Terms of Service

1. Introduction

Welcome to Metalium. Metalium is Pakistan's first peer-to-peer marketplace for trading physical Gold, Silver, and Copper (the "Platform"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("you," "your," or "User") and Metalium ("we," "us," "our," or "Metalium") governing your access to and use of the Platform, including our website, mobile applications, APIs, and all related services.

By creating an account, accessing any part of the Platform, or otherwise indicating your acceptance, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

We built Metalium to replace the uncertainty of informal metal trading with a system where every trade is transparent, every fee is visible upfront, and every party is held accountable. These Terms exist to protect you. Please read them carefully.

2. Definitions

3. Eligibility

4. Account Registration and Identity Verification

4.1 Registration

To access the Platform's trading features, you must create an Account. During registration, you will be required to provide the following information: your full legal name, a valid email address, a phone number in +92 format, your date of birth, your CNIC number, and your city and area of residence selected from the Platform's predefined list of locations. A display username is generated automatically for your Account.

You represent and warrant that all information you provide during registration is accurate, complete, and current. You agree to promptly update your Account information if any details change. Providing false, misleading, or fraudulent information during registration is a material breach of these Terms and grounds for immediate Account termination.

4.2 Identity Verification (KYC)

You must complete identity verification by uploading clear, legible images of the front and back of your valid CNIC. This requirement is mandatory and non-negotiable for all Users. Unverified Accounts cannot create Listings, initiate Trades, or access marketplace features.

Identity verification exists to protect you. It ensures that every person you trade with is a real, verified individual, which is a core safeguard of the Platform. Your identity documents are stored securely, are accessible only to authorized Metalium personnel for verification purposes, and are handled as described in our Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to reject, suspend, or terminate any Account that fails identity verification or provides fraudulent identity documents.

4.3 Account Security

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials, including your password and any associated authentication mechanisms. You agree to notify Metalium immediately upon becoming aware of any unauthorized use of your Account or any other breach of security.

Metalium shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your Account credentials. Any activity conducted through your Account, whether or not authorized by you, shall be deemed to have been conducted by you unless you have notified Metalium of the unauthorized access and Metalium has had a reasonable opportunity to act on such notification.

4.4 Single Account Policy

Each individual may maintain only one (1) Account on the Platform. The creation of multiple Accounts by the same individual is strictly prohibited and constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

5. Credit Balance

5.1 Nature of the Credit Balance

Your Credit Balance holds funds deposited with Metalium exclusively for the purpose of paying applicable platform service fees. Your Credit Balance is not a bank account, e-wallet, stored-value instrument, or payment product of any kind. It cannot be transferred to any other User, cannot be used to pay any other User, and does not accrue interest or any form of return. The actual exchange of value between Trade counterparties occurs independently and in person, outside the Platform. Metalium does not facilitate, process, or intermediate the payment between buyer and seller. Any portion of your deposited funds not consumed by fees is fully withdrawable upon request.

5.2 Depositing Funds

To deposit funds into your Credit Balance, you must transfer the corresponding amount in PKR to Metalium's designated bank account and upload proof of payment on the Platform. An administrator will review and either approve or reject each deposit request. Upon approval, the corresponding amount is reflected in your Credit Balance. The minimum deposit amount is Rs. 1,000 (one thousand Pakistani Rupees).

Metalium reserves the right to reject any deposit request at its sole discretion, including but not limited to cases where the proof of payment is unclear, the transfer cannot be verified, or the request is associated with suspicious activity.

5.3 Withdrawal of Unallocated Funds

You may request a withdrawal of your unallocated Credit Balance at any time. "Unallocated funds" means your total Credit Balance minus any amounts held due to ongoing disputes or pending investigations. Withdrawal requests are processed via bank transfer to the Account holder's registered bank account.

Metalium shall process withdrawal requests within a reasonable timeframe. Metalium reserves the right to delay or withhold withdrawals where there is reasonable suspicion of fraud, where required by law, or where the User's Account is subject to investigation.

5.4 Credit Balance is Non-Transferable

Your Credit Balance exists solely as an allocation for platform services, including applicable trade commissions and cancellation fees. It cannot be sent to, shared with, or applied to the Account of any other User under any circumstances.

