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PAYMENT TERMS & LIMITATIONS

Versionv2.7
EffectiveSeptember 23, 2026
UpdatedSeptember 23, 2026
EntityDeku Studios LLC

1.Overview

These Payment Terms & Limitations ("Payment Terms") govern all financial transactions on the Deku Studios mobile applications, websites, and related services (collectively, the "Platform"), including deposits, withdrawals, contest entry fees, prize distributions, and virtual-currency awards. These Payment Terms are incorporated into and form part of the Terms of Service. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in the Terms of Service.

All monetary amounts in these Payment Terms are in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated.

2.Platform Wallet

2.1Wallet Function

Each Player has a Platform wallet that holds the Player's cash balance. The wallet is used to pay contest entry fees and to receive contest prizes. Your wallet balance is not a bank account, deposit account, or investment account. Your wallet balance does not earn interest.

2.2Segregation of Player Funds

Player funds are held in a dedicated, segregated deposit account titled "Player Funds" at an FDIC-insured banking partner, separate from Deku Studios' operating funds. Player deposits and contest winnings are not used for Deku Studios' business operations.

2.3Wallet Balance Limitations

Your wallet balance reflects the total of your deposits plus contest winnings minus contest entry fees, withdrawals, and any applicable adjustments. Your wallet balance is available for contest entry or withdrawal subject to the terms described in this document.

3.Deposits

3.1Accepted Payment Methods

You may deposit funds into your Platform wallet using the following payment methods:

Payment MethodAvailability
Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)Available
Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard)Available
ACH Bank TransferAvailable
PayPalAvailable

We may add or remove accepted payment methods at any time.

3.2Deposit Limits

LimitAmount
Minimum deposit$5.00
Maximum single deposit$500.00

In addition to these Platform limits, you may set personal daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits through your account settings. Personal deposit limits may be decreased at any time with immediate effect. Increases to personal deposit limits are subject to a twenty-four (24)-hour cooling-off period before taking effect, as described in our Responsible Gaming Policy.

3.3Deposit Processing

Credit and Debit Cards. Card deposits are processed in real time. Funds are typically available in your wallet immediately upon successful authorization. Your card is charged at the time of deposit.

ACH Bank Transfer. ACH deposits are initiated at the time of your request. Funds may take one (1) to three (3) business days to settle. Your wallet will be credited once the transfer has cleared. ACH deposits that fail to clear (due to insufficient funds, closed accounts, or other reasons) will be reversed, and your wallet balance will be adjusted accordingly.

PayPal. PayPal deposits are processed in real time. Funds are typically available in your wallet immediately upon successful payment confirmation. All PayPal deposits require immediate payment (no pending or delayed payments are accepted).

3.4Deposit Fees

Deku Studios does not charge fees on deposits. However, your bank, card issuer, or PayPal may impose their own fees, currency-conversion charges, or cash-advance fees. You are responsible for any fees imposed by your financial institution.

3.5Payment Authorization

By making a deposit, you authorize Deku Studios and its payment processors to charge the payment method you provide for the amount you specify. You represent and warrant that you are the authorized holder of the payment method and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3.6Card Tokenization and Security

Your card information is collected and tokenized directly by our payment processor through a client-side integration. Full card numbers are never transmitted to or stored on Deku Studios servers. Tokenized card data may be stored by our payment processor to facilitate future deposits using saved payment methods. You may remove saved payment methods at any time through your account settings.

4.Withdrawals

4.1Withdrawal Eligibility

To withdraw funds from your Platform wallet, you must have a verified account with completed identity verification (KYC), have a minimum available balance equal to or exceeding the minimum withdrawal amount, have a Withdrawable Balance equal to or exceeding the amount you wish to withdraw (see Section 4.7), not be subject to an active account suspension or pending investigation, not have any unresolved chargebacks or payment disputes, and have a completed IRS Form W-9 on file once Section 10.2 requires one.

4.2Available Withdrawal Methods

Withdrawal MethodEstimated Processing Time
Card Payout (Visa Direct / Mastercard Send)Typically within minutes; up to 1 business day
ACH Bank Transfer (Next-Day)1 to 2 business days
ACH Bank Transfer (Same-Day)Same business day (if submitted before cutoff)
PayPalTypically within minutes; up to 1 business day
VenmoTypically within minutes; up to 1 business day

Processing times are estimates and may vary depending on your bank, card issuer, PayPal, or Venmo. Deku Studios is not responsible for delays caused by your financial institution.

4.3Withdrawal Limits

LimitAmount
Minimum withdrawal$1.00

There is no maximum withdrawal amount, though withdrawals above certain thresholds may be subject to additional review (see Section 4.5).

4.4Withdrawal Fees

Fees may apply to some withdrawal methods or withdrawal speeds. For withdrawals you request in the app, any fee that applies is shown to you before you confirm the withdrawal. Your bank, card issuer, PayPal, or Venmo may also impose their own fees on incoming transfers. You are responsible for any fees imposed by your financial institution.

