Terms of service

Important Notice

elife Inc. is not a medical institution. All medical consultations, prescriptions and dispensing are performed by physicians at our partner medical institutions.

elife provides a platform: a communication system that connects physicians and patients.

Online consultations are intended only to complement in-person care. We ask physicians to treat in-person care as the foundation of their practice and to combine it, as appropriate, with text chat, video chat and other online tools.

Article 1 (Scope of Application)

1. These Terms of Service (hereinafter the "Terms") set forth the conditions under which elife Inc. (hereinafter "elife") provides the Service (as defined in Article 2), and the rights and obligations between elife and users of the Service (hereinafter "Users") concerning its use. These Terms apply to every aspect of the relationship between elife and any User who receives medical care from a medical institution through the Service.
2. Explanations, Q&As, articles and other materials published by elife outside these Terms (hereinafter the "Supplementary Rules"), whatever their title, form part of these Terms. If these Terms and the Supplementary Rules conflict, the Supplementary Rules prevail, unless the Supplementary Rules expressly state that these Terms take precedence.
3. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed to comply with these Terms.
4. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed to receive online consultations (meaning medical care provided through information and communication devices; the same applies hereinafter).
5. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed that the physician will not send the prescription.
6. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed that no receipt will be issued.
7. When receiving an online consultation through the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed that the consultation may be audio- and video-recorded for quality improvement and similar purposes.
8. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed to receive communications by SMS, email and other means regarding consultations, payments and promotions.

Article 2 (Definitions)

1. "Registered Physician" means a physician who belongs to a Registered Medical Institution, is registered with the Service, and provides medical care, prescribes medication and performs related services.
2. "Registered Medical Institution" means a medical institution or other legal entity registered with the Service that provides medical care, prescribes medication and performs related services.
3. "Agreement" means the agreement under which, in accordance with these Terms, elife provides the Service to the User, and the User pays the Service Fees, etc. to elife and the Registered Medical Institution.
4. "Service" means the online medical consultation platform planned and operated by elife under the name "elife".
5. "Service Usage Fee" means the consideration for using the Service.
6. "Service Fees, etc." means the Service Usage Fee, together with the medical fees charged by the Registered Medical Institution, the price of medication, and shipping fees.
7. "Site" means https://elife.clinic and any other website through which elife provides the Service to Users.
8. "User" means an individual who receives medical care or related services from a Registered Medical Institution through the Service.

Article 3 (User Registration)

1. Users shall use the Service in person and of their own free will.
2. To use the Service, Users shall register as a user in the manner specified on the Site. The Agreement is concluded upon completion of user registration.
3. Users may use the Service through the account created at registration. Each person may hold only one account. Even after registration is complete, elife may refuse to provide the Service if a User falls under any of the following. elife bears no liability for such refusal and has no obligation to explain its reasons.
   1. The User does not consent to, or does not attend, an in-person consultation that a Registered Physician has instructed in accordance with laws and regulations and as necessary, or otherwise fails to follow a Registered Physician's necessary instructions.
   2. There is a risk that the User will violate these Terms, or it is found that the User has violated them in the past.
   3. The User provided false information to elife at registration, or failed to provide important information.
   4. elife otherwise determines that it is inappropriate for the User to use the Service.
4. Users bear full responsibility for the information they register on the Service. elife, Registered Physicians and Registered Medical Institutions bear no liability for any damage to a User caused by incorrect information registered by that User.
5. Users shall themselves change, add or delete their registered information as necessary to use the Service, and are responsible for keeping it accurate at all times. elife provides the Service on the basis of the information registered by the User. elife bears no liability for any damage to a User caused by information that is false, incorrect or not kept up to date.

Article 4 (Promotional Emails)

1. elife may send Users emails, including advertising and promotional information from elife, its business partners and partner medical institutions. Users consent in advance to receiving such emails.
2. If a User registers, before or after receiving them and in the manner specified by elife, that they do not wish to receive such information, elife will stop sending it, except where necessary to provide the Service.

