Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the ChowAPI service ("Service"), including the API, website, dashboard, SDKs, and documentation at chowapi.dev, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

"ChowAPI," "we," "us," and "our" refer to the operator of the ChowAPI service. "You" and "your" refer to the individual or entity using the Service.

2. Description of Service

ChowAPI provides a REST API for food and nutrition data, including food search, barcode lookup, nutrient information, and related endpoints. The Service includes the API, web dashboard, developer documentation, SDKs, and MCP server.

3. Accounts

You must create an account to use the API. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and API keys. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

You may not share your account or API keys with others. Each person or application accessing the API must have their own account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. API Usage

You agree to use the API only for lawful purposes. You may not:

• Attempt to circumvent authentication, rate limits, or other security measures
• Use the API in a way that degrades service for other users
• Reverse engineer the API beyond what is publicly documented
• Resell raw API access or create a competing nutrition API service using ChowAPI data
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or bulk-download the database

See our Acceptable Use Policy for additional details on permitted and prohibited uses.

5. Billing and Credits

The Service uses a credit-based billing model. Credit packs are one-time purchases that never expire. Each API call consumes one credit. Free tier accounts receive a limited number of credits per month.

We may change credit pack pricing at any time with 30 days advance notice. Pricing changes do not affect previously purchased credits. Custom volume pricing is available by contacting us directly.

6. No Refunds

All credit pack purchases are final and non-refundable. Because credits are delivered instantly and can be used immediately, we do not offer refunds, credits, or exchanges for any reason, including unused credits, account closure, or dissatisfaction with the Service.

If you believe a charge was made in error, contact us at hello@chowapi.dev within 14 days and we will investigate. Filing a fraudulent chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or payment provider without first contacting us constitutes a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination and forfeiture of remaining credits.

7. Data Accuracy and Allergen Disclaimer

Food nutrition data is sourced from multiple databases including USDA (public domain), Open Food Facts (community-contributed), and restaurant sources. While we strive for accuracy and provide data quality scores, nutrition data may contain errors, be incomplete, or become outdated.

Allergen data provided through the Service is informational only and may be incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated. Allergen information is derived from ingredient lists and community-contributed data, which may not reflect current formulations, cross-contamination risks, or regional variations. You must not rely on ChowAPI allergen data as the sole means of determining food safety for individuals with allergies or intolerances. ChowAPI is not liable for allergic reactions or adverse health events resulting from reliance on data provided through the Service.

The Service is provided for informational purposes only. ChowAPI is not a medical, nutritional, or dietary advisory service. Data provided through the API does not constitute medical advice, nutritional counseling, or dietary recommendations. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals before making health-related decisions.

8. Assumption of Risk

You acknowledge that nutrition data is inherently imprecise and that food composition varies by source, preparation, season, and region. By using the Service, you assume all risk associated with your use of and reliance on the data provided. You are solely responsible for how you use, display, and present ChowAPI data in your applications and for including appropriate disclaimers for your own end users.

9. Open Food Facts Attribution

ChowAPI includes data from Open Food Facts, licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL). API responses indicate the data source for each food item. If you redistribute ChowAPI data that originates from Open Food Facts, you must comply with the ODbL attribution requirements.

10. Intellectual Property

The ChowAPI service, website, documentation, SDKs, branding, and all original content are owned by ChowAPI. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any part of the Service except as expressly permitted by these Terms or applicable open-source licenses.

You retain ownership of any applications you build using the API. These Terms grant you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to access and use the API in accordance with these Terms and the documentation.

11. Service Availability

We aim for high availability but do not guarantee any specific uptime percentage. The Service is provided "as is." We may perform maintenance, updates, or modifications to the Service at any time, with reasonable notice when possible.

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time. We will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice of significant changes.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, or that any data provided through the Service will be accurate or complete.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, ChowAPI and its operator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities arising out of or related to your use of the Service, regardless of the theory of liability.

Our total aggregate liability for all claims related to the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you have paid to ChowAPI in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or (b) fifty US dollars ($50.00).

14. Force Majeure

ChowAPI shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, acts of government, internet or infrastructure outages, third-party service provider failures (including hosting, database, payment processing, and CDN providers), cyberattacks, pandemics, or other force majeure events.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ChowAPI and its operator from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

16. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Reasons for termination may include violation of these Terms, abusive behavior, non-payment, or extended inactivity.

You may close your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, your API keys will be revoked and your access to the Service will cease. Unused credits are not refundable upon account closure.

Sections 6 (No Refunds), 8 (Assumption of Risk), 12 (Disclaimer), 13 (Limitation of Liability), 15 (Indemnification), 18 (Governing Law), and 19 (Severability) survive termination.

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or a notice on the website. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation by contacting us at hello@chowapi.dev. If the dispute cannot be resolved within 30 days of written notice, either party may submit the dispute to binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of California. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding.

You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. If for any reason a claim proceeds in court rather than arbitration, both parties waive any right to a jury trial.

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of California to prevent the actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights.

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and ChowAPI regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

21. Contact

For questions about these Terms, email hello@chowapi.dev.