These Merchant Program Policies (the "Program Policies") are incorporated into the VORA Merchant Marketplace Agreement (the "Agreement"). Capitalized terms have the meanings in the Agreement. If these Program Policies conflict with the Agreement, the Agreement controls. VORA may update these Program Policies on 15 days' notice in the Merchant Portal (immediately where required by law or safety).
These Program Policies apply to Success Partners selling their own Merchant Products. They do not apply to retail stores where VORA's own personnel shop for Consumers under the VORA Shopper service.
1. Listings and Catalog Standards
1.1 Accuracy. Every listing must show the product's real name, an accurate description, the price you will honor, and current availability. Mark items unavailable in real time; do not accept an Order for an item you cannot supply.
1.2 Images. Use your own photographs or images you have the right to use. No stock images that misrepresent the product; no third-party brand images without permission.
1.3 Allergens and ingredients. For every food item, disclose the major allergens listed in the federal FALCPA/FASTER Acts (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame) that the item contains or is prepared alongside, and list ingredients where the item is packaged. Never state "allergen-free" unless you control the full preparation environment.
1.4 Cultural and religious designations. Apply "halal," "kosher," "vegetarian," "vegan," or similar designations only where accurate. Where a certification is customary for the designation (e.g., halal or kosher certification), hold and, on request, show it. Misuse of a designation is a material breach.
1.5 Prohibited items. Alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and vaping products, cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicants (including delta-8/delta-9 products), kratom, prescription or pharmacy-only items, weapons, live animals, recalled products, counterfeit or replica goods, and any item that cannot lawfully be sold in Florida without a license the Platform does not verify.
1.6 Pricing statements. Do not describe Platform prices as "in-store price" or "same as in store" unless true. Do not add hidden surcharges; all Consumer charges are shown by the Platform.
2. Hours, Availability, and Order Acceptance
2.1 Posted hours. Keep your Platform hours accurate. Pause your store in the Merchant Portal whenever you cannot fulfil Orders (staffing, sell-outs, closures, weather).
2.2 Acceptance time. Accept or reject each Order within 5 minutes during posted hours (15 minutes for scheduled Orders placed for a later window). An Order not acted on within the window may be auto-cancelled and counted as a Merchant cancellation.
2.3 Ready time. Have each Order ready at the pickup time shown in the Merchant Portal. If you will be late, update the ready time before the pickup time passes.
2.4 Cancellation after acceptance. Cancel an accepted Order only where fulfilment is genuinely impossible, and do it immediately. Cancellations after a Delivery Provider has been dispatched, or after the Consumer's scheduled window has opened, are charged back under Section 6.
3. Preparation, Packaging, and Handoff
3.1 Food safety. Prepare and hold food in accordance with the Florida Food Code and your DBPR or FDACS permit conditions, including time/temperature control for TCS foods. Hot items are handed off hot (135°F or above) and cold items cold (41°F or below).
3.2 Packaging. Use leak-resistant, tamper-evident packaging (sealed bag or tamper sticker) for all food and grocery Orders. Separate hot from cold, raw from ready-to-eat, and allergen items from others where practical. Label each bag with the Order number and Consumer first name.
3.3 Longer routes. Some Orders travel from a metro hub to an outlying scheduled-delivery zone (60 minutes or more in transit). The Merchant Portal flags these Orders. For flagged Orders, use insulated packaging for perishable items, pack frozen and chilled items with ice packs or dry ice where appropriate, and do not include items that will not hold for the flagged transit time.
3.4 Handoff. Verify the Order number with the Delivery Provider before handing over. Do not release an Order to anyone who cannot show the Order number in the app. Record the handoff in the Merchant Portal if prompted.
3.5 Self-delivery. If you self-deliver, you must (a) meet the same packaging standards, (b) deliver within the window shown to the Consumer, (c) use only drivers who are your employees or contractors, properly licensed and insured for commercial delivery, and (d) mark the Order delivered in the Merchant Portal at the time of delivery. Consumer complaints about self-delivered Orders are referred to you for resolution within 24 hours.
