Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these Terms

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") are a binding contract between you and Roadmates (the "Platform," "we," "us," or "our") governing your use of the Roadmates website, mobile app, and services (collectively, the "Services"). By registering, clicking "I agree," posting or booking a trip, or otherwise using the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and to our Privacy practices. If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a company or other entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity.

Your acceptance is recorded electronically. You may be asked to re-accept these Terms when we make material changes. Continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. The nature of Roadmates

Roadmates is a ride-matching tool that helps members who are already planning to drive between cities connect with passengers willing to share the real expense of the drive. The cost each rider pays is calculated from the actual distance, estimated fuel, and tolls, divided evenly across the car's passenger seats.

Roadmates is not a transportation carrier, taxi, limousine, or dispatch service. The platform does not own, operate, or control any vehicle, and it does not employ, dispatch, or direct any driver. Drivers on Roadmates are independent members who have chosen to share a trip they were already taking — they are not employees, agents, or contractors of Roadmates.

Roadmates does not provide transportation for hire. No driver is obligated to accept a request, and no rider is guaranteed a seat. Roadmates only provides tools — listings, messaging, cost calculation, and payment handling — that members use to arrange shared-expense travel between themselves.

3. Shared expenses, not a fare

Every payment made through Roadmates is a shared-expense contribution, not a fare, fee, or charge for transportation services. The amount each rider pays reflects that rider's portion of the estimated fuel, maintenance, and toll costs for the trip, and nothing more. Drivers may not set an arbitrary price, charge for profit, or collect any amount outside the platform.

Drivers absorb the cost of any empty seats in their vehicle. Roadmates does not take a commission from the shared expense beyond a stated platform fee used to operate the service.

4. Eligibility and account registration

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a binding agreement to use Roadmates. By registering, you represent that you meet these requirements. Drivers must additionally hold a valid driver's license, carry the legally required insurance, and use a vehicle they are authorized to operate.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering and to keep it updated. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us promptly of any unauthorized use or security breach. Roadmates is not liable for any loss arising from unauthorized access to your account.

One person may maintain only one account. You may not transfer, sell, or assign your account to anyone else. Accounts are non-transferable.

5. Identity verification and background-check consent

All members must complete identity verification — submitting a photo ID and a selfie — before posting a trip or booking a seat. Verification is a safety measure and does not constitute an endorsement, certification, or guarantee of any member by Roadmates. A "verified" badge only means we have reviewed the submitted documents; it does not mean a member is safe, trustworthy, or insured.

You consent to Roadmates collecting, storing, and reviewing your identity documents and selfie for the sole purpose of verifying your identity, and to checks against public records and sex-offender registries as part of our review process. You authorize us to retain these materials for as long as reasonably necessary for safety, fraud prevention, and legal compliance. You represent that the documents and information you provide are authentic and belong to you.

6. Member Agreement, assumption of risk & release

By posting a trip or booking a seat, you acknowledge that traveling with other members involves inherent and unavoidable risks, including but not limited to the risk of traffic accident, injury, death, property loss, delay, and crime. You voluntarily and knowingly assume all such risks, and you use Roadmates and ride with other members entirely at your own risk.

You acknowledge that Roadmates does not screen members beyond the identity check described above, does not guarantee the safety, fitness, insurance, or reliability of any driver or rider, and does not warrant that any trip will occur as described. The entire responsibility for verifying the suitability of a trip, a driver, or a rider, and for your own safety, conduct, vehicle, documents, and compliance with the law, rests with you and the other members — not Roadmates.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you hereby release, discharge, and covenant not to sue Roadmates and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from any and all claims, demands, damages, losses, costs, and liabilities — including those caused by the negligence of any member — arising out of or related to any trip, ride, interaction, or transaction arranged through the Services. This release survives the termination of your account or these Terms.