6. How Trading Works

6.1 Supported Metals

Metalium supports the trading of Gold, Silver, and Copper. Gold and Silver are measured in tolas. Copper is measured in kilograms.

6.2 Listings

Sellers create Listings specifying the metal type, quantity, pricing mode, location, pickup availability, and listing duration. By creating a Listing, you represent and warrant that you have the legal right and present ability to buy or sell the metal at the quantity and price stated. Misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive Listings are strictly prohibited and constitute a material breach of these Terms.

Metalium may limit the number of active Listings you may maintain at any time. Metalium reserves the right to remove, suspend, or modify any Listing at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to policy violations, suspicious activity, market integrity concerns, or administrative discretion, without prior notice and without liability to the User.

6.3 Trade Initiation and Confirmation

Buyers browse the marketplace, select a Listing, and initiate a Trade by specifying their desired quantity. Before confirming any Trade, the Platform displays the full trade value and all applicable fees. No obligation is created until both parties explicitly confirm the Trade.

Once a buyer initiates a Trade, the seller has a limited window to accept or decline. If the seller does not respond within the allotted time, the Trade request expires automatically.

6.4 Commission on Trade Acceptance

Commission is charged on trade acceptance from both buyer and seller. No security deposit is required. The applicable commission rate is tiered based on trade value and is displayed to both parties before confirmation.

6.5 Security Deposit Protection

Sellers may optionally enable security deposit protection on their Listings, where available. When enabled, both the buyer and seller are required to place a security deposit from their Credit Balance at the time of trade acceptance. The security deposit amount is determined by the Platform and is disclosed to both parties before trade confirmation.

Security deposits are held by Metalium for the duration of the Active Trade and are returned to both parties upon successful trade completion. In the event of a Dispute, deposits may be forfeited, partially or fully, by the party found at fault, as determined by Metalium's administrative team pursuant to Section 8.

6.6 In-Person Exchange

Following trade acceptance, the buyer and seller coordinate via the Platform's in-app chat to arrange an in-person exchange of metal for payment. The actual exchange of metal for cash takes place directly between the buyer and the seller, outside the Platform. Metalium does not handle, process, or intermediate the payment between counterparties. Metalium strongly recommends that all in-person exchanges take place in public, well-lit locations during daylight hours.

6.7 Trade Completion

After the in-person exchange, both parties must independently confirm completion on the Platform. Once both confirmations are received, the Trade is marked complete.

A Trade is considered final upon completion. Once a Trade is marked complete by both parties, it cannot be reversed, reopened, or disputed through the Platform.

7. Cancellations

7.1 Mutual Cancellation

Either party to an Active Trade may request cancellation. Cancellation requires the explicit agreement of both parties. Escalating cancellation fees apply as follows:

7.2 Unilateral Cancellation

You cannot unilaterally cancel a Trade without the other party's consent. If you wish to exit a Trade and the other party does not agree to cancellation, your sole recourse is to raise a Dispute pursuant to Section 8.

8. Disputes and Resolution

8.1 Raising a Dispute

Either party may raise a Dispute at any time during an Active Trade. If a Trade is not completed within twenty-four (24) hours of acceptance, a Dispute is automatically opened by the Platform and escalated to the administrative team for review.

8.2 Account Restrictions During Disputes

When a Dispute is opened, whether manually or automatically, both parties' Accounts are temporarily restricted. Neither party may create new Listings, initiate new Trades, or request withdrawals until the Dispute is resolved.

8.3 Review Process

Metalium's administrative team reviews every Dispute thoroughly, examining trade details, in-app chat logs, transaction history, identity records, and any other relevant evidence. The review is conducted at Metalium's sole discretion and is not subject to external audit or appeal.

8.4 Outcomes

8.5 Finality

All dispute resolutions rendered by Metalium's administrative team are final and binding within the Platform and are not subject to further review through the Platform. Metalium's administrative team acts as the arbiter of all trade disputes conducted on the Platform. Nothing in this Section limits any right you may have under the applicable laws of Pakistan that cannot lawfully be excluded.

9. Trade Expiry

If a Trade is not completed within twenty-four (24) hours of acceptance, a Dispute is automatically opened. Both Accounts are frozen, all active Listings are paused, and an administrator is notified for review. Accounts are unfrozen and Listings are reactivated once the matter is resolved.