4. Consumer Data
4.1 Use Consumer information only to fulfil the Order. No marketing, no loyalty enrolment, no inserting flyers or promotional material that solicits ordering outside VORA, no adding Consumers to your own lists.
4.2 Do not contact a Consumer outside the Platform's messaging except where the Order itself requires it (for example, a substitution question the Platform cannot relay), and never after the Order is complete.
4.3 Report any suspected unauthorized access to Consumer information to legal@tryvora.app within 48 hours.
5. Reviews, Ratings, and Marketing
5.1 You may not create, solicit with an incentive, or manipulate reviews, and may not retaliate against a Consumer for a review. You may respond to reviews through the Merchant Portal, professionally.
5.2 You may use the "VORA Success Partner" badge and the phrase "Order us on VORA" in your own marketing. You may not alter the VORA logo, present VORA as your exclusive channel, or make statements on VORA's behalf.
5.3 Promotions you run on the Platform (discounts, bundles) are funded by you unless VORA states otherwise in writing, and must be honored for every Order placed while they are live.
6. Refund and Cancellation Allocation
VORA administers Consumer remedies under the published Refund Policy. The cost is allocated as follows:
| Cause | Charged to |
|---|---|
| Missing, wrong, defective, spoiled, or mislabeled item; inaccurate listing; Merchant cancellation after acceptance; Order not ready and Delivery Provider waited beyond 10 minutes | Merchant (refunded Merchant Product amount deducted from payout) |
| Late delivery, damage in transit, wrong address delivery, or non-delivery by a Courier or VORA Delivery | VORA / Delivery Provider (no Merchant deduction) |
| Consumer error (wrong address, unavailable to receive, no response at delivery, changed mind after preparation began) | Consumer (no refund of Merchant Product amount; Merchant paid) |
| Self-delivery failures | Merchant |
For Orders delivered by a Courier or VORA Delivery, your obligation ends at handoff and your payout for that Order is not affected by what happens after it — including a Consumer who is unavailable at delivery.
Disputes about allocation must be raised within 30 days of the payout statement through the Merchant Portal; VORA reviews handoff records, delivery-verification records (drop-off photographs, PIN entry, delivery coordinates), and timestamps, and decides in good faith.
7. Chargebacks
Where a Consumer's bank reverses a payment for a Merchant Product and VORA is unable to overturn it, the Merchant Product amount is deducted from your next payout. VORA disputes chargebacks on your behalf using Platform records; keep your own handoff records for 90 days to assist.
8. Compliance Documents
Keep the following current in the Merchant Portal: business registration (Sunbiz), Form W-9, food-service license or permit (DBPR or FDACS) where applicable, halal/kosher certification where you use the designation, and a certificate of insurance meeting Agreement Section 6.4. VORA may pause listings while a required document is expired or missing.
9. Performance Standards and Enforcement
9.1 Standards. Acceptance rate ≥ 95%; Merchant-caused cancellations ≤ 3% of Orders; Orders ready within 10 minutes of the pickup time ≥ 90%; Merchant-caused refund rate ≤ 3% of Order value; Consumer rating ≥ 4.2 of 5, each measured over a rolling 30 days once you have completed 20 Orders.
9.2 Enforcement. Where standards are not met, VORA may, in escalating order and at its discretion: notify you and offer guidance; reduce your placement or pause your store during peak periods; suspend your store until you confirm a remediation plan; or terminate under Agreement Section 14.3. Safety or fraud issues may result in immediate suspension.
10. VORA Equipment
Where VORA supplies you with a tablet, printer, or other VORA Equipment, it remains VORA property and is loaned to you under Agreement Section 7. Keep it at your business address, powered and online during your posted hours, and do not reset it, sign in with another account, install other applications, or move it to another location without VORA's written consent. Report loss, theft, or damage within 48 hours. Return all VORA Equipment within 10 business days of termination, or VORA may charge the replacement value shown in your Equipment Schedule.
11. Support
Merchant support: merchants@tryvora.app (business hours) and the Merchant Portal help channel. Urgent order-day issues: the phone number shown in the Merchant Portal.