Terms of Use

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Read this first: the key points in plain English

This summary is here to help you. It is part of these Terms, but the full sections below control if anything differs.

RIDEMATE is not a taxi, rideshare, or transportation company. We run an app that helps students 18 and older find each other to share the cost of a trip one of them is already making. We do not own cars, employ drivers, or provide rides.
Drivers only share their costs. The amount a rider pays toward a trip (the "trip contribution") is limited by a published cost formula, with a $2.00 minimum per seat (Section 7). All of it goes to the driver. RIDEMATE keeps none of it. Tips, bonuses, surge pricing, and side payments are not allowed.
RIDEMATE's own fee is separate. A RIDEMATE booking fee is shown on its own line at checkout. It is currently waived.
We check very little. We do not run criminal background checks or driving-record checks, inspect vehicles, confirm insurance coverage, or check that anyone is sober (Section 4.4).
Car travel is risky. You accept the risks described in Section 16.
You release RIDEMATE from liability, including for our own ordinary negligence (Section 17), except for fraud, intentional misconduct, recklessness, gross negligence, and claims the law does not allow to be released.
Our liability is capped (Section 18).
Disputes go to individual binding arbitration, not court, and you waive class actions (Section 21). You can opt out of arbitration within 30 days by emailing contact@ridemate.ai (Section 21.10). If you already had an account before this version, your 30 days start when you first accept this version. Small-claims court is still available.
Florida law applies. A dispute that goes to court instead of arbitration (other than small claims) is heard in Miami-Dade County, Florida (Section 22).
If we make a material change to these Terms, we will tell you at least 30 days in advance and ask you to accept again before you book or publish another trip (Section 23).

1. Introduction and Acceptance

1.1 Who we are. RIDEMATE is a mobile application operated by RIDE MATE LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Florida Document No. L25000198352), 661 NE 68th Street, Miami, Florida 33138, USA ("RIDEMATE," "we," "us," or "our").

1.2 What these Terms cover. These Terms of Use (the "Terms") govern your access to and use of the RIDEMATE mobile app, website, and related services (together, the "Service").

1.3 Other documents that form part of these Terms. The following documents are incorporated into and form part of these Terms:

Rider Terms (apply when you book a seat): https://ridemate.ai/rider-terms
Driver Terms (apply when you publish a trip): https://ridemate.ai/driver-terms
Community Guidelines: https://ridemate.ai/community-guidelines
Cancellation & Refund Policy: https://ridemate.ai/cancellation-policy
Trip Safety Policy: in the app, under Profile > Privacy & Safety > Trip Safety

Our Privacy Policy (https://ridemate.ai/privacy-policy) explains how we handle your data. It is a notice, not a contract term.

If these Terms and the Rider Terms or Driver Terms conflict, the Rider Terms or Driver Terms control for the matter they specifically address, except that Sections 16 through 22 of these Terms (assumption of risk, release, limitation of liability, indemnity, suspension, dispute resolution, and governing law) always control.

1.4 How you accept. You accept these Terms when you create an account or sign in, on the screen that says that by continuing you agree to the Terms of Use. You accept them again, together with the Rider Terms or Driver Terms, each time the app asks you to tick its boxes and confirm before you book a seat or publish a trip. By accepting, you confirm that you have had the opportunity to read these Terms, including Sections 16 through 21.

1.5 Record of your acceptance. Each time you confirm on a "Before you book" or "Before you publish" screen, we keep a record of your account ID, the date and time, the version of the Terms, the exact text shown to you on screen, the boxes you ticked, and technical information such as your IP address and app version. We use this record to show what you agreed to. See the Privacy Policy for how we handle this data.

1.6 If you do not agree, do not create an account or use the Service.

2. Nature of the Service

2.1 A cost-sharing platform. RIDEMATE is a digital platform that lets a student who is already planning a trip (a "Driver") post the trip and offer empty seats, and lets other students (each a "Rider" or "Passenger") join the trip and contribute toward its cost. A Rider may also book seats for companions (Section 3.4). Drivers and Riders are together called "users."

2.2 What RIDEMATE is not. RIDEMATE:

does not own, lease, operate, or inspect vehicles;
does not employ, contract with, supervise, direct, or control Drivers or Riders;
does not provide transportation and is not a transportation carrier, common carrier, taxi, limousine, for-hire vehicle service, or transportation network company;
does not set routes, schedules, or working hours, and does not require any Driver to publish trips, accept any Rider, or drive any minimum amount; and
does not guarantee that any trip will happen, or happen on time.

2.3 What RIDEMATE does. Our role is limited to (a) providing the app where Drivers post trips and Riders join them, (b) providing in-app messaging, ratings, reporting, and blocking tools, (c) applying the cost formula in Section 7 and the Cancellation & Refund Policy, and (d) arranging for trip contributions to be processed through our payment processor, Stripe, and passed to the Driver as described in Section 7.

2.4 Each trip is a private arrangement. Each trip is a private, non- commercial carpool between the Driver and the Riders who join it. The Driver decides whether to make the trip and how to drive it. RIDEMATE is not a party to the arrangement between Driver and Riders.

