Terms & Conditions
VF CUP International Mental Arithmetic Olympiad
Effective Date: 1 October 2026
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern registration, payment and participation in the VF CUP International Mental Arithmetic Olympiad (“Olympiad”, “VF CUP”).
The Olympiad is organised by:
VF Private Education LTD
Company Registration No.: HE 385788
Registered office: Marathonos 3, MALI HOUSE, 8011 Paphos, Cyprus
Email: vfcup.helpdesk@gmail.com
hereinafter referred to as the “Organiser”, “VF Private Education LTD”, “VF”, “we”, “us” or “our”.
Official Olympiad website: https://the-olympic.world/
By paying for participation, using an invitation code or registering for the Olympiad, the user confirms that they have read and accepted these Terms.
1. Nature of the Olympiad
1.1. VF CUP is an international educational mental arithmetic competition based on participants’ knowledge, skills, speed and accuracy in completing competition tasks.
1.2. The Olympiad is not a lottery, gambling activity, prize draw or other game in which the winner is determined by chance.
1.3. Winners are determined exclusively on the basis of participants’ performance and the criteria established in the Olympiad Rules.
1.4. Random or automated generation of individual competition tasks, where used by the platform, does not constitute random selection of winners.
2. Olympiad Documents
2.1. These Terms form part of the overall VF CUP legal and competition framework.
2.2. Participation in the Olympiad is also subject to the following documents published on the official website:
- Olympiad Rules;
- Prize Policy;
- Privacy Policy;
- Children & Parental Consent Policy;
- Cookie Policy.
2.3. In the event of any inconsistency between these Terms and the Olympiad Rules, matters concerning the competition format, performance of tasks, scoring, determination of winners and disqualification shall primarily be governed by the Olympiad Rules.
2.4. Matters relating to cash prizes, prize-winning positions and prize payments are governed primarily by the Prize Policy.
3. Eligibility to Participate
3.1. The Olympiad does not impose a general minimum or maximum age limit unless otherwise expressly stated for a particular event or level.
3.2. Children, teenagers and adults may participate, subject to the requirements applicable to the selected level.
3.3. An adult participant may register, pay for participation and accept these Terms independently.
3.4. Where the participant is a minor, registration and purchase of participation must be completed by their parent or legal guardian.
3.5. By registering a minor, the parent or legal guardian confirms:
- that they have the legal authority to act on behalf of the child;
- that they consent to the child’s participation in the Olympiad;
- that they accept these Terms and the applicable Olympiad Rules;
- that they have reviewed the rules governing the processing of minors’ personal data.
3.6. Teachers, schools, educational centres and other organisations may purchase participation for groups of students through the Organiser’s support service. In such cases, the person or organisation arranging the group registration is responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and consents from parents or legal guardians of minor participants.
4. Participation Levels
4.1. The Olympiad offers four competition levels:
- PRO;
- MASTER;
- EXPERT;
- GURU.
4.2. One paid ticket or one valid invitation code provides the right to participate in one selected level.
4.3. The same participant may participate in several levels, including all four levels.
4.4. A separate ticket or valid invitation code is required for each additional level.
4.5. The requirements, tasks, duration and other parameters applicable to each level are established in the Olympiad Rules.
4.6. Where a participant achieves prize-winning results in more than one level, the rules determining the participant’s final official prize-winning position and cash award are set out in the Olympiad Rules and Prize Policy.
5. Registration
5.1. Registration is completed through the official Olympiad website or, in individual cases, through the Organiser’s support service.
5.2. Users must provide accurate information required for participant registration.
5.3. The Organiser may request clarification or correction of obviously inaccurate registration information.
5.4. The person completing the registration is responsible for the accuracy of the participant’s name and other information that may subsequently appear on certificates, diplomas or published results.
5.5. Registration is deemed completed after all required registration steps have been completed and payment has been successfully made, or after a valid invitation code has been activated.
6. Participation Fees
6.1. The participation fee depends on the date of registration in relation to the date of the Olympiad.
Early Registration — €4.49
Available from the opening of registration until 30 calendar days before the date of the Olympiad.
Regular Registration — €5.99
Applies from 30 calendar days before the Olympiad until 14 calendar days before the Olympiad.
