Last updated: 08 December 2025These Support Terms and Conditions explain how the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) ("DCSA", "we", "us") provides access to and handles requests submitted through its support channels, including its Zendesk-based support platform (the "Support Services").Any reference in these Support Terms and Conditions to "DCSA" shall also include "DCSA Affiliates", meaning any entity that is directly or indirectly controlled by DCSA, including DCSA’s product subsidiaries and any other present or future entities under DCSA’s common ownership or control, and any successors or permitted assigns thereto. For the purposes of the foregoing, "control" means the direct or indirect power to direct the management or policies of an entity, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.These Support Terms and Conditions are intended to supplement, and do not replace, any applicable membership agreements, partnership agreements, product terms and conditions, or any other contractual arrangements you may have with DCSA or any DCSA Affiliates. If there is any conflict between these Support Terms and Conditions and any separate written agreement you have with DCSA or any DCSA Affiliates that expressly governs the Support Services, that separate agreement will prevail to the extent of the conflict.1. Who May Use DCSA SupportAccess to DCSA Support is restricted to Authorised Support Contacts ("ASCs") and other individuals expressly approved by DCSA.
ASC status is granted and may be withdrawn at DCSA’s discretion.
Access is personal and must not be shared.
Submission of a support request does not guarantee that the requester is authorised unless confirmed by DCSA.
DCSA reserves the right to verify identity and organisational affiliation before handling any request.2. Scope of SupportDCSA Support is intended to assist with:
Access to DCSA platforms, products and services
Technical and operational questions relating to DCSA standards
Onboarding and controlled implementation activities delivered as part of DCSA-operated platforms and programmes
Platform usage guidance for DCSA solutions
Incident reporting related to DCSA-managed systems
Where onboarding or implementation activities are provided via DCSA Support, these are limited to the scope defined by the applicable DCSA platform documentation, programme materials, or written agreement.3. Support Does Not IncludeDCSA Support does not include:
General IT support for your organisation
Commercial or contractual disputes between third parties
Support for third-party systems not operated by DCSA
Unscoped consultancy, bespoke development, or implementation services beyond those expressly offered as part of a DCSA platform, programme, or written agreement
Legal, regulatory, or business advisory services
DCSA may decline requests that fall outside the defined scope of Support Services.4. Service Level Targets (Non-Binding)DCSA may publish support service level targets from time to time for operational transparency and continuous improvement purposes.These targets may include, for example:
Initial response time objectives
Update frequency objectives
Target resolution time ranges
Any such targets:
Are non-binding operational objectives only
Do not constitute contractual commitments
Do not create service guarantees, warranties, or entitlements
May vary by product, platform, user type, or programme
May be updated by DCSA from time to time without notice
5. No Guaranteed Service LevelsUnless expressly agreed in a separate written agreement, DCSA does not guarantee reaction times, resolution times, availability, or service levels for Support Services.DCSA is not responsible for unavailability or delays caused by third-party service providers, internet service providers, or factors beyond DCSA’s reasonable control.Any contractual service levels that may apply to you are governed solely by your separate written agreements with DCSA, if applicable.6. Disclaimers; Limitation of Liability6.1 No warranties. The Support Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, DCSA disclaims all warranties and conditions, whether express, implied, or statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, and uninterrupted or error-free service. Any guidance or information provided through DCSA Support is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, or business advice.6.2 Exclusion of indirect losses. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, DCSA will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profit, revenue, goodwill, business opportunity, anticipated savings, data (except to the extent caused by DCSA’s breach of its obligations under applicable data protection law), or business interruption, arising out of or in connection with the Support Services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.6.3 Liability cap. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, DCSA’s aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Support Services will not exceed EUR 5,000. Where you have a separate written agreement with DCSA that includes liability provisions applicable to the Support Services, those provisions will prevail to the extent of any inconsistency.6.4 Mandatory law. Nothing in these Support Terms and Conditions limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.7. User ResponsibilitiesGrant of rights. You grant DCSA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right to use, reproduce, display, and process the information you submit through DCSA Support solely to provide, maintain, and improve the Support Services and DCSA-operated platforms and programmes.When using DCSA Support, you agree to:
Provide accurate, complete, and current information
Use the Support Services only for legitimate business purposes
Not misuse the Support Services or submit excessive, abusive, or malicious requests
Not attempt to bypass authorisation controls or access restrictions
Maintain appropriate confidentiality when sharing information
DCSA may suspend or revoke access where misuse or abuse is identified.8. Platform-Specific TermsCertain DCSA products, platforms or services may be subject to additional platform-specific terms, including but not limited to:
Identity Exchange (IE)
OVS Hub
Other DCSA-operated platforms
Where applicable, those terms apply in addition to these Support Terms and Conditions.9. Data Protection, Security, Data Residency and Retention9.1 Roles. To the extent DCSA processes personal data submitted through DCSA Support, DCSA will act as controller for such processing, unless otherwise agreed in writing for a specific DCSA product, platform, or service. DCSA may use service providers (including Zendesk and other sub-processors) to process such data on DCSA’s behalf.9.2 Privacy Notices. Personal data submitted through DCSA Support will be processed for the purpose of providing the Support Services and related administration, security, and quality assurance, in accordance with the DCSA Privacy Notices (and any platform-specific privacy notices, where applicable):
9.3 Data residency and transfers. DCSA will host and process data submitted through DCSA Support within the European Economic Area ("EEA"). Limited ancillary processing outside the EEA may occur only where strictly necessary for security, redundancy, or support operations. Any such processing will comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") and, where applicable, will be subject to appropriate transfer safeguards (such as the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses or another valid transfer mechanism).9.4 Security. DCSA will maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect data submitted through DCSA Support against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to such data. DCSA will require its sub-processors to be subject to obligations that are no less protective than those set out in these Support Terms and Conditions.9.5 Data minimisation. Users should not submit to DCSA Support any information that is not necessary to resolve the support request. In particular, users should not submit passwords, private keys, authentication secrets, or special categories of personal data (as defined in Article 9 GDPR), unless DCSA explicitly requests such information and provides an appropriate secure method to transmit it.9.6 Retention and deletion. DCSA will retain data submitted through DCSA Support only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Support Services and for legitimate business purposes (such as record-keeping, audit, and security), and in any event no longer than 3 years after ticket closure, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by applicable law, or is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. Thereafter, DCSA will delete (in the case of ASC data) or anonymise (in the case of ticket data) such data.10. Changes to The Support Terms and ConditionsDCSA may update these Support Terms and Conditions from time to time. Continued use of DCSA Support after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised notice.Where changes are material, DCSA may provide additional notice through its support channels or other appropriate communication methods.11. Governing LawThese Support Terms and Conditions are governed exclusively by Dutch law.