Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: 9 May 2025  ·  Governing law: New Zealand

Plain English Summary — read this first

  • 1.You pay $10 or $20 per week (billed by Stripe). Free tier is $0. Prices are GST-exclusive and shown clearly before you commit.
  • 2.You get a savings game where your weekly target is based on what you actually earn. Hit your target every Friday and you stay in the game. Miss with no lifelines left, and you're out.
  • 3.You can cancel any time — in 30 seconds from your Account page. Your savings are always yours. Cancelling mid-game forfeits your game position but does not touch your bank balance.
  • 4.If you win a game, your prize is paid out within 24 hours to your nominated account. The prize pool is funded by weekly subscriptions — it is real money, paid promptly.
  • 5.If EKKO ever shuts down, the prize pool reserve is paid to players before any other creditor. Your savings are always in your own bank — EKKO never holds them.

1. Who these terms apply to

These terms are a contract between you and Immiscible Tech Limited (the company that operates EKKO) when you create an account and use the EKKO service. You must be 18 or older and a New Zealand resident to use EKKO.

By creating an account you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms and our Privacy Policy.

2. Subscriptions and billing

Pricing

  • Free — $0/week. Manual income entry. No bank connection.
  • Utility — $10/week. Full Akahu bank connection and automated savings insights.
  • Gold — $20/week. Everything in Utility plus weekly prize pool eligibility.

All prices are GST-exclusive at launch.

Billing

Subscriptions are billed weekly via Stripe. Your first payment is charged when you select a paid tier. Subsequent payments are charged each Friday (the game’s anchor day). Stripe holds your payment details — EKKO never sees your card number.

Price changes

If we change prices, we will give you at least 4 weeks’ notice by email. Existing subscribers will be grandfathered at their current price for one additional billing period after the change takes effect.

3. The prize pool

The Gold tier prize pool is funded by Gold subscriber weekly payments. It is company-administered — funds accumulate in a ring-fenced business bank account (the Prize Pool Reserve) held by Immiscible Tech Limited.

  • Payout timing: Prize is paid within 24 hours of game completion via bank transfer to your nominated account.
  • This is not gambling. The outcome is determined entirely by your own savings behaviour — not by chance. See Section 2.1 of our full product specification for the legal analysis.
  • Prize pool cap: If the prize pool liability exceeds 3 months of Gold subscription revenue, new Gold signups are paused until the ratio is restored.

4. Cancellation

How to cancel

Cancel any time from your Account page (’Manage subscription’). Cancellation takes about 30 seconds. It takes effect at your next billing anchor (Friday). You will not be charged again after cancelling.

Cancelling mid-game (Gold)

If you cancel while participating in a Gold game, your game position is forfeited and your prize pool eligibility ends immediately — even if you were surviving at the time. This is because the prize pool is funded by active subscriptions: a cancelled subscriber has stopped funding the pool they would otherwise win.

Your savings are never affected. Your bank balances remain exactly as they are. EKKO never holds your money.

5. Judgment Day

Every Friday at 17:30 New Zealand time, EKKO reads your Arena account balance via Akahu and compares it to your High-Water Mark (HWM). This is Judgment Day.

  • If your Arena balance is at or above your HWM: HIT — you survive the week.
  • If your Arena balance is below your HWM: MISS — a lifeline is consumed (if you have one).
  • If your Arena balance is below your HWM and you have no lifelines: ELIMINATED.

The balance used is sourced from Akahu at the moment of Judgment Day. EKKO cannot alter what Akahu returns. Every result is recorded in an immutable audit log. If you believe a result is wrong, you can raise a dispute within 48 hours — see Section 9.

6. Lifelines and Free Money rules

Each game participant begins with 3 lifelines. Lifelines absorb MISS outcomes. When all lifelines are consumed, the next MISS results in elimination.

Free Money rule: If EKKO detects income deposited into your Arena account that you did not earn through your own work (gifts, windfalls, external transfers), this constitutes a Free Money Violation. Unresolved violations by Friday 17:30 result in a forced MISS at Judgment Day, regardless of your balance.

7. Wind-down protection

If Immiscible Tech Limited ceases to operate, the following applies:

  • The Prize Pool Reserve is disbursed to eligible players before any other creditor.
  • All subscriptions are cancelled immediately with no further charges.
  • Users are notified with at least 30 days’ notice where possible.
  • Your bank balances are unaffected — they are in your own accounts.

The Prize Pool Reserve is ring-fenced from EKKO’s operating funds. EKKO’s operating account being empty does not affect the Prize Pool Reserve.

8. What we are responsible for

EKKO is a savings game and financial behaviour tool. We are not a bank, financial adviser, or credit provider. Nothing in EKKO constitutes financial advice.

The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 applies to your subscription. The service must be fit for purpose and match its description. If it is not, you have remedies under that Act.

We are not liable for: losses arising from your savings decisions, bank errors by your bank or Akahu (though we have a resolution path — see Section 9), or interruptions to the service beyond our reasonable control.

9. Disputes and escalation

If you disagree with a Judgment Day result or any other outcome:

  1. Level 1 — Self-service: Use the dispute button in the audit log. Your full Judgment Day data (balance, HWM, lifelines) is pre-loaded.
  2. Level 2 — Founder review: Request escalation within your support ticket. Response within 48 hours.
  3. Level 3 — Disputes Tribunal: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a claim at disputes.govt.nz (claims up to NZD $30,000, ~$45 filing fee).
  4. Level 4 — Commerce Commission: For systemic misconduct under the Fair Trading Act 1986.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We will notify you by email at least 14 days before any material change takes effect. Continued use of EKKO after that date means you accept the updated terms. If you do not accept the changes, you may cancel your account before they take effect.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by New Zealand law. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts, except where the Disputes Tribunal has jurisdiction.

12. Contact

Immiscible Tech Limited
New Zealand
hello@ekko.nz