Late Registration — €7.49
Applies from 14 calendar days before the Olympiad until the day before the Olympiad.
Olympiad Day Registration — €7.99
Applies on the day of the Olympiad, provided registration remains technically available.
6.2. The opening date of registration is determined separately by the Organiser for each Olympiad. Registration will normally open approximately two months before the Olympiad but may open earlier.
6.3. The applicable price is the price displayed to the user on the checkout page immediately before payment.
6.4. The stated price is the final consumer price and includes applicable taxes, unless otherwise required by mandatory law.
6.5. All official prices are set in euros (EUR).
6.6. The Organiser may display an approximate equivalent in the user’s local currency for information purposes only. Such conversion does not constitute a guaranteed exchange rate.
6.7. Unless otherwise expressly stated on the payment page, payment is processed in euros.
6.8. The user’s bank, payment service provider or card issuer may apply its own currency conversion or fees. Such fees are not established or controlled by the Organiser.
7. Payment
7.1. Payment may be made using payment methods supported at the time of purchase, including Visa and Mastercard bank cards, Revolut and other available payment methods.
7.2. Payments may be processed by independent payment service providers, including Stripe, Revolut and other authorised providers.
7.3. The Organiser does not receive or store full bank card details where payment processing is performed by an external payment provider.
7.4. In individual cases, payment by bank transfer may be available upon prior request to the support service.
7.5. Where payment is made by bank transfer, registration is considered paid only after receipt of the funds has been confirmed by the Organiser.
7.6. An electronic payment confirmation, receipt or other payment document may be provided by the payment provider and/or the Organiser to the email address supplied by the user.
8. Invitation Codes
8.1. The Organiser may issue free invitation codes for participation in the Olympiad.
8.2. Invitation codes may be provided, in particular, to:
- winners of other Olympiads and competitions;
- participants in regional or partner events;
- schools and educational centres;
- teachers;
- participants in special VF CUP programmes.
8.3. One standard invitation code provides the right for one participant to take part in one level of the Olympiad, unless otherwise specified in the conditions applicable to that particular invitation code.
8.4. An invitation code is not money, does not have an independent monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash.
8.5. An unused invitation code does not give the holder the right to claim its monetary equivalent.
8.6. The Organiser may establish an expiry date and other conditions applicable to a particular invitation code.
8.7. The sale or other commercial distribution of free invitation codes without the Organiser’s permission is prohibited.
9. Group Registration
9.1. Teachers, schools and educational centres may contact the support service to purchase participation for groups of students.
9.2. The Organiser may provide a set of individual invitation codes for such a group or use another technically available registration method.
9.3. Group registration does not automatically entitle the purchaser to a discount.
9.4. Unless the Organiser separately announces a special offer, group registrations are subject to the official participation fee applicable at the time of purchase.
10. Transfer of Participation to Another Participant
10.1. A paid right to participate may be transferred to another participant before the Olympiad begins, subject to the technical possibility of changing the registration information.
10.2. The user may be required to contact the support service in order to change the participant.
10.3. Once the Olympiad has begun, substitution of the participant is not permitted.
10.4. A participant may not transfer an already started competition attempt to another person.
11. Format and Timing
11.1. The Olympiad is conducted entirely online through the official VF CUP website and online platform.
11.2. No separate application needs to be installed unless otherwise expressly announced by the Organiser.
11.3. Participation requires a compatible computer or other supported device, a modern web browser and a stable internet connection.
11.4. A desktop computer or laptop is the recommended device for participation.
11.5. The Olympiad is available for a period of 24 hours.
11.6. The exact date and start and end times of each Olympiad are published on the official website.
11.7. Unless otherwise expressly stated on the website, UTC is the official time zone used to determine the start and end of the Olympiad.
11.8. Participants may begin their competition attempt at any available time within the published Olympiad period, provided that the platform allows the relevant attempt to be completed in accordance with the Olympiad Rules.