Article 5 (Medical Care)

1. In the Service, "medical care" means examination and diagnosis of the User by a Registered Physician, and prescription of medication and advice suited to the User's health condition. "Online consultation" means medical care provided through information and communication devices.
2. After completing registration, Users may request an online consultation appointment with a Registered Medical Institution in the manner specified by elife. The appointment is concluded between the Registered Medical Institution and the User when the institution accepts the request. If a User cannot attend, they may cancel the appointment in the manner specified by elife. elife does not guarantee that Users will be able to receive care from a Registered Physician. An appointment may be cancelled if the Registered Physician or Registered Medical Institution determines that it cannot provide care.
3. When receiving medical care through the Service, Users must provide the Registered Physician in charge with information about their health condition, symptoms, constitution and any other information relevant to their care, as specified on the Site or instructed by that physician. elife, Registered Physicians and Registered Medical Institutions bear no liability if a Registered Physician is unable to provide appropriate care because the User did not provide sufficient information.
4. To protect their privacy, Users must attend online consultations from a space that is physically isolated from others.
5. A Registered Physician may discontinue care for their own reasons. In that case, the User will receive care and prescriptions from another Registered Physician. elife bears no liability for a Registered Physician's discontinuation of care.
6. Users who have not previously received in-person care may not be able to receive online care through the Site.
7. elife does not guarantee that use of the Service will cure the User's illness or condition or bring their treatment to an end.
8. Users shall promptly visit a medical institution if requested to do so by a Registered Physician or Registered Medical Institution during an online consultation, or if they experience side effects or any other abnormality after an online consultation.
9. All medical care and prescriptions for Users are provided by the Registered Physician in charge or the Registered Medical Institution to which that physician belongs. elife bears no liability whatsoever for these acts.
10. Any inquiries, complaints, claims or disputes arising from the medical care agreement between a User and a Registered Physician or Registered Medical Institution shall be resolved between the User, the Registered Medical Institution and its Registered Physician. elife has no legal obligation regarding such disputes.
11. Users agree that they have understood the information on each product and medication page and consent to receiving medical care and prescriptions through the Service.
12. Users agree to understand and comply with the following when using the Service to receive medical care and prescriptions:
    1. Be aware that using the Service's system involves security risks.
    2. Before an online consultation, make sure the application and operating system they use are kept up to date.
    3. Do not record audio or video of, or take photos or screenshots of, a video call without the physician's consent.
    4. Do not share the physician's account or other information with any third party not involved in their care.
    5. Do not allow any third party to join while communicating with the physician.
    6. Do not initiate calls from the patient side when using the Service.
    7. Unless the physician requests it, and never against the physician's instructions, do not use the chat function or send files. In particular, do not send chat messages that direct to external URLs, as these carry a high security risk.
    8. For a first-visit online consultation, verify their identity with photo ID. Users without photo ID must verify their identity with two or more forms of ID.

Article 6 (Security Measures)

1. elife works to strengthen the security of its system, including encryption of all communications, a highly confidential online consultation environment, minimizing the risk of information leaks, and account lockout to prevent unauthorized login.
2. elife does not guarantee that the Service will operate correctly on the User's device and environment, or that it is free of security-related defects, errors, bugs or other flaws.
3. Users shall, at their own responsibility and expense, prepare the environment necessary to use the Service (hardware, software, internet connection, security, etc.). To protect the security of User data, elife implements information security measures covering the infrastructure, network, applications and data related to the Service.
4. Users are responsible for managing their IDs, passwords and similar credentials for the Service, and the authentication information of the hardware they use to access it (including biometric data and PINs on smartphones and other devices), so that no third party learns or uses them. If a User suffers damage because their ID, password or similar credentials became known to a third party through the User's intent or negligence, the User bears that damage, and elife bears no liability.

Article 7 (Management of User ID and Password)

1. Users shall manage and keep their User ID and password issued by elife at their own responsibility, and shall not allow any third party to use them, nor lend, transfer, change the holder of, or sell them. If the User ID and password entered on the Service match those registered with elife, elife will deem that the Service was used by the User registered as their holder.
2. Users bear responsibility for any damage caused by insufficient management of their User ID or password, errors in their use, or use by a third party. elife bears no liability.
3. If a User finds that their User ID or password has been leaked or is being used by a third party, the User shall notify elife immediately and follow elife's instructions. elife bears no liability for any damage the User suffers in such a case, except where elife acted with intent or gross negligence.

