November 2023
operations nor a guarantor of Merchant’s receipt of the proceeds of Sales or Services. Bank and Company do not guarantee that Sales or Services will not
be subject to Chargebacks.
B.
Warranties of Merchant. Merchant represents and warrants to Bank and Company at the time of execution and during the term of this Agreement the
following: (a) All information contained in the Merchant Application or any other documents delivered to Bank or Company is true and complete and properly
reflects Merchant’s business, financial condition, and principal partners, owners, or officers. (b) Merchant is a Corporation, Limited Liability Company,
Partnership, Sole Proprietorship, or other legitimate and legally organized organization validly existing and organized in the United States. (c) Merchant and
individuals signing the Merchant Application (and thus this Agreement) have the power and authority to execute, deliver, and perform this Agreement, and
this Agreement is duly authorized, and will not violate any Laws, or conflict with any other agreement to which Merchant is subject. (d) Individuals signing this
agreement (“Signers”) are duly authorized by the legal entity represented by Signers in the Merchant Application to bind Merchant into this Agreement on
behalf of Merchant. (e) Merchant has all licenses, if any, required to conduct its business and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction where it is required
to do so. (f) Merchant is not engaged or affiliated with any businesses, products, or methods of selling other than those set forth on the Merchant Application,
unless Merchant obtains the prior written consent of Bank. (g) There is no action, suit, or proceeding at law or in equity now pending or, to Merchant’s
knowledge, threatened by or against or affecting Merchant which would substantially impair its right to carry on its business as now conducted or adversely
affect its financial condition or operations. (h) Merchant has performed or will perform all of its obligations to the Cardholder in connection with the Card
Transaction evidenced thereby. (i) Merchant has complied with Bank and Company procedures for accepting Cards, and the Card Transaction itself shall not
involve any element of credit for any other purposes other than as set forth in this Agreement and shall not be subject to any defense, dispute, offset, or
counterclaim which may be raised by any Cardholder under the Rules, the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. § 1601) or other relevant Laws. (j)
Merchant warrants that any Credit Voucher it issues represents a bona fide refund or adjustment on a Card Sale by Merchant with respect to which a Sales
Draft has been accepted. k) Unless Merchant notifies Bank and Company in writing, either on the Merchant Application or otherwise, no other processing
relationship exists between Merchant and any other Bankcard processing institution, for this business, or any other business managed or owned by Merchant.
(l) All Transactions are bona fide. No Transaction involves the use of a Card for any purpose other than the purchase of goods or services from Merchant.
(m) Merchant and Guarantor(s) acknowledge that all documents submitted in conjunction with this Agreement are being submitted in order to induce a federally
insured financial institution to extend them credit, and that submission of any false information may subject them to criminal prosecution, fine, and imprisonment.
(n) Merchant has supplied its true and correct taxpayer identification number on the Merchant Application. (o) Merchant, and its principals or sales agents, have
not been terminated from depositing Sales with any member of the Card Brands, have never been placed on the MasterCard Match system, or on the Combined
Terminated Merchant File except as disclosed in writing to Bank. (p) Merchant: (i) has the right to assign such Sales to Bank and does by this reference assign
all its rights, title, and interest to payment for such Sales to Bank and Company so that Bank may process Sales under this Agreement; (ii) it has no knowledge
of any fact that would impair the collectability of the Sales; and (iii) each Sale represents a valid obligation of the Cardholder: (a) in the amount indicated; (b)
for merchandise sold and delivered or services rendered to the Cardholder by the Merchant; and (c) it does not involve any element of credit for any other
purpose. (q) For accounts opened after May 11, 2018 Merchant has accurately provided (and shall update Bank and Company of any changes) the name,
address, date of birth and Social Security Number (SSN) for all individuals (i.e. the beneficial owners) in Sections (3A) and (3B) or the Beneficial Ownership
Addendum of the Merchant Application: (1) each individual, if any, who owns directly or indirectly, 25 percent or more of the equity interests of the legal entity
customer (e.g., each natural person that owns 25 percent or more of the shares of a corporation); and (2) an individual with significant responsibility for
managing the legal entity customer (e.g., a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Managing Member, General Partner,
President, Vice President, or Treasurer).