12. Independent Completion of Tasks
12.1. Participants must complete competition tasks independently.
12.2. The following are prohibited, including but not limited to:
- assistance from another person in solving competition tasks;
- use of calculators where prohibited under the rules of the relevant level;
- use of software, bots, scripts, artificial automation or other automated solving tools;
- interference with the website or competition system;
- alteration or manipulation of data;
- use of another person’s account;
- transfer of an already started competition attempt to another person;
- creation of artificial or duplicate attempts in circumvention of established rules;
- any other actions creating an unfair competitive advantage.
12.3. Detailed requirements governing completion of competition tasks are set out in the Olympiad Rules.
13. Anti-Fraud Review of Results
13.1. Completion of the competition stage does not constitute immediate final approval of the results.
13.2. After the Olympiad ends, the Organiser reviews the results and analyses possible rule violations.
13.3. Such review will normally take several days and may take up to one week or longer where the volume or complexity of the review requires additional time.
13.4. For the purpose of such review, the Organiser may analyse technical and competition-related indicators, including:
- sequence of task completion;
- response times;
- completion speed;
- unusual statistical deviations;
- repeated or technically anomalous actions;
- indications of the use of automated tools;
- platform technical logs;
- other objectively available information relevant to the integrity of the competition.
13.5. The Organiser may request additional information from the participant or their legal representative where reasonably necessary to verify the result.
13.6. Where the review provides reasonable and substantiated grounds to conclude that a participant violated the Olympiad Rules or obtained an unfair advantage, the Organiser may:
- cancel a particular result;
- remove the participant from the rankings;
- withdraw a prize-winning position;
- disqualify the participant.
13.7. Where a participant is disqualified for violating the rules, the participation fee is non-refundable.
13.8. Disqualification decisions are made by the Organiser on the basis of the information reasonably available to it and the applicable Olympiad Rules.
14. Results, Certificates and Diplomas
14.1. Each participant who properly participates in and completes the required competition task will receive an electronic participation document in accordance with the rules of the relevant Olympiad.
14.2. A participant who does not receive an official prize-winning position will receive an electronic certificate of participation.
14.3. Official winners and prize recipients will receive an electronic diploma corresponding to their final official prize-winning position.
14.4. Certificates and diplomas are provided electronically. Printed originals are not included in the participation fee unless the Organiser separately announces otherwise.
14.5. Preliminary results displayed by the system may be changed following the anti-fraud review and application of the rules concerning participation in multiple competition levels.
14.6. Only results officially approved and published by the Organiser after completion of all required reviews and redistribution are considered final.
15. Cash and Other Prizes
15.1. The availability of prizes, total prize fund and allocation of prizes between competition levels and winners are published on the official website and governed by the Prize Policy.
15.2. Purchase of a ticket provides the right to participate in the competition but does not guarantee any prize.
15.3. A participant may participate in multiple competition levels, but may hold only one final official prize-winning position in the same Olympiad in accordance with the Olympiad Rules and Prize Policy.
15.4. Where a participant achieves prize-winning results in more than one level, the participant’s final official prize-winning position is determined by the highest competition level in which the participant achieved a prize-winning result.
15.5. Participation in a higher competition level may not reduce the participant’s highest earned cash award. The cash amount payable is determined in accordance with the Prize Policy.
15.6. The right to receive a cash prize arises only after the participant’s results and final official prize-winning position have been approved by the Organiser.
15.7. Until completion of the anti-fraud review and final redistribution, any displayed ranking or preliminary result does not create an unconditional right to receive a prize.
15.8. For the purpose of issuing or paying a prize, the Organiser may request information and documents reasonably necessary to identify the recipient and lawfully process the payment.
15.9. Where the winner is a minor, the prize will be paid to the winner’s parent or legal guardian or otherwise processed in accordance with applicable law and the Prize Policy.
16. Voluntary Cancellation and Refunds
16.1. A user may request cancellation of a paid, unused registration before the calendar day on which the Olympiad begins.
16.2. A request for voluntary cancellation and refund must be sent to:
16.3. For the purposes of the VF CUP voluntary refund policy, the request is considered timely only if it is actually received by the Organiser’s email system before 00:00 UTC on the calendar day of the Olympiad.
16.4. The relevant time is the time at which the incoming email is recorded as received by the Organiser’s email system.
16.5. Local date and time settings on the user’s device, screenshots, file creation dates, manually changed system time or other information controlled by the user do not determine whether the request was received on time.