4.5Withdrawal Review

Withdrawals that exceed review thresholds, or that are flagged by our fraud-detection systems, may be subject to manual review. During a review, the withdrawal will be placed on hold. We will make reasonable efforts to complete reviews within two (2) business days. If additional information or verification is required, we will notify you by email.

4.6Right to Withhold

We may delay, deny, or withhold a withdrawal if:

  • Your identity verification (KYC) is incomplete, expired, or under review.
  • Your account is subject to an active investigation for suspected violations of the Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy.
  • You have an unresolved chargeback or payment dispute.
  • The withdrawal is flagged by our fraud-detection or anti-money-laundering systems.
  • We are required to withhold funds by law, regulation, court order, or governmental request, including OFAC sanctions blocking.
  • Section 10.2 requires a completed IRS Form W-9 and you have not completed one.

If we decline a withdrawal, we will notify you of the reason to the extent permitted by law.

4.7Playthrough Requirement and Withdrawable Balance

The following requirement is set out in Section 7.4 of the Terms of Service and is reproduced here in full:

Playthrough Requirement: Funds you deposit become available for withdrawal once they have been used to enter a contest. Contest prizes and any other winnings credited to your wallet are available for withdrawal immediately, with no playthrough requirement.

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Example. You deposit $10. You enter a $5 contest and win a $5 prize; your $5 entry fee is returned with the prize. Your balance is $15, of which $10 is available for withdrawal: the $5 you entered plus the $5 you won. The $5 you have not yet entered into a contest remains available for contest entry and becomes withdrawable once you use it.

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Your withdrawable balance is shown when you request a withdrawal. If a contest you entered is cancelled and your entry fee is refunded, the refunded amount returns to its pre-entry state.

"Withdrawable Balance" has the meaning given in Section 7.6 of the Terms of Service. Bonus Cash is separate from your cash balance and is never withdrawable; see Section 6.5 of the Terms of Service and Section 3.7 of the Promotional & Referral Terms.

5.Contest Entry Fees and Prizes

5.1Entry Fee Deduction

When you join a cash-entry contest, the entry fee is immediately deducted from your Platform wallet. You must have a sufficient available balance to cover the full entry fee at the time of entry.

5.2Contest Cancellation Refunds

If a contest does not reach the minimum number of participants required to proceed (currently three (3) participants for group contests and two (2) participants for 1v1 contests), the contest is cancelled and your entry fee is refunded in full to your Platform wallet. Refunds for cancelled contests are processed automatically and appear in your wallet immediately.

5.3Prize Distribution

Contest prizes are credited to the winners' Platform wallets automatically upon contest adjudication. Prize amounts reflect the applicable prize-distribution schedule (currently 60% / 30% / 10% to first, second, and third place in group contests, and 100% to the winner in 1v1 contests) calculated against the prize pool (entry fees collected less the platform fee), as described in the Terms of Service § 5 and the Fairness of Play Disclosures.

5.4Pending Balances

Entry fees for contests that are in progress (not yet adjudicated) are considered pending and are not available for withdrawal. Once a contest is adjudicated, your entry fee is consumed and any prize winnings are added to your available balance.

6.Virtual Currency (Acorns)

6.1How You Receive Acorns

Acorns are awarded to Players at no cost as part of Platform engagement, including (i) account-registration bonuses, (ii) daily-login rewards, (iii) tournament winnings in Acorn-denominated contests, and (iv) other free promotional events from time to time.

6.2No Cash Value

Acorns have no cash value, cannot be redeemed for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or any other items of monetary value, and cannot be transferred between accounts. Acorns are a limited license to use virtual items within the Platform, as described in the Terms of Service § 6.

7.Identity Verification (KYC)

7.1Verification Requirement

You must complete identity verification before your first withdrawal. We may also require additional or renewed verification at any time, including when you update your account information, when your cumulative contest winnings reach specified thresholds, or when required by our fraud-detection or compliance systems.

7.2Verification Process

Identity verification is conducted through our third-party verification provider and may include submission of a government-issued photo-identification document, a selfie photograph for facial matching, and passive or active liveness detection. Additional documentation (such as proof of address or proof of payment-method ownership) may be requested.

7.3Verification Timeline

Most verifications are completed within minutes. In some cases, manual review may be required, which can take up to five (5) business days. We will notify you if additional documentation is needed.

7.4Verification Failure

If your identity verification fails or is declined, you may resubmit with corrected documentation. If verification cannot be completed after reasonable attempts, you may be unable to withdraw funds. In such cases, deposited funds (less any entry fees for contests already adjudicated) will be returned to the original payment method where reasonably practicable.

8.Refund Policy

8.1Contest Entry Refunds

Entry fees for contests that are cancelled due to insufficient participants are refunded automatically and in full.

Entry fees for contests that have been adjudicated are not refundable except in cases of verified technical failure attributable to the Platform (such as a server outage that prevented you from completing your game), as described in the Terms of Service § 5.9 and adjudicated under the Complaint & Dispute Resolution Policy.

