1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you ("you" or "User") and RidePlug ("RidePlug," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of the RidePlug mobile application and related services (collectively, the "Service"). By creating an account or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Material changes will be communicated through the app or by email.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract to create an account. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements and that all information you provide is accurate.
To act as a Driver, you must additionally hold a valid driver's license, meet applicable vehicle insurance requirements, and successfully complete RidePlug's vehicle inspection and compliance review before publishing trips.
3. What RidePlug Is
RidePlug is a scheduled, fixed-price marketplace that connects independent Drivers publishing upcoming trips with Riders seeking a seat on those trips. RidePlug is a technology platform — it is not a transportation carrier, and it does not own, operate, or control any vehicle. Transportation services are provided by independent Drivers, not by RidePlug. RidePlug is not a party to the transportation agreement formed between a Driver and a Rider.
4. Accounts
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use. You may not share your account, impersonate another person, or maintain more than one active account without our permission.
5. How Trips Work
5.1 Driver Trips
Drivers publish upcoming trips specifying departure time, shared pickup and drop-off points, and available seats and cargo capacity. RidePlug sets the price per seat for each trip, calculated from the straight-line distance between pickup and drop-off at a fixed rate. A Driver may edit or unpublish a trip at any time before a rider's payment is confirmed, subject to the cancellation policy in Section 8.
5.2 Discovery and Booking
Riders search published trips and book one or more seats directly at the fixed price RidePlug has set for that trip. No seat is held or guaranteed until you book — capacity is only secured once payment is authorized (Section 6).
5.3 Multiple Riders and Capacity
A single Driver trip may be shared by multiple Rider groups up to its published seat and cargo capacity. Booking a seat does not by itself guarantee it — capacity is awarded on a first-successful-payment basis among riders whose bookings still fit.
6. Payments
6.1 Payment Processing
RidePlug uses Stripe, a third-party payment processor, to handle payment card information and process charges. RidePlug does not store your full payment card details. Your use of payment features is also subject to Stripe's terms.
6.2 Authorization and Capture
Once you book a seat, RidePlug places a payment authorization ("hold") on your payment method for the trip's fixed price. This authorization is not a charge. The authorized amount is captured (charged) after the Driver marks the trip as completed, except where captured earlier as a cancellation fee under Section 8.1. Authorization is generally only initiated within a limited window before departure; if you book far in advance, you will be notified when payment becomes available and prompted to authorize it before departure.
6.3 Failed Authorizations
If your payment method cannot be authorized, that attempt fails; you may make a new attempt by restarting the booking or payment step, but there is no dedicated retry option on the failed attempt itself. As described in Section 5.2, a seat is only secured once payment is authorized, so an unresolved or failed authorization does not itself hold or guarantee your seat.
6.4 Fees
RidePlug may charge a platform fee in connection with completed trips, and this fee is also included in any cancellation fee charged under Section 8.1. Applicable fees, if any, will be disclosed before you confirm payment.
6.5 Receipts and Records
RidePlug maintains a record of payment activity associated with your account, including authorizations, captures, refunds, and fee decisions, for support, dispute resolution, and legal compliance purposes.
7. Ratings and Conduct
After a trip, Riders and Drivers may rate one another. Ratings and any incident reports may affect a User's ability to continue using the Service. You agree to treat other Users respectfully and not to use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent, abusive, or unsafe purpose, including but not limited to:
- Providing false identity, vehicle, or payment information;
- Harassing, threatening, or discriminating against another User;
- Circumventing pricing, payment, or safety features of the Service;
- Using the Service while impaired or in a manner that endangers others.
We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate this section.
8. Cancellations and No-Shows
8.1 Rider Cancellations
- Cancelling more than 15 minutes before departure is free, as is cancelling within 10 minutes of when you booked.
- Cancelling within 15 minutes of departure — outside that booking grace period — or failing to appear for a confirmed trip ("no-show"), incurs a cancellation fee equal to the trip's full total: the ride price plus the platform fee (Section 6.4). This fee will be charged against your existing payment authorization where one exists, or as a new charge to your payment method.
8.2 Driver Cancellations
- Drivers may cancel a published trip at any time before it is marked completed — including after departure — at no charge.
- Cancelling shortly before departure, or a pattern of late cancellations, may result in a rating or account standing penalty. RidePlug is not responsible for reimbursing incidental costs a Rider incurs due to a Driver cancellation, but may offer support at its discretion.