16.6. For example, if the Olympiad takes place on 12 December, the Organiser must actually receive the voluntary refund request no later than 23:59:59 UTC on 11 December.
16.7. Where a valid voluntary cancellation request is received within the applicable period and the relevant ticket has not been used, the Organiser will refund 100% of the amount actually paid to VF Private Education LTD for that ticket.
16.8. If several competition levels were purchased, the purchaser may request cancellation of all unused tickets or only selected unused tickets.
16.9. From 00:00 UTC on the calendar day of the Olympiad, voluntary refunds are no longer available, including where the participant:
- changes their mind;
- does not access the platform;
- forgets about the Olympiad;
- joins too late;
- does not have a suitable device;
- experiences problems with their own internet connection;
- does not use the purchased participation right for another reason outside the Organiser’s control;
- receives an unsatisfactory result;
- is disqualified for violation of the Olympiad Rules.
16.10. An unused ticket is not automatically transferred to a future Olympiad.
16.11. Where the same payment is processed twice due to an obvious technical error, the duplicated amount may be refunded after verification even after the ordinary voluntary cancellation deadline.
16.12. Where the user selected the wrong competition level, the Organiser may, before the Olympiad begins and where technically possible, change the level assigned to an unused ticket instead of processing a refund.
16.13. Where an applicable mandatory consumer law provides a right of withdrawal, refund or another remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded, that mandatory right remains unaffected.
16.14. Any statutory rule concerning when a mandatory withdrawal notice is considered timely applies independently of the voluntary VF CUP refund procedure described above.
17. Technical Problems on the Participant’s Side
17.1. The participant is responsible for ensuring access to:
- a functioning device;
- a compatible web browser;
- a stable internet connection;
- electricity;
- suitable conditions for independent participation.
17.2. The Olympiad is available for an extended period and participants are therefore advised not to postpone participation until the final minutes.
17.3. Participants may contact technical support during the Olympiad period.
17.4. If the participant’s own device is not functioning, the participant may use another compatible device, provided this is technically permitted and does not violate the Olympiad Rules.
17.5. A technical problem on the participant’s side does not in itself create a right to an additional attempt, an extension of the Olympiad period or a refund.
17.6. In exceptional circumstances, the Organiser may provide an additional participation opportunity. Any such decision is an individual exception and does not create a corresponding entitlement for other participants or future Olympiads.
18. Technical Problems on the Organiser’s Side
18.1. In the event of a significant technical failure of the VF CUP platform that objectively prevents participation or proper completion of a competition task, the Organiser will take reasonable measures to restore the participant’s ability to take part.
18.2. Depending on the nature and duration of the failure, the Organiser may, in particular:
- restore the competition attempt;
- provide an additional attempt;
- extend the available time;
- extend the Olympiad period;
- apply another reasonable technical solution designed to restore fair participation conditions.
18.3. The specific remedy will be determined by the Organiser taking into account the scale of the failure, affected participants and the need to preserve the integrity of the competition.
18.4. The primary remedy for a technical failure on the Organiser’s side is restoration of the participant’s opportunity to participate.
18.5. Minor or temporary technical issues that do not deprive the participant of a genuine opportunity to participate do not automatically entitle the participant to a refund.
18.6. Where the Organiser is objectively unable to provide participation or an equivalent remedy after a substantial failure on the VF CUP side, any mandatory refund rights available under applicable law remain unaffected.
19. Cancellation or Rescheduling by the Organiser
19.1. The Organiser may change the date or time of the Olympiad where there is an objective need to do so.
19.2. If the Olympiad is rescheduled, paid tickets will automatically remain valid for the new date.
19.3. The Organiser will inform registered users of any material rescheduling through reasonable means, including the website and/or email.
19.4. If the Olympiad is permanently cancelled and is not rescheduled, participants will receive a full refund of the fee paid for unused participation.
19.5. The user may voluntarily agree to transfer the payment to a future Olympiad instead of receiving a refund.
19.6. Where the Olympiad is rescheduled and applicable mandatory law gives the consumer a right to cancel the rescheduled service, such right remains unaffected.
