Terms of use.
No hidden clauses.

By browsing northernware.ph, submitting a project brief, subscribing to the newsletter, or otherwise using this site, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please close the tab—no hard feelings. These terms apply to the website only. Actual engagements are governed by a separate statement of work or contract signed by both parties.

Northernware is a software studio based in Northern Luzon, Philippines. We build business websites, e-commerce stores, website redesigns, custom web applications, and technical SEO. We also offer optional managed hosting with domain, SSL, monitoring, and maintenance included. Scope, deliverables, and timelines for any project are defined in writing before work begins.

Submitting a project brief through /contact is an invitation to a conversation, not a binding agreement on either side. We reply within one business day. If we're a fit, we'll send a written proposal and—on acceptance—a contract. No work starts, no invoices issue, and no obligations attach until that contract is signed.

All prices on the site are quoted in Philippine pesos (PHP). USD equivalents are available on request. Indicative tiers on the homepage and pricing/contact pages are starting brackets, not final quotes—real numbers depend on scope. We use fixed-price contracts for well-defined scope and weekly retainers for exploratory or ongoing work. We do not bill retainers for periods where we're not actively shipping. Payment terms, currency, and schedule are set in your specific contract.

Our optional managed hosting plans (Basic ₱1,500/mo, Standard ₱4,000/mo, Advanced ₱8,000/mo) include domain registration, SSL, monitoring, and maintenance. The first month is free; thereafter plans are billed monthly in advance. You can cancel at any time with 30 days' notice; we'll hand off a deployable repository and DNS on exit. If you prefer to self-host, we deliver a deployable repo either way.

We sign mutual NDAs only—never one-way. If you tick the NDA box on the brief form, we'll send ours before replying with specifics. Beyond formal NDAs, we treat client information (strategy, code, customers, financials) as confidential by default. We don't publish case studies, screenshots, or code without written permission.

On full payment, you own the project-specific deliverables we produce for you: your code, your designs, your brand assets, your copy. We retain rights to (a) our pre-existing frameworks, libraries, and internal tooling, (b) generic patterns and reusable components that are not specific to your project, and (c) the right to reference completed work in our portfolio unless the contract says otherwise. Open-source components carry their own licenses, which we'll disclose.

You agree not to: (a) scrape, crawl, or harvest content at rates that degrade the site for others, (b) submit false, misleading, or abusive briefs or newsletter signups, (c) attempt to bypass the honeypot or other anti-abuse measures, (d) reverse engineer or probe the site for vulnerabilities without permission, or (e) use the site to transmit malware or unlawful content. We reserve the right to block abusive traffic without notice.

The site uses Vercel for hosting and analytics, Resend for email delivery, Google Fonts and Iconify for assets, and may link to third-party sites (our GitHub, live client projects, documentation). We don't control third-party services or sites and don't accept responsibility for their content, availability, or practices. Their terms apply when you interact with them.

The website is provided "as is." We aim for high uptime and accuracy, but we don't warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that content is always current. Pricing tiers, timelines, and sample work shown on the site are indicative, not guarantees. Warranties for delivered project work are set out separately in each signed contract.

To the fullest extent allowed by Philippine law, our total liability arising out of your use of this website is limited to ₱1,000 or the amount you have paid us for website-related services in the twelve months prior, whichever is greater. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or lost-profit damages. Project-specific liability caps and remedies are defined in each signed contract and supersede this clause for work performed under that contract.

We pass on projects we can't do well, timelines we can't hit, and stacks we don't trust. A polite "not a fit" is usually the answer when scope is vague, expectations are unrealistic, or the engagement looks bad for both sides. Saying no is part of the service.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Any dispute arising from your use of this website will be handled first by good-faith discussion at contact@northernware.ph. If that fails, the courts of Northern Luzon, Philippines will have exclusive jurisdiction, unless your signed project contract specifies otherwise.

We'll update this page when our offerings, processors, or policies change. Every change bumps the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes—pricing structure, liability, IP terms—will be called out here plainly. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated terms. Previous versions are available on request.

Questions about these terms, a proposal, an invoice, or anything in between: contact@northernware.ph. You'll get a real reply from a real person, usually within one business day.