1. Vendor Eligibility

To sell on the Collective, a business must meet MelanMark’s current vendor eligibility requirements.

1.1 Business Ownership

Vendors must be U.S.-based businesses that are at least 51% Black-owned.

You must provide accurate information about the ownership of your business and, when requested, documentation or other information reasonably necessary for MelanMark to verify eligibility.

You must notify MelanMark if a change in ownership causes your business to no longer meet the Collective’s eligibility requirements.

1.2 Own-Brand Products

The Collective is for businesses selling products under their own brands.

Products may be created directly by the vendor or produced through legitimate private-label, contract-manufacturing, production, or similar arrangements for the vendor’s brand.

Reselling products belonging to other brands is not permitted on the Collective.

1.3 Verification

MelanMark reviews vendor applications and may request additional information or documentation before or after approval.

Approval means that MelanMark determined that the business met the Collective’s eligibility requirements based on the information available at the time of review.

MelanMark may periodically review continued eligibility.

Providing false, misleading, or materially incomplete information may result in denial, suspension, or termination of vendor status.

2. Vendor Account & Onboarding

Approved vendors must complete the required onboarding process before selling through the Collective.

This may include providing business and contact information, completing storefront information, accepting applicable policies, and establishing a Stripe Connect account.

You are responsible for keeping your vendor account, business information, payment information, and contact information current.

Vendor accounts are non-transferable. A change in business ownership or control may require a new eligibility review.

3. Products & Listings

3.1 Product Requirements

The Collective supports eligible physical and downloadable products sold under the vendor’s own brand.

Products offered through dropshipping, multi-level marketing, affiliate arrangements, or other business models not supported by MelanMark are not eligible.

Services, subscriptions, and other unsupported product types may not be listed.

Products must comply with this Agreement, MelanMark’s current product requirements, and applicable law.

3.2 Prohibited Products

Vendors may not list or sell products that are illegal, unsafe, counterfeit, recalled, infringing, deceptive, or otherwise prohibited by applicable law.

The following are also prohibited on the Collective:

• Weapons, firearms, ammunition, explosives, and related products.
• Illegal drugs, controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia.
• Tobacco, nicotine, vaping, and cannabis products.
• Prescription medications and products requiring a prescription.
• Hazardous or recalled products.
• Counterfeit, stolen, or unauthorized goods.
• Products that infringe copyrights, trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property rights.
• Pornographic or sexually explicit products.
• Products promoting or glorifying hate, violence, discrimination, or illegal activity.
• Products subject to legal restrictions that MelanMark is not equipped to support or verify.

MelanMark may reject, restrict, unpublish, or remove a product that violates these requirements or that MelanMark reasonably determines presents a legal, safety, payment-processing, or Platform risk.

3.3 Listing Accuracy

You are responsible for ensuring that your product listings accurately describe the products being offered, including their prices, images, variations, availability, ingredients or materials when applicable, and other information reasonably necessary for shoppers to understand what they are purchasing.

Listings may not be false, deceptive, misleading, or infringe the rights of others.

3.4 Inventory

You are responsible for maintaining accurate inventory information and promptly updating products that are unavailable.

MelanMark may contact you regarding a storefront with an extended period of unavailable inventory to determine whether the store remains active.

4. Orders & Fulfillment

You are responsible for processing orders accurately and within 3–5 business days unless a different processing timeframe is clearly disclosed on the applicable product listing and permitted by MelanMark.

You must:

• Maintain accurate inventory.
• Process and fulfill orders within the applicable timeframe.
• Package products appropriately for shipment.
• Provide valid tracking information when shipping is required.
• Promptly address damaged, incorrect, missing, or undelivered orders.
• Communicate with shoppers when an issue materially affects fulfillment.

You may not mark an order as shipped before it has been transferred to the applicable carrier.

Repeated fulfillment problems, excessive cancellations, invalid tracking, or failure to fulfill orders may result in restrictions or suspension of your vendor account.

5. Customer Service, Returns & Refunds

You are responsible for providing customer service for your products and orders.

You may establish your own return window and return conditions, provided they comply with the MelanMark Return & Refund Policy and applicable law.

Your return terms must be clearly disclosed through your storefront or applicable product listings.

You must respond to shopper inquiries and order issues within two business days.

MelanMark may become involved when an order issue cannot be resolved directly between you and the shopper. You agree to cooperate with reasonable requests for order information or documentation needed to review the issue.

Nothing in your return terms may limit rights available to a shopper under applicable law.

6. Vendor Plans, Fees & Commissions

Vendor plans may include product limits, features, subscription fees, transaction fees, commissions, or other charges as disclosed when you select or change a plan.

The fees and commission rate applicable to your vendor account will be disclosed before you enroll in a paid plan or otherwise incur the applicable charge.

