtithe.com.