20. Force Majeure
20.1. The Organiser shall not be liable for delay, rescheduling or inability to conduct the Olympiad due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
20.2. Such circumstances may include, in particular:
- war or armed conflict;
- terrorism;
- civil unrest;
- natural disasters;
- epidemics or emergencies;
- actions of governmental authorities;
- major international telecommunications failures;
- large-scale cloud infrastructure outages;
- cyberattacks;
- prolonged power or telecommunications infrastructure failures;
- other comparable events.
20.3. In such circumstances, the Organiser may primarily reschedule the Olympiad and preserve all purchased tickets as valid for the new date.
20.4. If the Olympiad becomes permanently impossible to conduct, further action, including any refund obligations, will be determined in accordance with applicable mandatory law and these Terms.
21. Intellectual Property
21.1. The VF CUP platform, design, software code, competition tasks, texts, graphic materials, databases, trademarks and other materials may constitute intellectual property of the Organiser or the relevant rights holders.
21.2. Purchase of participation grants the participant a limited right to use the platform solely for personal participation in the relevant Olympiad.
21.3. Without prior written permission, the following are prohibited:
- copying or mass reproduction of competition materials;
- publication of confidential or non-public competition tasks;
- sale or distribution of competition materials;
- decompilation or interference with software code;
- automated collection of information;
- use of the materials to create competing products or competitions.
22. Liability
22.1. The Organiser undertakes to provide participants with a reasonably accessible and functional platform for participation in accordance with the published terms.
22.2. The Organiser does not guarantee any particular score, ranking, winner’s diploma or receipt of a cash prize.
22.3. The Organiser is not responsible for problems caused by the participant’s device, software, internet connection or actions where such circumstances are outside the Organiser’s control.
22.4. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability or consumer rights to the extent that such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.
23. Enquiries and Complaints
23.1. Questions and complaints relating to registration, payment, participation or refunds may be sent to:
23.2. Where possible, the request should include:
- participant’s name;
- name of the person who made the payment;
- registration email address;
- selected level;
- description of the issue;
- payment confirmation where the issue concerns payment;
- any other information necessary to identify the registration.
23.3. The Organiser aims to review written complaints within 15 business days after receiving sufficient information to assess the matter.
23.4. Requests concerning technical access or the ability to participate should be submitted to the support service as early as possible during the Olympiad period.
23.5. After the Olympiad has ended, failure to participate for reasons outside the Organiser’s control does not in itself constitute grounds for a refund.
24. Changes to These Terms
24.1. The Organiser may amend these Terms from time to time, including as a result of:
- changes in applicable law;
- development of the platform;
- changes to the Olympiad format;
- requirements of payment providers;
- correction of errors or ambiguities.
24.2. The updated version will be published on the official website together with its effective date.
24.3. As a general rule, material terms applicable to an already paid registration will be those that were in force at the time of purchase.
24.4. This provision does not prevent the application of mandatory changes required by law, security measures or technical changes necessary for the proper conduct of the Olympiad.
25. Governing Law
25.1. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Cyprus.
25.2. The choice of Cyprus law does not deprive consumers of mandatory rights and protections afforded to them under the law of their country of habitual residence where such rules are applicable and cannot lawfully be excluded by contract.
25.3. The parties will seek to resolve any disagreement first through written communication and good-faith consideration of the complaint.
25.4. These Terms do not restrict any consumer right to use judicial or out-of-court dispute resolution mechanisms available under applicable law.
26. Severability
26.1. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable in whole or in part, this shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions to the extent that the agreement can continue to operate without the affected provision.
27. Language
27.1. The official version of these Terms may be published in English and may also be translated into other languages for the convenience of international participants.
27.2. In the event of any discrepancy between translations, the English version shall prevail unless otherwise required by mandatory applicable law.
28. Contact Information
VF Private Education LTD
Company Registration No.: HE 385788
Registered office: Marathonos 3, MALI HOUSE, 8011 Paphos, Cyprus
Website: https://the-olympic.world/
Email: vfcup.helpdesk@gmail.com
VF CUP International Mental Arithmetic Olympiad is organised by VF Private Education LTD, Cyprus.