A prototype
Avowly is a prototype built for the PayPal AI Hackathon. It runs on the PayPal sandbox, PayPal's test environment: payments use test accounts and no real money moves. Don't rely on Avowly for real transactions yet.
What Avowly does
Avowly coordinates a deal between two people: it verifies a listing from photos, asks PayPal to hold the buyer's payment, checks the item at the handoff, and releases or cancels the payment by published rules. Avowly is not a bank, an escrow agent or a party to the sale. The seller sells, the buyer buys, and PayPal processes the payment.
PayPal
Payments are subject to PayPal's own terms and policies, including its buyer protection and dispute processes. Avowly is not affiliated with or endorsed by PayPal, Inc. A PayPal authorization can be honored for up to 3 days and renewed up to 29; an unused hold expires on its own.
Fees
Listing is free and sellers receive their full asking price. Buyers pay a buyer protection fee (5%, minimum $1), shown before they approve and charged only when the deal completes. Rental deposits are released apart from charges on the owner's up-front price list.
Your responsibilities
- Only list items you own and have in your possession, described honestly.
- Use your own PayPal account and give accurate details.
- Keep your seller and deal links private; anyone with them can act on that listing or deal.
- Meet safely, and check the item before releasing payment.
- Follow the law where you live, including on what can be sold or rented.
Not allowed
- Stolen, counterfeit or illegal goods, weapons, drugs, and anything PayPal's acceptable use policy forbids.
- Photos you don't have the right to use, or photos of people without their permission.
- Trying to trick verification, e.g. showing a different device's screen.
- Automated abuse, scraping, or attempts to bypass rate limits or access other people's deals.
AI and verification
Avowly uses AI to read photos. Readings can be wrong. Verification shows that an item matches what was listed; it is not a guarantee of condition, authenticity or function. Low-confidence readings ask for another photo instead of deciding, and AI findings can never add rental charges outside the agreed list.
Liability
Avowly is provided “as is” while it's a prototype, without warranties. To the extent the law allows, we're not liable for losses arising from deals between users, items that don't meet expectations, or service interruptions. Nothing here limits rights you have under consumer law or PayPal's own protections.
Changes & contact
We may update these terms as Avowly develops and will change the date above when we do. Questions? Contact support.