Accidents and incidents between members. Roadmates is not a party to any trip and assumes no legal obligation, duty of care, or responsibility of any kind for any accident, injury, collision, damage, loss, or incident — including any incident involving a driver and a passenger — that occurs before, during, or after a trip. We do not investigate, mediate, adjudicate, or resolve any incident between members, and we are not responsible for any member's conduct, the condition of any vehicle, or whether any member is insured. Roadmates provides no insurance coverage of any kind for any trip, driver, rider, vehicle, or third party, and you have no right to make any claim against Roadmates for any accident or incident. Any dispute, claim, or compensation relating to an accident or incident must be pursued solely and directly between the members involved, and not against Roadmates.

7. Your responsibilities as a driver

If you post a trip, you represent that you are already planning to make that journey and are offering your spare seats to help split costs — not driving for income or profit. You are solely responsible for the safe operation of your vehicle, compliance with all traffic and transportation laws, and the condition, registration, and insurance of your vehicle. You must hold a valid driver's license and maintain insurance meeting at least the legal minimum of the jurisdictions you drive through.

You must not represent yourself as a taxi, chauffeur, or commercial driver, and you must not accept payment beyond the calculated shared expense shown in the app. You must comply with all laws governing shared-expense or cost-reimbursement travel in your jurisdiction.

8. Your responsibilities as a rider

If you book a seat, you agree to pay only the shared-expense amount shown, to arrive at the agreed pickup on time, and to treat the driver and vehicle with respect. You acknowledge that the driver is another community member, not a professional chauffeur, and that Roadmates does not guarantee travel times, availability, or any specific standard of service. You are responsible for your own conduct, belongings, and safety during the trip.

9. Insurance

Drivers are solely responsible for maintaining automobile insurance that satisfies the legal requirements of every jurisdiction they drive through and that covers the shared-expense use of their vehicle. Roadmates does not provide, arrange, or guarantee any insurance, and any insurance maintained by a driver is between that driver and their insurer. Riders are responsible for their own health, travel, and personal-property insurance. Roadmates has no obligation to insure any trip or member, and accepts no legal obligation, and provides no insurance of any kind, for any accident, injury, or incident arising from a trip — whether or not it involves other passengers. Drivers should be aware that personal auto policies frequently exclude carrying passengers for any consideration; if shared-expense contributions are treated as "compensation," commercial or TNC coverage may be legally required, and it is the driver's sole responsibility to confirm and maintain it. Any insurance a member carries is solely between that member and their insurer; Roadmates is not a beneficiary of, or party to, any such policy and has no obligation to pay, contribute, or respond under it.

10. No agency relationship

Nothing in these Terms creates any partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and Roadmates, or between any driver and any rider. Each member acts on their own behalf. Roadmates's role is limited to providing the platform that makes ride-matching possible.

11. Payments, escrow, fees, and refunds

Payments are processed through Base44 Payments and held in escrow until a trip is marked completed, at which point the driver's share is released. The total you pay includes the rider's share of the trip cost plus a stated platform fee. Roadmates may change its fee schedule with prospective notice.

Cancellation & refund policy. A rider may cancel with a full refund more than 24 hours before departure. Within 24 hours of departure, a 50% refund applies. If a driver cancels a trip, all booked riders receive a full refund. If a trip does not occur for any reason, Roadmates will refund any amounts held in escrow. Refunds may take several business days to appear, depending on your payment provider. Roadmates may withhold release of funds where a dispute, suspected violation, or legal requirement requires it.

You authorize Roadmates and its payment processor to charge your selected payment method for the amounts you authorize. You are responsible for any taxes associated with your use of the Services.

12. Conduct and prohibited uses

You agree to comply with all applicable laws and to treat other members with respect and honesty. You will not misuse the Services or help anyone else do so. Prohibited conduct includes, without limitation:

• misrepresenting your identity, age, license status, insurance, or vehicle;
• driving without a valid license or required insurance;
• charging, soliciting, or collecting any payment outside the platform;
• harassment, discrimination, threats, or violence toward any member;
• carrying illegal, dangerous, or controlled items;
• using the Services for any commercial, for-hire, or unlawful transportation purpose;
• attempting to reverse engineer, scrape, overload, or disrupt the Services;
• using another member's account or sharing yours; or
• any other activity that is unlawful, fraudulent, or harms Roadmates or its members.

