Under what circumstances is FreedomPay not responsible for downtime of FreedomPay's systems for a Crowne Plaza hotel?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
FREEDOMPAY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR FREEDOMPAY'S SYSTEMS DOWNTIME RESULTING FROM OFFLINE MODE BEING DISABLED, OR FOR ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSED BY HOTEL'S INTERNAL NETWORK OR SYSTEMS, CAUSING SUCH SYSTEMS TO GO OFFLINE, AND FREEDOMPAY'S SERVICE LEVELS WILL BE DEEMED NOT IMPACTED IN ANY WAY BY SUCH DOWNTIME.
FOR CLARITY, IF OFFLINE MODE IS DISABLED, HOTEL WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY REFUNDS OF FEES, AND FREEDOMPAY'S WARRANTIES ARE VOIDED.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 100–424)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza FDD, FreedomPay outlines specific situations where they will not be held responsible for downtime of their systems. These disclaimers of liability are related to certain actions taken by or on behalf of the Crowne Plaza hotel.
FreedomPay is not responsible for downtime if the offline mode is disabled or if the downtime is caused by issues with the hotel's internal network or systems. In these cases, FreedomPay's service levels will be deemed unaffected by the downtime. The FDD emphasizes that if offline mode is disabled, the Crowne Plaza hotel will not be eligible for any refunds of fees, and FreedomPay's warranties are voided.
This means that Crowne Plaza franchisees need to ensure their internal network and systems are robust and reliable to avoid system downtime, as FreedomPay will not be liable for issues arising from these sources. Additionally, franchisees should carefully consider the implications of disabling offline mode, as this could lead to a complete inability to accept credit card transactions during a FreedomPay gateway outage, with no recourse for refunds or warranty claims.