8.3 Refunds
Refunds for canceled or disputed trips are handled by RidePlug in accordance with the applicable cancellation policy above. RidePlug's decisions regarding refunds and fee waivers are final absent a demonstrated error.
9. Safety Features
RidePlug provides certain in-app safety tools, including pickup PIN verification, an SOS/emergency option, trip-sharing links, and incident reporting. These tools are provided to help facilitate safer trips but do not guarantee your safety. In an emergency, contact local emergency services directly before relying on any in-app feature. Use the in-app incident reporting feature to report safety concerns to RidePlug as soon as reasonably possible.
10. Independent Contractor Relationship (Drivers)
Drivers using RidePlug to publish and fulfill trips do so as independent providers of transportation services, not as employees, agents, or partners of RidePlug. Drivers are solely responsible for compliance with applicable licensing, insurance, vehicle safety, and tax obligations in their jurisdiction.
11. Prohibited Uses
You may not: (a) use the Service in violation of applicable law; (b) reverse engineer, scrape, or interfere with the Service's operation; (c) circumvent pricing or payment mechanisms (e.g., arranging off-platform payment to avoid fees); (d) upload false compliance, vehicle, or identity documentation; or (e) use the Service to transport prohibited goods or persons in violation of law.
12. Disclaimers
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. RIDEPLUG DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT TRIPS WILL BE AVAILABLE, TIMELY, UNINTERRUPTED, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY DRIVER OR RIDER WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. RIDEPLUG IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF DRIVERS OR RIDERS, WHO ARE INDEPENDENT OF RIDEPLUG.
13. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, RIDEPLUG AND ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. RIDEPLUG'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO RIDEPLUG IN THE 6 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) $100.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain liability limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.
14. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless RidePlug from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.
15. Dispute Resolution; Arbitration Agreement; Governing Law
15.1 Agreement to Arbitrate
You and RidePlug agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service (a "Dispute") will be resolved by binding individual arbitration rather than in court, except as set out in Section 15.4. This includes Disputes about the scope, interpretation, or enforceability of this Section, except that a court — not an arbitrator — decides whether a Dispute is a sexual assault or sexual harassment dispute under Section 15.4. Before starting an arbitration, you and RidePlug each agree to first contact the other and attempt in good faith to resolve the Dispute informally for at least 30 days.
15.2 Arbitration Procedure
Arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, before a single arbitrator. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section. Arbitration will take place in the county where you reside or another mutually agreed location, and may be conducted by phone, in writing, or in person as the AAA's rules provide. For claims under $25,000 that are not frivolous, RidePlug will pay the AAA filing, administration, and arbitrator fees to the extent required by the AAA's rules.
15.3 No Class Actions
You and RidePlug each agree to bring any Dispute only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding, except as provided in Section 15.4 for a sexual assault or sexual harassment dispute. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of a class or representative proceeding. If this class-action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular Dispute other than under Section 15.4, that Dispute (and only that Dispute) will proceed in court under Section 15.6 rather than in arbitration; the rest of this Section will still apply to all other Disputes.
15.4 Exceptions
Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court instead of arbitration where the claim qualifies. Under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021, a sexual assault dispute or sexual harassment dispute (as defined in that Act) is not subject to either the arbitration agreement in Section 15.1 or the class-action waiver in Section 15.3, and, at your election, may instead be brought in court, including as a class, collective, or representative action. Whether a Dispute qualifies for this exception is a question for a court, not an arbitrator, to decide. RidePlug may also seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to protect its intellectual property or confidential information.
15.5 Opt-Out
You may opt out of Sections 15.1 through 15.4 (the agreement to arbitrate and the class-action waiver) within 30 days of the date you first agree to a version of these Terms that includes this arbitration agreement, by emailing admin@rideplugapp.com with your name, account email, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. Opting out affects only Sections 15.1 through 15.4 — Section 15.6 (Governing Law) still applies, and any Dispute you would otherwise have arbitrated will instead proceed in court as described there. The rest of these Terms is unaffected.
15.6 Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. For any Dispute not subject to arbitration under this Section, the state and federal courts located in Washington State have exclusive jurisdiction, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
16. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that violates these Terms or that we believe is harmful to other Users or to RidePlug. You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 6, 12, 13, 14, and 15) will survive.
17. Changes to the Service
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time. We will make reasonable efforts to notify Users of material changes affecting trips already in progress or confirmed.
18. Contact
Questions about these Terms can be directed to admin@rideplugapp.com.