Gift Membership Service Policy

Effective date: 11/18/2022

Acceptance of Policy

When you use our Gift Membership Service, you agree to this Policy and to all of the sections included within our User Agreement. If you do not agree to this Policy or our User Agreement, then you may not use our Gift Membership Service.

A Gift Membership is a membership paid for by one person (the “Purchaser”) for someone else (the “Recipient”). A Purchaser and Recipient cannot be the same party. On the day the Purchaser successfully completes the purchase of a Gift Membership (the "Purchase Date"), Chess.com will create an order confirmation number for the Purchaser. Gift Memberships, unlike other Chess.com Memberships, are non-renewing and allow access to Chess.com Memberships by the Recipient only from the date when the Gift Membership begins (the "Gift Start Date") through the duration of the membership purchased (the “Gift Term”). Any purchase or use of Gift Memberships is subject to this Policy, which is in addition to and does not replace the general Chess.com User Agreement.

Purchasing a Gift Membership

Gift Memberships may only be purchased at Chess.com. Specific terms and conditions set forth in the purchase process may apply. At the time of purchase, the Purchaser will choose the date on which the Gift Membership will be presented to the Recipient (the “Gift Delivery Date”), which must be within 90 days of the Purchase Date. Chess.com will generate the Gift Membership that will allow the Recipient to access the Gift Membership on the Gift Delivery Date, and Chess.com will email the recipient, and/or additionally send a Chess.com Inbox Message, if applicable, on the Gift Delivery Date. Chess.com also will send a “receipt email” to the Purchaser on the Purchase Date with an order confirmation number for the Gift Membership.

Chess.com is not responsible and assumes no liability for non-delivery of an email because of an invalid address, Purchaser incorrectly applied email address, spam filters, or any other reason. If the Purchaser wishes to have the gift announced on the Gift Delivery Date in some way other than Chess.com announcing it via email or Chess.com Inbox Message, then the Purchaser is solely responsible for doing so.

Accessing a Gift Membership

If the Purchaser uses the Recipient’s Chess.com username to deliver the Gift Membership:

The Gift Start Date (i.e., when the Gift Membership begins) will be the same date as the Gift Delivery Date and conclude at the end of the Gift Term, regardless of whether the Recipient accesses the Membership on the Gift Start Date, a later date or never.

If the Purchaser uses the Recipient’s email address to deliver the Gift Membership, and either:

i.) If the Recipient has a Chess.com account prior to Gift Delivery Date, and the email address associated to the Gift Membership matches the email address associated with the Recipient’s Chess.com account:

The Gift Start Date (i.e., when the Gift Membership begins) will be the same date as the Gift Delivery Date and conclude at the end of the Gift Term, regardless of whether the Recipient accesses the Membership on the Gift Start Date, a later date or never.

ii.) If the Recipient has a Chess.com account prior to Gift Delivery Date, and the email address associated with the Gift Membership does NOT match the email address associated with the Recipient’s Chess.com account:

The Gift Membership will not start under the Recipient’s existing Chess.com account. To begin the Gift Membership, the Recipient can either (a) contact Chess.com Support; or (b) establish a new Chess.com account using the Recipient’s email address associated with the Gift Membership. Immediately upon creation of that new Chess.com account, the Gift Term will begin.

iii.) If the Recipient does not have a Chess.com account prior to Gift Delivery Date;

To begin the Gift Membership, the Recipient must create a Chess.com account with the same email address associated with the Gift Membership. Immediately upon creation of that new Chess.com account, the Gift Term will begin.

Refunds and notice of non-transferable

Gift Memberships are not refundable except as required by applicable law. Gift Memberships may not be resold or transferred. A Gift Membership is not valid and will not be honored, and Chess.com will not be liable for the value of the Gift Membership, if the Gift Membership is obtained from an unauthorized seller or reseller, including through any Internet auction site.

Single-Use Only; Not Combinable with Other Offers; Not Exchangeable.

The Gift Membership is for a one-time use only. The purchasing or redemption of the Gift Membership may not be combined with any other offers, coupons, discounts or promotions. The Gift Membership may not be exchanged or credited toward the purchase of any Chess.com Memberships.

Fraud and notice of non-payment

Chess.com reserves the right to refuse to honor a Gift Membership if Chess.com suspects that the Gift Membership was obtained fraudulently. Chess.com reserves the right to refuse to honor any Gift Membership in the event of a disputed credit card charge, bounced check or other failure of consideration.

Changes to Agreement

Chess.com reserves the right to modify, alter, change or amend this Agreement from time to time in its discretion without advance notice. The current version of this Agreement is available at https://www.chess.com/legal/gifting.