Community Guidelines

Last updated: October 11, 2026

RIDEMATE works because students trust each other enough to share a car. These guidelines are the basics. They are part of the RIDEMATE Terms of Use (https://ridemate.ai/terms-of-use), and they apply in the app, in chat, and in the car.

1. Be respectful

Treat everyone the way you'd want to be treated: be polite, be on time, and communicate.
No harassment, threats, bullying, or hate. No discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
No unwanted touching, flirting, or sexual comments. "No" means no, the first time.
Respect the car. Ask before you eat, smoke, vape, play loud music, or change the temperature.
Keep chat about the trip. Don't send spam, explicit content, or anything you wouldn't want screenshotted.

2. Be safe

Riders: check the driver's name, photo, car, and plate before you get in. If something doesn't match, don't get in.
Everyone wears a seatbelt, every trip.
Drivers: never drive after drinking or using drugs, when you're tired, or while texting. Follow the speed limit and all traffic laws.
No weapons, illegal drugs, or dangerous items in the car.
Anyone can end a trip early at a safe spot. Nobody should pressure you to stay.
Share your trip details with a friend.
In an emergency, call 911. RIDEMATE is not an emergency service.

Remember: RIDEMATE does not run background checks, check driving records, inspect cars, or confirm insurance. A profile is not a safety guarantee. Trust your instincts.

3. Keep it about sharing costs

Pay in the app only. No cash, no payment apps, no side deals, ever.
No tips and no extra payments. Drivers only share their costs. Don't offer extra money, and drivers, don't accept it.
Drivers: only post trips you're actually making anyway, with accurate details.
Don't use RIDEMATE to run a ride business or to make money.

4. Be reliable

You can book extra seats for friends travelling with you who don't have a RIDEMATE account. They must be 18 or older, and you're responsible for them: how they behave, paying for their seats, and cancelling for them. Tell them that these guidelines and the Rider Terms apply to them too.
Book only seats you'll use. Cancel in the app as early as you can if plans change.
Drivers: if you have to cancel, do it early so riders can find another trip. Riders always get a full refund when a driver cancels, and the driver gets a strike (see the Cancellation & Refund Policy).
Be honest about no-shows. Drivers: only mark a rider as a no-show if you were at the pickup point, waited at least 10 minutes after the departure time, and tried to reach them in the chat.
Leave honest, fair reviews about the trip, not personal attacks.

5. Be real

Use your real name and a real photo of yourself.
One account per person. Don't share your account.
Keep your information (and, for drivers, license, car, and insurance) up to date.

6. Report and block

If something is wrong, report it. Open the trip chat and tap Report or block. You can choose a reason (unsafe driving, harassment or threats, inappropriate messages, didn't show up, not who they claim to be, or something else) and add details.
Reporting also blocks the person by default. While a block is in place, neither of you can book a seat on the other's trips. Blocking does not cancel a trip you have already booked; cancel it yourself if you don't want to ride. If you cancel because you felt unsafe, tell us: our support team may refund you in full after review.
You can also block someone without reporting them.
For anything urgent or criminal, call 911 or the police first, then tell us.
You can also email contact@ridemate.ai.
Don't make false reports. We don't tell the person you reported who reported them, but they may be able to guess from the trip.

7. What happens if someone breaks the rules

Depending on what happened, we may:

give a warning;
remove a review, message, or trip;
limit what the account can do (for example, pause publishing trips);
suspend the account; or
permanently remove the account and block the person from coming back.

For serious safety issues (violence, sexual misconduct, impaired driving, threats, or fraud), we may remove an account immediately and may share information with police or the person's school where the law allows. We look at reports carefully, but we don't promise a specific outcome or response time.

If you think we got it wrong, email contact@ridemate.ai and tell us why.