MelanMark may change vendor plans, features, or pricing. Changes affecting existing vendors will be communicated before they take effect when required by law or this Agreement.

The commission and transaction fees applicable at the time an order is placed apply to that order.

You are responsible for any payment-processing fees assigned to your account or transactions under the applicable vendor plan or payment arrangement.

7. Payments & Payouts

Payments for Collective orders are processed through Stripe.

You must establish and maintain an eligible Stripe Connect account and comply with Stripe’s applicable requirements.

Eligible vendor proceeds are subject to a 14-day holding period before release and are paid through Stripe Connect to the bank account associated with your connected account.

MelanMark may further delay or withhold a payout when reasonably necessary to address refunds, chargebacks, suspected fraud, unresolved order disputes, legal requirements, negative balances, or violations of this Agreement or applicable Platform policies.

Amounts owed to MelanMark, including commissions, fees, refunds, chargebacks, or other authorized adjustments, may be deducted from amounts otherwise payable to you where permitted.

You are responsible for keeping your Stripe Connect information accurate and your account in good standing.

8. Taxes

Where required by applicable law, MelanMark may calculate, collect, and remit sales or similar transaction taxes on Collective orders.

You remain responsible for taxes associated with operating your business, receiving vendor proceeds, and any taxes that MelanMark is not legally required to collect or remit on your behalf.

You are responsible for providing accurate tax information when requested.

9. Vendor Lounge

Eligible vendors in good standing receive access to the Vendor Lounge as a benefit of vendor status.

Vendor Lounge access is non-transferable and is not a separate membership.

Access may be restricted or removed if your vendor account is suspended, terminated, or otherwise becomes ineligible.

Use of the Vendor Lounge is also subject to the MelanMark Terms & Conditions and applicable community guidelines.

10. Vendor Content & Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of your business name, trademarks, product information, photographs, graphics, descriptions, and other content you provide to MelanMark.

You represent that you own or have the necessary rights to use and provide that content.

By submitting content to MelanMark, you grant MelanMark a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, reproduce, display, format, and use the content as reasonably necessary to operate, market, and promote the Platform and your presence on it.

You may not submit content that infringes another person’s intellectual property or other legal rights.

11. Legal & Product Compliance

You are responsible for ensuring that your business and products comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

This includes, where applicable, requirements relating to product safety, labeling, packaging, ingredients, claims, licensing, warnings, recalls, shipping, and consumer protection.

You must promptly notify MelanMark if you become aware of a safety issue, recall, regulatory action, or other material legal issue involving a product offered through the Collective.

12. Independent Business Relationship

You operate as an independent business.

Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, agency, franchise, partnership, joint venture, or other representative relationship between you and MelanMark.

You do not have authority to make commitments or representations on behalf of MelanMark.

13. Account Suspension & Termination

You may close your vendor account subject to completing outstanding orders, refunds, disputes, and other obligations.

MelanMark may restrict, suspend, or terminate vendor access for reasons including:

• Loss of vendor eligibility.
• Violation of this Agreement or another applicable MelanMark policy.
• Products that violate MelanMark’s product requirements or applicable law.
• Fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading activity.
• Repeated fulfillment or customer-service problems.
• Failure to maintain required payment or account information.
• Conduct that creates a material risk to shoppers, vendors, MelanMark, or the Platform.

When appropriate, MelanMark may provide an opportunity to correct an issue before suspension or termination. Immediate action may be taken when necessary to protect shoppers, vendors, MelanMark, or the Platform.

Termination does not eliminate obligations arising from orders, refunds, chargebacks, fees, disputes, or other transactions that occurred before termination.

14. Vendor Responsibility & Indemnification

You are responsible for your products, listings, business practices, fulfillment, customer service, and compliance with applicable law.

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold MelanMark harmless from third-party claims, losses, liabilities, damages, and reasonable legal expenses arising from:

• Your products or product claims.
• Your business activities or conduct.
• Content you provide to the Platform.
• Your infringement of another person’s rights.
• Your violation of applicable law.
• Your material violation of this Agreement.

15. Changes to This Agreement

MelanMark may update this Agreement as the Collective, vendor program, or legal requirements change.

Material changes affecting existing vendors will be communicated before they take effect when required by law.

Continued participation as a vendor after an updated Agreement becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Agreement to the extent permitted by law.

16. Governing Terms

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

The MelanMark Terms & Conditions also apply to your use of the Platform. If a provision of this Agreement conflicts with the Terms & Conditions regarding your responsibilities as a vendor, this Agreement controls for that vendor-specific matter.

The Terms & Conditions, this Vendor Agreement, Return & Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and other policies expressly applicable to vendors govern your participation in the Collective.

17. Contact Us

Questions about this Agreement may be submitted through the MelanMark Contact page or sent to:

MelanMark
Email: vendors@melanmark.com