Article 8 (Account Closure)

1. Users may terminate the Agreement and close their account at any time by contacting elife Customer Support.
2. Even after account closure, orders for which payment has already been completed cannot be cancelled or refunded.
3. After account closure, elife may delete all or part of the User's information. However, medical records are kept by the medical institution for at least 5 years as required by law. Although medical records are retained, for operational reasons it is not possible to access them again from an account that has been deleted.

Article 9 (Fees)

1. Users shall pay the Service Fees, etc. to elife.
2. Users agree that either (1) the Registered Medical Institution assigns to elife its claims for medical fees, for the price of medication, and for reimbursement of shipping fees advanced, or (2) elife receives medical fees, the price of medication and shipping fees on behalf of the Registered Medical Institution. elife itself does not provide medical care or sell medication.
3. As a general rule, any Service Fees, etc. that can be determined in advance are shown on the Site. However, because the care provided and its cost vary with each User's health condition, the amount cannot be fully determined before the consultation.
4. Medications not listed on the Site cannot be provided through the Service, regardless of the Registered Medical Institution's judgment.
5. An online consultation with a Registered Medical Institution completes the consultation, prescription and dispensing just as a visit to an ordinary medical institution does. Therefore, once a prescription is finalized, medications cannot be returned, exchanged or cancelled. This does not apply to cancellation of a Subscription in accordance with the following Article.
6. Service Fees, etc. shall be paid by the credit card the User registered when using the Site. Credit card information is sent directly to the payment service provider. Users shall correct their registered credit card information immediately if it changes or contains errors. If a payment by the User's credit card fails even once, elife may suspend the User's use of the Service.

Article 10 (Subscriptions)

1. Users may choose a plan under which a set medication is delivered on a specific day each month (hereinafter a "Subscription").
2. A Subscription continues until the User cancels it in the specified manner. The product price, consultation fee, shipping fee and other charges for each delivery are charged at the specified times in accordance with the Subscription terms. A failed payment does not, by itself, cancel the Subscription automatically. elife may retry the charge on the registered payment method. If the payment information has changed, contains errors or has any other problem, the User shall promptly update it to a valid payment method and pay any outstanding charges. If payments continue to fail for a certain period, elife may suspend or cancel the Subscription after notifying the User.
3. Users who chose a Subscription may return the product and cancel the Subscription free of charge by submitting a cancellation request from "Subscription Management" on My Page no later than 2 days before the next payment date. However, if a plan with a minimum number of deliveries is cancelled before that minimum is reached, the User must pay the difference between the regular price and the discounted price. (If no regular price is shown, the price charged from the second month or second delivery onward is used to calculate the difference. If you cannot find this information, please contact us.)
4. Some medications require regular consultations. If the User does not attend a consultation we have notified them of, the Subscription is cancelled automatically.
5. For plans whose first-delivery price is discounted from the regular price, a minimum number of deliveries may be set as a condition of the discount. If the User cancels the Subscription before reaching that minimum, the difference between the regular price and the discounted price will be charged to the User's registered credit card at the time of cancellation. The minimum number of deliveries, first-delivery price and regular price are shown on the product page and on the final order confirmation screen. However, no difference will be charged if continuing the Subscription becomes difficult because the product is out of stock or for other reasons attributable to elife or its partner institutions. (If no regular price is shown, the price charged from the second month or second delivery onward is used to calculate the difference. If you cannot find this information, please contact us.)

