Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who offer Products through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy states the duty to place a Product in its correct category, the rules for gated categories and for placement in more than one category, the Company's right to reclassify a listing, and the prohibited placement practices. This Policy implements the Listing Accuracy Policy for category placement. Where placement concerns a regulated category, the product-specific policy for that category controls.
1.2 Products sold by the Company are "Sold by Pawz Shop." Products sold by a Seller are "Sold by {Seller name}." Placement follows the Product, not the Seller, for first-party and third-party offers alike.
1.3 If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Use, this Policy controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Seller participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this Policy; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this Policy prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Selling Terms of Service apply to this Policy. The following additional terms apply to this Policy only.
2.2 Browse Category: a position in the Company's category structure, organized by animal and then by product type, being the position a Buyer navigates to and the filter a Buyer applies.
2.3 Gated Category: a Browse Category for a regulated or restricted product type, in which a Seller may list only with the Company's prior approval.
2.4 Multi-Placement: an additional, non-primary placement of one Product in a second Browse Category where the Product legitimately serves both categories. Multi-Placement is one Product in two findable positions, not two listings.
2.5 Primary Placement: the one Browse Category to which a Product truly belongs. One Product has one Primary Placement.
Article 3: Correct Placement
3.1 A Seller shall place every listing in the Browse Category that matches what the Product is. Category placement is a compliance act, not a marketing choice. Placement determines the referral fee under the Referral Fee Schedule, the regulatory conditions the listing must satisfy, and the search filters under which the Product appears.
3.2 The placement test. The correct category is determined by the Product: a Product belongs in a category where a Buyer who navigated to that category expecting that kind of Product would find the Product to belong. Anticipated traffic, conversion, or a fee difference is not a placement criterion.
3.3 Most specific category. A Seller shall select the most specific category that describes the Product. A general placement where a specific category exists does not satisfy this Article, because fees, conditions, and filters key off the specific category.
3.4 Placement follows the Product. Primary Placement is a property of the Product. Two Sellers offering the same Product do not hold two different Primary Placements for that Product. Where the catalog already places the Product, a Seller's Offer inherits that placement, and the Seller shall not re-place the Product through the Offer.
3.5 Multi-Placement. A Seller may request Multi-Placement where the Product legitimately spans categories, including a Product labelled and formulated for both dogs and cats. The Seller shall state the justification for the request by reference to the Product label, formulation, or the manufacturer's categorization. A Multi-Placement request based only on appeal to a second audience does not satisfy this Article. Placement of one Product in multiple unrelated categories is prohibited under Article 5.
3.6 No fitting category. Where no existing category fits the Product, the Seller shall propose a category through the catalog contribution process under the Catalog and Variant Policy, rather than placing the Product in the nearest incorrect category. A Seller that places a Product in the closest honest category and discloses the uncertainty through the contribution process has not violated this Policy by reason of the fit alone.
Article 4: Gated Categories
4.1 A Seller shall not list in a Gated Category without the Company's prior approval for that Seller and that category. Approval is personal to the Seller, specific to the category, and revocable. Listing in a Gated Category without approval is gate evasion under Article 5.3.
4.2 The gates correspond to the regulatory regimes for the categories: flea and tick products are gated by reason of the registration regime governed by the Flea, Tick and Pesticide Products Policy; prescription products are gated by reason of the prescription regime governed by the Prescription Products Policy (Prescription Products Policy (Sellers)); and pet food and treats are subject to the labeling compliance governed by the Pet Food and Treats Policy.
4.3 Approval is neither permanent nor transferable. Where the Seller's authorisation for a Gated Category lapses, including on expiry of a registration or the end of a distribution agreement, the approval ends and the Seller shall remove the affected listings from the Gated Category until approval is renewed. Approval does not transfer between Sellers, between Accounts, or to a purchaser of the Seller's business.
Article 5: Prohibited Placement Practices
5.1 Category arbitrage. A Seller shall not place a Product in a category other than its true category to obtain a lower referral fee or to avoid a category condition. Fee arbitrage is charged additionally as a fee matter, with the underpaid referral fees recoverable under the Fee Reversals and Adjustments Policy.