Roadmates may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts and remove content that violate these Terms or otherwise threaten the safety or integrity of the community, in its sole discretion, without notice and without liability.

13. User content and messaging

You are solely responsible for any content you submit or messages you send through the Services, and you represent that you have the right to submit it. You grant Roadmates a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to host, store, use, display, and transmit your content solely to operate the Services (for example, to show your name, photo, and trip details to other members).

You agree not to submit content that is unlawful, infringing, defamatory, harassing, or otherwise prohibited. Roadmates does not endorse and is not responsible for member content. We may remove content that violates these Terms. You communicate with other members at your own risk; Roadmates is not a party to any member conversation and is not liable for what members say or do.

14. Privacy

Your use of the Services is also governed by our privacy practices. By using Roadmates, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as described there, including for identity verification, payment processing, safety, and fraud prevention.

15. Disclaimers

Roadmates is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Roadmates disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Roadmates does not guarantee that a trip, seat, driver, rider, or payment will be available, completed, accurate, or satisfactory. Roadmates is not liable for the acts or omissions of any member, including drivers and riders, or for any event arising from a trip arranged through the platform. Any reliance on member information or reviews is at your own risk.

16. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, in no event shall Roadmates or its operators be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or related to the Services or any trip, interaction, or transaction arranged through the platform — whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or otherwise. Where the law does not allow certain damages to be excluded, Roadmates's total liability for any claim shall not exceed the total amount you paid to Roadmates through the Services in the twelve months preceding the claim (excluding amounts held in escrow for drivers).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. These limitations apply even if Roadmates has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Roadmates and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any law or the rights of any third party; or (d) any trip, interaction, or transaction in which you participate. Roadmates reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense of any matter for which it is entitled to indemnification, in which case you will cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

18. Intellectual property

The Services, including the Roadmates name, logo, software, and design, are owned by Roadmates and protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Services for your own non-commercial ridesharing purposes, subject to these Terms. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of the Services, or use any Roadmates trademark, without our prior written consent.

19. Third-party services and links

The Services may integrate with or link to third-party services (such as payment providers, mapping services, and messaging tools). Roadmates does not control and is not responsible for those services or their terms, availability, or practices. Your use of third-party services is between you and the provider, and is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

20. Term and termination

These Terms begin when you accept them and continue until your account is closed or your access to the Services ends. You may close your account at any time through your profile. Roadmates may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, for any reason (including inactivity or a violation of these Terms), without notice and without liability. Upon termination, all licenses granted to you end, and the provisions that by their nature should survive — including payment obligations, the release, indemnification, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution — remain in effect.

21. Dispute resolution, arbitration, and governing law

Informal resolution. If a dispute arises, you and Roadmates agree to first try in good faith to resolve it informally for at least 30 days.

Arbitration. Except for claims that may be brought in small-claims court, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services (including the scope, validity, or enforceability of this clause) shall be finally resolved by binding individual arbitration administered in the United States under the rules of a mutually agreed arbitral body, rather than in court. The arbitrator's award is final and binding, and judgment may be entered on it in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class-action waiver. You and Roadmates agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and that neither may participate in a class, consolidated, or representative action. The arbitrator may not consolidate proceedings or award relief on a representative or class basis.

Governing law. These Terms and any non-arbitrated dispute are governed by the laws of the United States and the state in which Roadmates is organized, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You and Roadmates submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts and arbitral bodies located in that state for any non-arbitrated matter.

22. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, ask you to re-accept. Continued use of Roadmates after changes take effect means you accept the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Services.

23. General provisions

Severability. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remain in full force, and the unenforceable part will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable.

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with any policies and the Member Agreement you accept, constitute the entire agreement between you and Roadmates regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements.

Waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right or any future right or provision.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your account without our consent; any attempted assignment without consent is void. Roadmates may assign these Terms freely.

Electronic signature & records. You agree that your electronic acceptance (such as clicking "I agree") has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, and that records kept by Roadmates of your acceptance and activity are admissible and valid.

Notices. We may give notice by email, in-app message, or by posting on the Services.

24. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent through our Contact page.