Article 11 (Prohibited Acts and Damages)

1. Users are prohibited from the following acts:
   1. Registering false information or impersonating another person.
   2. Providing false information to elife, Registered Medical Institutions or Registered Physicians.
   3. Using the Service for the purpose of obtaining medical care for another person or transferring medication to another person.
   4. Seeking to obtain an unfair benefit for themselves or a third party in connection with the Service.
   5. Infringing the intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights or interests of elife, Registered Medical Institutions, Registered Physicians or any third party.
   6. Sending information containing computer viruses or other harmful computer programs.
   7. Defaming or damaging the reputation of elife, Registered Medical Institutions, Registered Physicians or any third party.
   8. Transferring information obtained through the Service to a third party beyond the purpose of using the Service, or for commercial purposes.
   9. Acts contrary to public order and morals, or providing such information to a third party.
   10. Criminal acts or acts connected to criminal acts, or acts that are, or may be, contrary to the facts.
   11. Any act that violates laws or regulations.
   12. Using the Service for any purpose other than receiving medical care.
   13. Interfering with the operation of the Service.
   14. Any other act that elife determines makes it difficult to continue providing the Service to the User.
2. If a User violates any provision of these Terms and causes damage to elife, the User shall compensate elife for that damage.

Article 12 (Change or Deletion of Information, Termination of the Agreement, etc.)

1. If any of the following occurs with respect to a User, elife may take the measures in paragraph 2 of this Article without prior notice to the User:
   1. False registration or impersonation occurs, or there is a risk of it. Using the Service through false registration or impersonation is prohibited by law. elife provides the Service on the basis of the information entered by Users. Using the Service through false registration or impersonation deceives elife into providing the Service and may constitute fraud (Article 246(1) of the Penal Code). It also obstructs elife's business and may constitute obstruction of business by fraudulent means (Article 233 of the Penal Code), both of which are punishable. Impersonation is also prohibited by Article 3 of the Act on the Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access and is punishable under Article 11 of that Act. elife also prohibits providing false information when using the Service (Article 11.1(1)). False registration and use under impersonation further constitute seeking an unfair benefit (Article 11.1(4)) and interfering with the operation of the Service (Article 11.1(13)), and are prohibited. If such acts are discovered, elife will suspend the User's use of the Service (the following Article). [Translator's note: the cross-reference "the following Article" (次条) points to Article 13, which concerns service suspension generally; paragraph 2 of this Article is likely intended.]
   2. Resale or transfer to a third party occurs, or there is a risk of it. Selling medication as a business requires a license, and reselling or transferring medication without a license is prohibited by Article 24(1) of the Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, and is punishable (Article 84(9) of the same Act). elife also prohibits using the Service to obtain medical care for another person or to transfer medication to another person (Article 11.1(3)). Accordingly, if resale or transfer of medication delivered through the Service is discovered, elife will suspend the User's use of the Service.
   3. The User violates these Terms, or there is a risk that they will.
   4. elife determines that the User's use of the Service is inappropriate.
   5. elife determines that the User's use of the Service interferes with its operation.
2. In any of the cases in the preceding paragraph, elife may take the following measures without prior notice to the User. elife has no obligation to explain to the User its reasons for taking them.
   1. Changing or deleting all or part of the information the User registered on the Service.
   2. Terminating the Agreement and suspending the User's use of the Service accordingly, or deleting the User's registration.
   3. Any other measures elife deems necessary.

Article 13 (Suspension and Termination of the Service)

1. elife may suspend or terminate the Service without prior notice to, or consent from, Users in any of the following cases:
   1. Regular or emergency maintenance or updates of the systems used to operate the Service.
   2. Provision of the Service becomes difficult due to force majeure, such as virus damage, fire, power outage or natural disaster.
   3. Measures are needed to address a system malfunction caused by the intentional or negligent act of a third party.
   4. Operation of the Service becomes difficult due to the enactment or amendment of laws or regulations.
   5. elife otherwise determines that suspension or termination of the Service is necessary.

Article 14 (Disclaimer)