8.2Deposit Refunds

Deposits that have been credited to your Platform wallet are not refundable as deposits, unless Deku Studios deems a refund appropriate under the circumstances. You may withdraw your Withdrawable Balance at any time, subject to the withdrawal terms described in Section 4.

If you have deposited funds that you have not yet used to enter a contest, and you no longer wish to play, you may contact support@deku.net to request that the unused deposit be returned to you. Deku Studios may grant such a request at its discretion, subject to identity verification and to the deposited amount not having been used, in whole or in part, to enter a contest. A deposit returned in this way is processed as a refund to the original payment method rather than as a withdrawal, and the playthrough requirement described in Section 4.7 is removed along with it.

If you believe a deposit was made in error or without your authorization, contact support@deku.net immediately. Unauthorized transactions will be investigated and reversed where appropriate.

8.3Account Closure Refunds

Upon voluntary account closure, your remaining available cash balance (excluding Acorns and Bonus Cash) will be returned to you via your most recent withdrawal method or original deposit method, subject to identity verification and applicable processing times. Deposited funds that you have not used to enter a contest are returned to your original payment method as a refund under the process described in Section 8.2, and are not subject to the playthrough requirement described in Section 4.7 for this purpose.

9.Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

9.1Contact Us First

If you have a concern about a transaction, we encourage you to contact disputes@deku.net before initiating a chargeback or dispute with your bank, card issuer, or PayPal. Many issues can be resolved directly and more quickly through our support team.

9.2Chargeback Consequences

If you initiate a chargeback or payment dispute, your account will be immediately suspended pending investigation. We will submit evidence to the payment processor or card network to respond to the claim.

If a chargeback is determined to be fraudulent or filed in bad faith, your account may be permanently terminated, any remaining wallet balance may be forfeited, you may be responsible for any chargeback fees assessed to Deku Studios, and the matter may be referred to collections or law enforcement.

9.3Resolved Chargebacks

If a chargeback is resolved in your favor, or if Deku Studios determines that the chargeback was legitimate, your account suspension will be lifted and your balance restored. We will make reasonable efforts to resolve chargeback investigations promptly.

10.Tax Obligations

10.1Player Responsibility

You are solely responsible for determining and paying any federal, state, and local taxes owed on your contest winnings. Deku Studios does not withhold taxes from your winnings unless required to do so by law (including under the backup-withholding rules of 26 U.S.C. § 3406).

10.2Tax Reporting by Deku Studios

Your net contest winnings for a calendar year are the cash prizes credited to your wallet, minus the cash portion of your contest entry fees, plus cash entry fees refunded to you, in that calendar year (Coordinated Universal Time). Bonus Cash and other promotional credits are not included.

If your net contest winnings in a calendar year reach or exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) — the applicable Form 1099-MISC reporting threshold for calendar year 2026 under 26 U.S.C. § 6041(a) and IRS Publication 1099 (2026) — we will issue an IRS Form 1099-MISC (Box 3, Other income) for the applicable tax year.

Once your net contest winnings in a calendar year reach seventy-five percent (75%) of the applicable Form 1099-MISC reporting threshold ($1,500 for calendar year 2026), you must complete an IRS Form W-9, including your Social Security Number ("SSN") or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number ("ITIN"), before you can make any further withdrawal. The legal name on your Form W-9 is the name confirmed during identity verification. Until your Form W-9 is complete, withdrawals are paused; your balance is not reduced and you can continue to enter contests.

Our payment processor may separately issue Form 1099-K for payments meeting the threshold of 26 U.S.C. § 6050W.

State-level information-reporting and withholding obligations may differ by state and may apply in addition to the federal obligations described above. Deku Studios recommends that Players consult their own tax advisors regarding state-level reporting.

10.3Tax Summary

You may access a summary of your annual contest activity (entries, winnings, and net results) through your account settings or by contacting support@deku.net.

11.Currency

All transactions on the Platform are denominated in United States Dollars (USD). If your payment method is denominated in a different currency, currency conversion will be performed by your bank, card issuer, or PayPal at their applicable exchange rate. Any conversion fees are your responsibility.

12.Payment-Processor Terms

Deposits and withdrawals are processed by third-party payment processors. By making a deposit or withdrawal, you agree to comply with the applicable terms of service and privacy policies of these processors. Deku Studios is not responsible for errors, delays, or failures caused by payment processors.

13.Changes to These Payment Terms

We may update these Payment Terms at any time. Material changes, including changes to fees, deposit limits, withdrawal limits, or accepted payment methods, will be communicated through the Platform or by email before they take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Payment Terms.

14.Contact

If you have questions about deposits, withdrawals, or any other payment-related matter, please contact us:

Support: support@deku.net

Legal: legal@deku.net

Mail: Deku Studios LLC, 418 Broadway #11209, Albany, NY 12207

Website: https://deku.net