10. Fees and Charges

10.1 Trade Commission

Metalium charges a tiered commission upon the acceptance of a Trade. This fee is deducted from both the buyer's and the seller's Credit Balance at the moment of trade acceptance. The exact commission is always displayed to both parties before Trade confirmation. No Trade is consummated without both parties having full visibility into the applicable fee.

10.2 Cancellation Fees

Cancellation fees apply when both parties mutually agree to cancel an Active Trade, as described in Section 7. These fees are deducted from each party's Credit Balance.

10.3 Fee Transparency

All applicable fees are presented to you before you commit to any action. There are no undisclosed charges on the Platform beyond the fees described in these Terms.

11. Referral Program

Metalium may offer a referral program that allows existing Users to invite others to the Platform. Upon a successful referral, both the referring User and the referred User may receive a credit bonus to their Credit Balance, as determined by Metalium at its sole discretion.

Self-referrals are prohibited. You may not refer yourself using a secondary Account, email address, or identity. Abuse of the referral program, including but not limited to creating fake accounts, manipulating referral codes, or engaging in any form of referral fraud, constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate Account termination and forfeiture of all referral credits.

Metalium reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the referral program at any time, with or without notice, and to revoke any referral credits that were obtained through fraudulent or abusive means.

12. Free Trial

Metalium may offer a free trial that allows new Users to create a limited number of Trades without maintaining a Credit Balance, subject to quantity limits set by Metalium. The free trial is offered at Metalium's sole discretion and may be modified, limited, or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

Free trial limits are tracked per Account and per metal type. Once free trial limits are exhausted, you must maintain a sufficient Credit Balance to cover applicable fees before creating or accepting any further Trades. Abuse of the free trial through multiple Accounts or any other means is strictly prohibited.

13. Prohibited Conduct

You agree that you shall not, directly or indirectly:

Violation of this Section may result in immediate and permanent suspension of your Account and forfeiture of any funds held on the Platform, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies available to Metalium under these Terms or applicable law.

14. Limitation of Liability

14.1 Role of the Platform

Metalium acts solely as a facilitator of peer-to-peer trades. The Platform provides dispute resolution, identity verification, and a secure trading environment, but Metalium is not a party to any Trade conducted between Users. The actual exchange of metals for payment occurs directly between counterparties, outside the Platform. By using the Platform, you acknowledge and agree to each of the following limitations.

14.2 No Guarantee of Metal Quality

Metalium does not inspect, certify, assay, or guarantee the quality, purity, weight, authenticity, legality, or fitness for any purpose of any metal traded on the Platform. It is your sole responsibility to verify these attributes during the in-person exchange. Metalium makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the condition, legality, origin, or suitability of any metal listed or traded.

14.3 No Liability for In-Person Exchanges

Metalium is not directly liable for any loss, injury, damage, or claim of any kind arising from in-person meetups between Users, including but not limited to theft, robbery, assault, intimidation, misrepresentation, property damage, personal injury, or death. You are strongly advised to meet in public, well-lit locations during daylight hours and to exercise reasonable caution during all in-person exchanges.

14.4 Exclusion of Damages

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Metalium shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind arising from or related to your use of or inability to use the Platform, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of data, loss of goodwill, or any other intangible losses, regardless of whether such damages were foreseeable, whether Metalium was advised of the possibility of such damages, and regardless of the legal theory upon which the claim is based (including contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, warranty, or otherwise).

14.5 Force Majeure

Metalium shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under these Terms caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, pandemics, acts of God, war, armed conflict, civil unrest, riots, terrorism, government actions, sanctions, regulatory changes, changes in law, court orders, internet outages, power failures, telecommunications failures, banking system disruptions, cyberattacks, or any other force majeure event.

14.6 User Conduct

Metalium is not liable for any actions, omissions, representations, or conduct of any User, whether on or off the Platform. Each User is independently and solely responsible for their own actions, decisions, and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

14.7 Aggregate Liability Cap

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Metalium's total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims, losses, damages, or causes of action arising from or related to these Terms or your use of the Platform, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, warranty, or any other legal or equitable theory, shall not exceed the lesser of: (a) the total amount of Service Fees actually paid by you to Metalium in the forty-five (45) days immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or (b) ten thousand Pakistani Rupees (Rs. 10,000).

