Terms of service
The deal, stated plainly: what we promise, what we can't control, and how money moves. If anything here surprises you after reading the rest of the site, we've written something wrong, tell us.
What we do
One service: obtaining a U.S. Department of State apostille for a digitally-issued FBI Identity History Summary. We check your PDF, prepare the request paperwork, submit it in person in Washington, D.C., and ship the apostilled document back to you by tracked carrier. We don't handle other document types, embassy legalization, or translations.
The pre-check, and when you're charged
Every document is verified before submission. In the standard flow, we check your PDF first and you pay only after it clears. In the fast-track flow, you pay upfront and we verify immediately. If your document doesn't pass our check, you get a full refund before anything is submitted. Either way: no document goes to the Department of State without passing verification.
What "verified" means: we confirm your file is the correct, unaltered, current FBI Identity History Summary and that your destination qualifies for an apostille. This is our own internal check against the rejection reasons we see most often, based on our current knowledge, not a legal review of your document or a pre-clearance from the Department of State. Passing it doesn't guarantee they'll accept your submission — see the next section for what happens on the rare occasion they don't.
What we can't control
The Department of State's processing queue. Turnaround estimates we give you are honest estimates based on current conditions, not guarantees: the government's timeline is theirs, not ours. Please don't book travel or visa appointments against the earliest possible date.
If the government rejects a submission
It's rare once a document has passed our verification, but it can happen. If it does, we'll tell you the stated reason the same day we learn it, and work out the fix with you directly: whether that's a corrected resubmission or a refund. We'd rather resolve it person-to-person than hide behind fine print.
Shipping and liability
Return shipping is by tracked carrier, and our liability for a lost or damaged shipment is capped at the carrier's insured value plus what you paid us. We're not liable for consequential losses (a missed visa appointment, a changed travel date, a job start) regardless of cause. This is standard for document services, and it's also why we say: build slack into your timeline.
The same cap applies to the period before your document ships: while it's in a courier's physical possession, from drop-off through pickup at the Department of State, our liability for loss, theft, or damage is limited to what you paid us for that order, and we don't cover consequential losses there either. We take that custody seriously (our couriers are bound by their own confidentiality and handling agreement with us), but the financial cap is the same one that applies to shipping.
If you chose scan-only delivery, no physical shipment happens at all. A high-resolution scan is sent to you digitally, and the same liability terms above don't apply to it (there's no carrier, so nothing to insure against loss in transit; if a scan is lost or corrupted on our end, we'll re-issue it from the physical original at no charge). We hold that physical original for at least 6 months from pickup, during which you can request it shipped to you for an added fee. If you haven't requested it within 18 months, we may securely destroy it, since the apostille itself was already delivered to you digitally.
Limits on our liability
To the fullest extent the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim arising from your order, whatever the reason and however it's brought, is capped at the amount you paid us for that order. We're not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost income or a missed opportunity, even if we knew they were possible. This cap doesn't apply to liability that can't legally be limited, such as our own gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Beyond what's stated on this page, we don't make any other promise or warranty about this service, express or implied.
Your part
You confirm the document is your own (or you're authorized to act for the person named on it), the information you give us is accurate, and the apostille is for a lawful purpose. Knowingly altered or fraudulent documents end the order immediately, without refund, full stop.
By submitting a request, you authorize Pouch & Seal and any assigned couriers or individuals to prepare and submit the U.S. Department of State's DS-4194 request form on your behalf, pay the government's authentication fee from the payment you provide, and retrieve or receive the completed apostille and ship or deliver it back to you.
If a third party brings a claim against us arising from your inaccurate, fraudulent, or unauthorized use of this service, you agree to cover our reasonable costs of defending it, including attorney's fees. This doesn't apply to claims caused by our own mistake.
The boring-but-real parts
We're an independent private service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the FBI or the U.S. Department of State. These terms are governed by Maryland law. If we ever update these terms, orders already in progress finish under the version you agreed to.
This service is operated by Cupola LLC, a Maryland limited liability company.
This is a pre-launch draft. Right now, Pouch & Seal is a private MVP: no orders are being taken and no payment is collected, so nothing on this page is binding on anyone yet. It's published early so you can see the deal before it's real.
Questions
Reach out any time at privacy@pouchandseal.com, before an order or after.