C.
Authorization of Agreement. Merchant represents and warrants that the individual signing the Merchant Application (and thus this Agreement), physically or
by acknowledging consent by electronic means, is duly authorized to bind Merchant to all provisions of this Agreement and that such individual is duly
authorized to execute any contract document on behalf of Merchant. Merchant will execute a separate Entity Certification if requested to do so by Bank or
Company.
D.
Signature. Merchant, by its signature, upon its first transmission of Transactions, or first payment of fees, acknowledges receipt, acceptance and compre-
hension of this Agreement. If Merchant has not signed the Merchant Application (and thus this Agreement) physically or by electronic means, Merchant agrees
that Merchant’s first transmission of a Transaction or first payment of fees to Bank or Company constitutes Merchant’s acceptance of this Agreement.
E.
Attorneys’ Fees. Merchant will be liable for and will indemnify and reimburse Bank and Company for all attorneys’ fees (internal and external) and other costs
and expenses paid or incurred by Bank, Company, or their agents in the enforcement of this Agreement, or in collecting any amounts due from Merchant or
resulting from any breach by Merchant of this Agreement.
ARTICLE VII – BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER
7.1
PARTIES BOUND
The term “Merchant” in this Article VII (Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver) includes Merchant, its owners, partners, officers, directors, shareholders,
principals, and Guarantor(s), including without limitation those listed in the Merchant Application. Article VII binds all of them, Bank, Company, and Company’s
Independent Sales Representatives (sometimes called “ISOs”).
7.2
LAWSUIT AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER
Merchant, Bank, and Company waive their rights to sue before a judge or jury and to participate in a class action, class-wide arbitration, private
attorney general action, or any other proceeding in which a party acts in a representative capacity. Instead, any claim or dispute will be resolved on an
individual basis by a neutral arbitrator whose decision (called an “award”) will be final except for a limited right of review under the Federal Arbitration
Act. The arbitrator may not consolidate proceedings or join them together without the consent of all parties to all proceedings.
7.3
ALL CLAIMS AND DISPUTES COVERED
Merchant, Bank, and Company agree to resolve all claims and disputes of every kind between them or their respective owners, partners, shareholders,
affiliates (including parents, subsidiaries, and other related entities), predecessors, successors, assigns, or Independent Sales Representatives only
through binding individual arbitration before the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). This arbitration agreement is to be broadly interpreted. It
includes:
(A)
all claims or disputes arising out of or relating to any aspect of the relationship between Bank or Company (including its Independent Sales Representatives)
and Merchant including, without limitation, this Agreement, the Services provided, any Bank or Company product or service, and any discount, fee, charge,
assessment, or payment, whether based in contract, tort, statute, regulation, fraud, misrepresentation, omission, or any other theory;
(B)
all claims or disputes that arose before this Agreement became effective (including claims or disputes relating to advertising);
(C)
all claims or disputes that are the subject of purported class action litigation on the date this Agreement’s Effective Date but Merchant is not a member of a
certified class on that date; and
(D)
all claims or disputes that arise after the termination of this Agreement but relate to one of the matters this Agreement covers.
7.4
NOTICE OF DISPUTE
Before seeking arbitration, Merchant, Bank, or Company must first send to the other(s), by certified mail return receipt requested or a courier service that requires
a signature upon delivery, a written Notice of Dispute (“Notice”). A Notice to Merchant must be addressed to its address in Company’s records. A Notice to Bank
must be addressed to: Citizens Bank, N.A., Legal Department, 28 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. A Notice to Company must be addressed to: Shift4 Payments,
LLC Legal Department, 2202 N. Irving Street, Allentown, PA 18109. The Notice must: (A) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (B) set forth
the specific relief sought. If Merchant and Bank or Company do not reach an agreement to resolve the claim or dispute within 30 days after the Notice is received,
Merchant, Bank, or Company may commence an arbitration.