14.8 Exhaustion of Remedies via Dispute Resolution

Once a Dispute has been resolved by the administrative team, Metalium's obligation to both parties in relation to that Trade is fully and finally discharged. You acknowledge and agree that the dispute resolution process described in Section 8 constitutes the sole and exclusive remedy available to you through the Platform for any claim arising from that Trade. By accepting or being bound by the outcome of a resolved Dispute, you irrevocably waive any and all further claims against Metalium relating to that Trade, whether under these Terms, in tort, in equity, or under any other legal theory, to the maximum extent such waiver is permitted by applicable law.

14.9 Time Limitation on Claims

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any claim, action, or proceeding arising from or related to your use of the Platform or these Terms must be commenced within forty-five (45) days of the date on which the event giving rise to such claim first occurred. Any claim not commenced within this forty-five (45) day period is barred to the fullest extent the law allows, and you waive and release any right to bring such claim. You acknowledge that this limitation period is reasonable and sufficient.

14.10 Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Metalium expressly disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, reliability, completeness, and any warranties arising from course of dealing, usage of trade, or course of performance. Metalium does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, error-free, or free from viruses, malware, or other harmful components.

14.11 Savings Clause

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit any liability that cannot be lawfully excluded or limited under the applicable laws of Pakistan. To the extent that any provision of this Section 14 is held to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Metalium, its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, proceedings, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs) arising from or related to: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your breach of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (d) your violation of the rights of any third party; (e) any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Platform; (f) any Trade in which you are a party; or (g) your conduct during any in-person exchange.

This indemnification obligation shall survive the termination or expiration of these Terms and the closure of your Account.

16. Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform, including but not limited to the name "Metalium," all logos, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, interface design, layout, text, graphics, images, icons, software, code, and documentation, is the exclusive property of Metalium or its licensors and is protected by the intellectual property laws of Pakistan and applicable international treaties.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform solely for its intended purpose and in accordance with these Terms. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, transmit, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Platform content without Metalium's prior written consent.

17. Modifications to These Terms

Metalium reserves the right to modify, amend, or replace these Terms at any time and at its sole discretion. When we make material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Platform at least seven (7) days before the revised Terms take effect.

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Platform and close your Account before the revised Terms take effect.

18. Account Termination

18.1 Voluntary Closure

You may close your Account at any time by contacting our support team. Upon closure, any remaining unallocated funds in your Credit Balance will be returned to you via bank transfer, subject to the resolution of all Active Trades, open Disputes, and any pending investigations.

18.2 Termination by Metalium

Metalium reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate your Account at any time, with or without prior notice, and with or without cause, for conduct that Metalium, in its sole discretion, determines: (a) violates these Terms; (b) is harmful to other Users or third parties; (c) is fraudulent, deceptive, or illegal; (d) poses a risk to the security or integrity of the Platform; or (e) is otherwise inappropriate.

18.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to access and use the Platform ceases immediately. Metalium may, at its sole discretion, forfeit any funds associated with your Account if termination is due to a material breach of these Terms, fraud, or prohibited conduct. Sections that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to Sections 14 (Limitation of Liability), 15 (Indemnification), 16 (Intellectual Property), and 20 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction).

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, while preserving the original intent of the parties to the greatest extent possible.

20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Pakistan, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising from or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform that cannot be resolved through Metalium's internal dispute resolution process shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Pakistan. You irrevocably consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any objection based on inconvenient forum or lack of jurisdiction.

21. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other policies or guidelines published on the Platform, constitute the entire agreement between you and Metalium with respect to your use of the Platform. These Terms supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, representations, understandings, and agreements, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter hereof.

22. Waiver

The failure of Metalium to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective only if in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Metalium.

23. Assignment

You may not assign, transfer, or delegate your rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of Metalium. Metalium may freely assign, transfer, or delegate its rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction and without notice to you.

24. Contact

For questions, concerns, or inquiries regarding these Terms, please reach out through the Platform's support page or any other official support channel. We aim to respond to every inquiry promptly.