5.2 Search-spam placement. A Seller shall not place a Product in an unrelated high-traffic category to capture browse traffic. Systematic search-spam placement across a catalog is additionally search manipulation under the Search Manipulation Policy.
5.3 Gated-category evasion. A Seller shall not misclassify a regulated Product to avoid a gate, including presenting a pesticide product as a grooming product or a prescription product as a supplement. Evasion under this Article is treated as the underlying regulatory violation in full: the listing is suppressed immediately, and no warning or cure period applies to the evasion.
5.4 Category squatting. A Seller shall not claim a Primary Placement in a category for a Product the Seller does not sell, whether to block another Seller or to hold the position.
Article 6: Company Reclassification
6.1 The Company may re-place a listing at review or on audit, and may reclassify Catalog Data for a Product, without the consent of a Seller who contributed to or offers the Product. Reclassification is a correction, not a finding, and the Company shall notify an affected Seller of the new category and of any resulting fee or category-condition change.
6.2 Reclassification becomes a violation only where the original placement was arbitrage, search-spam placement, or evasion under Article 5.
6.3 A Seller that believes a reclassification is incorrect may request a review through support@aapawz.com, stating the basis for the Product's true category. The reclassified placement remains in effect while the review is pending.
Article 7: Liability
7.1 Exclusion of certain damages. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this Policy, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
7.2 Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this Policy shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Seller paid to the Company under this Policy in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
7.3 Carve-outs. This Article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this Policy; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Seller owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under the Company's documents; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
7.4 Essential purpose. The parties agree that this Article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 8: Indemnification
8.1 Duty. The Seller shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Seller's breach of this Policy; (b) the Seller's Products, Services, listings, or content, including product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, and product recall costs; (c) the Seller's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under the Company's documents.
8.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The Seller shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Seller shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
8.3 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this Policy.
Article 9: Enforcement and Appeals
9.1 Investigation. The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this Policy. The Seller shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this Policy requires the Seller to keep, including approval records for a Gated Category.
9.2 Notice. If the Company determines that the Seller has violated this Policy, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
9.3 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the Seller has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, counterfeiting, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, gated-category evasion, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured. An honest misplacement with no arbitrage and no gate involved is addressed by reclassification under Article 6 and a warning, without suppression where the Product is otherwise compliant.
9.4 Measures. If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content, including suppression from an incorrect category until correct placement is in place, and immediate suppression for gated-category evasion; (c) cancel an Order; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this Policy and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under the Company's documents or at law. Where evasion concealed a safety-regulated Product, the matter is additionally governed by the Fraud and Abuse Policy (Fraud and Abuse — Zero Tolerance).
9.5 Disbursement hold. The Company may hold disbursements to the Seller while an investigation under this Article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Seller's obligations when the investigation closes.
9.6 Appeal. The Seller may appeal a measure under this Article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
9.7 No waiver by delay. The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 10: Term and Termination
10.1 Term. This Policy takes effect when the Seller is accepted to offer Products through the Platform and continues until terminated under this Article.
10.2 Termination by the Company. The Company may terminate this Policy and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Seller materially breaches this Policy, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
10.3 Termination by the Seller. The Seller may terminate this Policy on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Seller has no Order or investigation outstanding.
10.4 Effect of termination. On termination: (a) the rights granted under this Policy end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under the Company's documents, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
10.5 Survival. The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions Articles survive termination.
Article 11: Dispute Resolution
11.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Policy, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this Policy by reference.
Article 12: General Provisions
12.1 Amendments. The Company may amend this Policy by posting the amended Policy in the Document Center and giving notice to the Seller at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Seller's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. A Seller that does not accept an amendment may terminate under Article 10 before the amendment takes effect.
12.2 Notices. Legal notices under this Policy shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Seller are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Seller shall keep the email address in the Account current.
12.3 Governing law. This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this Policy shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
12.4 Severability. If any provision of this Policy is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
12.5 Entire agreement. This Policy, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Seller for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
12.6 Assignment. The Seller shall not assign this Policy or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this Policy to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Seller.
12.7 Waiver. A waiver of any provision of this Policy is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
12.8 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This Policy shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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