1. elife makes no warranty as to the accuracy, usefulness, completeness or other qualities of information registered or posted on the Service by Users or others.
2. elife does not guarantee any of the following regarding use of the Service:
   1. That the Service will not be interrupted.
   2. That no errors will occur in the Service.
   3. That there will be no failures of communication lines or similar in connection with use of the Service.
   4. That content on the Site will not be copied without permission, damaged or altered.
   5. That the Site will not be subject to unauthorized access, hacking or other cyberattacks.
   6. That no other malfunction of communication equipment will occur.
   7. That the content of medical care by Registered Physicians is correct, or that medication will arrive on time (including delivery accidents or delays).
3. elife bears no liability for any damage suffered by Users in connection with the Service, including damage from elife changing, deleting or losing User information, changes to the content of the Service, suspension or termination of the Service, inability to use the Service, or data loss or device failure or damage resulting from use of the Service, except where elife acted with intent or gross negligence.
4. Changes to or deletion of User information, termination of the Agreement, changes to the Service, or suspension or termination of the Service do not affect any medical care agreement already concluded, or to be concluded under an existing appointment, between the User and a Registered Physician or the Registered Medical Institution to which that physician belongs.
5. Medical care is provided by Registered Physicians. elife bears no liability for the content of medical care. The Service is provided on the premise that Registered Physicians and Registered Medical Institutions comply with laws, regulations and guidelines on online medical care. elife does not guarantee that they will do so. For questions about whether an online consultation is suitable for you, or anything else, please check with the Registered Medical Institution in advance.
6. Whether or not it is related to use of the Service, if you notice anything unusual about your health, please see your nearest medical institution immediately, regardless of the Registered Medical Institution.

Article 15 (Exclusion of Anti-Social Forces)

1. Users represent and warrant that they do not fall under any of the following, and covenant that they will not fall under any of them in the future:
   1. Being an organized crime group (boryokudan), a member of such a group, a person for whom fewer than 5 years have passed since ceasing to be a member, a quasi-member, a company affiliated with such a group, a corporate racketeer (sokaiya), a racketeer disguised as a social or political movement, a specialized intellectual crime group, or any other person equivalent to the above (hereinafter collectively "Anti-Social Forces").
   2. Having a relationship deemed to involve the use of Anti-Social Forces, such as for the purpose of gaining an unfair benefit for themselves or a third party or causing damage to a third party.
   3. Having a relationship deemed to involve support for Anti-Social Forces, such as providing funds or other benefits.
   4. Having any other socially reprehensible relationship with Anti-Social Forces.
2. Users covenant that they will not, themselves or through a third party, engage in any of the following:
   1. Violent demands.
   2. Unreasonable demands beyond legal responsibility.
   3. Threatening behavior or use of violence in connection with transactions.
   4. Damaging the reputation of, or obstructing the business of, elife, other users or any third party by spreading rumors, using deception or using force.
   5. Any other act equivalent to the above.

Article 16 (Use of Information Provided)

1. Personal information in the Service is handled in accordance with elife's Privacy Policy. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed to comply with the Privacy Policy.
2. To the extent it does not include personal information as defined in elife's Privacy Policy, elife may make secondary use of registered information and information on use of the Service for any purpose. elife owns the intellectual property rights in such information.
3. Users agree that information they enter in order to receive services from a Registered Medical Institution through the Site, and other information related to their medical care, will be shared with the Registered Medical Institution.

Article 17 (Changes to these Terms)

1. elife may change these Terms at any time without Users' consent. Changes take effect from the revision date stated at the end of these Terms.
2. When elife changes these Terms, it will promptly post the revised Terms on the Site.

Article 18 (Assignment of Status)

1. Users may not assign, transfer, pledge as security or otherwise dispose of their rights or obligations under these Terms to any third party without elife's prior written consent.
2. If elife transfers the business related to the Service to a third party, elife may transfer to that third party its status, rights and obligations under the Agreement, together with Users' personal information and other information, and Users consent to such transfer in advance by this paragraph. A business transfer under this paragraph includes not only a business transfer but also a company split and any other case in which the business is transferred.

Article 19 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)

1. The Agreement, including the Service and these Terms, is governed by the laws of Japan. The Tokyo District Court has exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance over any dispute arising in connection with the Agreement, including the Service and these Terms.
2. If you discover any suspected violation of laws or these Terms in connection with use of the Service, please contact Customer Support promptly.

Supplementary Provisions

1. Our shop assumes that products are purchased for use by the purchaser personally. If we suspect that an order is placed for resale, we may contact you to confirm the order or decline it. Thank you for your understanding.
2. These Terms were originally written in Japanese. This English translation is provided for reference only. If there is any discrepancy between the Japanese and English versions, the Japanese version prevails.

Enacted: April 1, 2022 Revised: September 1, 2026