Terms of service

Last updated: 27 September 2026

These terms apply when you use HiveAlbum (hivealbum.com), operated by Matthew Cooke, a sole trader in the United Kingdom (“we”, “us”). By creating an account or sharing photos to an event, you agree to them. Questions: hello@hivealbum.com.

1. The service

HiveAlbum lets a host create a private event album. Guests the host invites (by link or QR code) can upload photos and videos, react and comment. The features, storage and time available depend on the event’s plan, as shown on our pricing.

2. Accounts

You must be 18 or over to create an account. Keep your password safe; you’re responsible for activity on your account. Guests don’t need an account.

3. Your content

You keep ownership of everything you upload. You give us permission to store, copy, convert (for example into web-friendly video) and show your content only as needed to run the event for its host and guests. This permission ends when the content is deleted.

You must only upload content you have the right to share. You must not upload anything illegal, abusive, sexually explicit, hateful, or that infringes someone’s copyright or privacy.

4. Hosts’ responsibilities

Share your event link and QR code only with people you want to have access.
Moderate your event: you can approve, hide or delete uploads and comments, and block guests.
Respect people’s wishes: if someone asks you to remove a photo of them or their child, please do.

5. Removing content and suspending accounts

We may remove content or suspend an account or event that breaks these terms or the law, or that puts HiveAlbum or others at risk. Where it’s reasonable, we’ll tell you why.

6. Plans and payment

Paid plans are a one-off payment per event, in pounds sterling, processed securely by Stripe. There is no subscription and nothing renews automatically.
Upgrading an event to a higher plan (for example Starter to Essentials, or Essentials to Premium) costs only the difference.
Any paid event can be kept open for a further 12 months with a one-off album extension (currently £19). Extensions can be bought as many times as you like, including after an album has closed but before it’s deleted.
When an event’s included period ends, the album closes to guests and is permanently deleted 30 days later. We email the host before both happen.

7. Cancellations and refunds

If you change your mind, email us within 14 days of paying and we’ll refund you in full, as long as your event hasn’t taken place yet and guests haven’t started uploading. Once guests are using the album, the service has been provided and the payment isn’t refundable, unless something went wrong on our side. Your statutory rights are not affected.

Photo prints and photo books are made to order from your own photos. After you order, you have 4 hours to change or cancel it under Prints → My orders, and each change you make gives you another 4 hours — cancelling in that time gets you a full refund. Once that time is up the order goes to print, and because it’s personalised and made just for you it can’t be cancelled or refunded (the usual 14-day cancellation right doesn’t apply to personalised goods). If anything arrives damaged, faulty or not as ordered, tell us and we’ll replace it or refund you. Extra pages added to a book in the 4 hours are charged at 50p each; pages taken out aren’t refunded. Your statutory rights are not affected.

Web addresses (like emmaandjames.com, with Premium) are registered in your name through our domain partner as soon as you’ve paid, so they can’t be cancelled or refunded once registered; if we can’t register one you’re refunded in full. Each is for one year. It renews automatically only if you switch on automatic renewal (when you buy it, or later in Settings): we then save your card with our payment provider and charge the yearly price 14 days before it expires, after emailing you a month before; you can switch it off at any time before the charge. Otherwise it doesn’t renew by itself — we remind you before it expires, and you choose whether to pay for another year. You can add years at any time. An address that isn’t renewed stops working when it expires and may be registered by someone else after the registry’s grace period. You can ask for its transfer code and move it to another provider at any time. Your details are shared with the domain registry as its owner, as the registry’s rules require.

8. Availability and your photos

We work hard to keep HiveAlbum available and your content safe, but we can’t guarantee the service will always be uninterrupted or error-free. Please download and keep your own copies of photos that matter to you. Every paid plan includes a one-click download of everything.

9. Liability

Nothing in these terms limits liability that can’t be limited by law (such as for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud). Otherwise, our total liability to you for an event is limited to the amount you paid for that event, and we’re not liable for indirect or unforeseeable losses.

10. Ending your use

You can delete your events at any time from your dashboard, or ask us to close your account by emailing hello@hivealbum.com.

11. Changes and law

We may update these terms. We’ll email hosts about important changes, and they won’t apply to events you’ve already paid for without your agreement. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.