Terms of use

Last revised: September 30, 2026.

What Bluenose is

Bluenose is a tool: a hosted storefront and checkout that lets an independent Nova Scotia business sell online for a flat monthly fee. When someone buys from a shop, the sale is between that shop and the buyer — the shop is the seller of record. Bluenose is not the seller, doesn't take title to any goods, and isn't a party to the sale. We provide the software; the shop runs the business.

Who this is for

Bluenose is for independent businesses with a Nova Scotia address selling physical goods. By opening a shop you confirm you're independently owned (not a chain or franchise run from away), based in Nova Scotia, selling physical things you can put in a bag, and that you have the authority to accept these terms for your business. You must be able to form a binding contract.

The fee

$100/month, flat. We never take a cut of your sales — no commission, no per-order fee, no percentage, ever. Card processing is Stripe's, at cost, and you see that fee on every order. Your subscription starts when you publish your shop — not before — and you can cancel anytime, yourself, from your billing settings. Fees already paid aren't refundable, but you won't be charged again after you cancel.

Your shop, your responsibility

You own what you list and sell, and you're responsible for it: the accuracy of your listings and prices, your stock, collecting and remitting your own taxes, and any claims you make — including origin or "made in Nova Scotia" claims, which are declared by you and yours to stand behind, not ours to verify. You're responsible for your products being lawful and safe to sell, for fulfilling orders (shipping or pickup), and for your own refund and return policy. You'll comply with the laws that apply to your business.

Payments and payouts

Payments run through Stripe, into your own connected Stripe account — Bluenose never holds, touches, or routes your money. Because you're the seller of record, you're Stripe's customer for those payments and Stripe's own terms apply to your account; you're responsible for refunds, chargebacks, and any negative balances on it. We take no application fee.

Refunds we may make on your behalf

You handle your own refunds. In a few narrow situations, though, Bluenose may issue a refund to a buyer from your connected Stripe account without waiting for you: when you haven't responded to a buyer's refund request within a few business days and the buyer asks us to step in; when you move an order's ship date to a later date and the buyer cancels under the right we give them to do so; or when an order clearly breaks these terms or Nova Scotia consumer-protection law. We'll only do this as a backstop, we'll tell you when we do and why, and the refund comes from your account because you remain the seller of record. Keeping your orders moving and answering refund requests promptly is how you avoid it.

Acceptable use, and what we may remove

Don't use Bluenose to sell anything illegal, unsafe, counterfeit, or misrepresented, and don't misuse the platform (no fraud, no attempts to break or overload it). See what can't be sold for the full list. We can remove a listing, a badge, or a shop that breaks these terms, misrepresents a product, or isn't a fit for who Bluenose serves. When we do, we'll be straight with you about why.

Your data

Your customer and order data is yours — export it anytime, and it leaves with you if you go. How we handle personal information is on the privacy page.

No guarantees

Bluenose is provided "as is." It's the checkout under the attention you already have; we don't promise customers, a particular volume of sales, or that the service will always be uninterrupted or error-free. We work hard to keep it running, but we can't guarantee it.

Limits on liability

To the extent the law allows, Bluenose isn't liable for indirect or consequential losses — lost sales or profits, for example — and our total liability for any claim relating to the service is limited to the fees you paid us in the three months before the claim. Nothing here limits liability that can't be limited by law.

Ending things

You can cancel anytime from your billing settings; your shop comes down and your data stays yours to export. We can suspend or close a shop that breaks these terms. If we ever wind the service down, we'll give you notice and a way to take your data with you.

Changes to these terms

If we change these terms, we'll post the new version here with a fresh date and, for material changes, tell shop owners by email. Continuing to use Bluenose after a change means you accept it.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Nova Scotia and the laws of Canada that apply there, and the courts of Nova Scotia have jurisdiction.

Questions

Reach us at sam@bluenoseapp.ca — before you sign up, if you like. We'd rather explain than surprise you.