2.5 Words we use. We describe trips as being "published" by a Driver and "joined" by Riders, and we call a Rider's payment a "trip contribution," not a "fare." Some screens in the app use everyday words such as "ride," "request," "book," or "Driver." Those words are used for convenience only. They do not mean that any trip is a ride for hire, or that RIDEMATE provides or arranges transportation for hire.

3. Eligibility

3.1 To create an account, you must:

be at least 18 years old (we ask for your date of birth at sign-up and do not admit anyone younger);
be a currently enrolled student at a college or university and have a valid school email address issued by that school: a .edu address, or another student address we accept (currently Miami Dade College's @mymdc.net) (the Service is not offered to staff or faculty who are not enrolled students);
be able to form a binding contract under the law where you live;
not have been previously suspended or removed from the Service; and
use the Service only for lawful, personal, non-commercial purposes.

3.2 Drivers must also meet the requirements in the Driver Terms, including holding a valid driver's license.

3.3 If you give false information about your age or eligibility, you are responsible for that misrepresentation, and we may suspend or close your account immediately. If you stop being an enrolled student, you must stop using the Service.

3.4 Companions. A Rider may book more than one seat on a trip for companions travelling with them who do not have a RIDEMATE account, as described in Section 2.3 of the Rider Terms. Companions do not need an account, but every companion must be at least 18 years old. The Rider who books is responsible for their companions' conduct, for paying for their seats, and for cancelling them. Each companion is treated as a Rider under these Terms and the Rider Terms. By booking, the Rider confirms that each companion has been told about these Terms and the Rider Terms, including Sections 16 through 22 (assumption of risk, release, limitation of liability, indemnity, suspension, dispute resolution, and governing law), and agrees to them, and the Rider accepts them on each companion's behalf to the extent the law allows.

4. Account Registration, Security, and What We Check

4.1 Your account. You need an account to use the Service. You agree to give accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it up to date.

4.2 One person, one account. Your account is personal. Do not share it, sell it, or let anyone else use it. Keep your login details confidential. You are responsible for activity under your account. Tell us right away at contact@ridemate.ai if you think someone else has accessed it.

4.3 What we do check. When you register, and from time to time after, we:

confirm that you can receive email at your school email address;
ask you to upload a photo of your student ID, which a member of our team may look at to see whether it appears to match your profile; and
for Drivers, ask for a photo of a driver's license, basic vehicle details, and an insurance expiration date, and prevent a Driver from publishing a trip if the insurance date is missing or has passed.

A person looking at a photo is a quick visual comparison. It is not identity verification, and it does not confirm that a document is genuine, valid, or current.

4.4 What we do NOT check. RIDEMATE does not:

run criminal background checks or sex-offender registry checks;
check driving records, traffic violations, or license status with any government agency;
confirm that a driver's license is valid, unrestricted, or unexpired;
inspect vehicles or confirm that a vehicle is safe, registered, or roadworthy;
confirm that a Driver has auto insurance, or that any insurance covers carpooling or passengers;
check whether anyone is sober, rested, or fit to drive or ride;
confirm a user's current enrollment beyond the email and photo steps above; or
monitor trips in real time.

Do not assume another user is safe because they have a RIDEMATE account. Use your own judgment every time.

4.5 We may ask for more. We may ask for additional information or documents at any time, and may refuse, suspend, or close an account if we cannot confirm something we asked about. Asking for more information does not mean we have undertaken to check anything beyond Section 4.3.

5. Driver Requirements and Responsibilities (summary)

The Driver Terms set out the full rules for Drivers. In summary, a Driver must:

hold a valid driver's license and follow all traffic and safety laws;
drive a vehicle that is registered, roadworthy, and insured, with working seatbelts for every occupant;
read the insurance warning in the Driver Terms and confirm with their own insurer, in writing, that carpooling with cost-sharing is covered, and re-confirm it every year and at each policy renewal;
only share their costs, never make a profit, and never accept tips or side payments;
never drive impaired, distracted, or while tired; and
treat Riders with respect.

Drivers are solely responsible for their vehicle, their driving, their insurance, and the consequences of their conduct.

6. Rider Responsibilities (summary)

The Rider Terms set out the full rules for Riders. In summary, a Rider must:

book extra seats only for companions who are 18 or older, and take responsibility for them (Section 3.4);
check the Driver's name, photo, vehicle, and license plate before getting in;
wear a seatbelt at all times;
pay only through the app, never in cash or off-app;
not bring weapons, illegal drugs, or hazardous items;
follow the Community Guidelines and the Trip Safety Policy; and
cancel through the app as early as possible if plans change.

Riders are responsible for their own conduct and belongings.

7. Payments, Trip Contributions, and Fees

7.1 Trip contribution. When you join a trip, you pay the Driver's per-seat contribution shown in the app (the "trip contribution"). The trip contribution is a share of the Driver's cost of making the trip. It is not a fare, and RIDEMATE does not set it: the Driver chooses it, within the limits below.

7.2 The cost formula. The per-seat trip contribution a Driver may ask for can never be more than:

(driving distance of the trip in miles × the cost rate per mile) ÷ the number of seats the Driver offers, rounded down to the cent,

with a maximum of $75.00 per seat and a minimum of $2.00 per seat.

The cost rate per mile is the Internal Revenue Service standard mileage rate for business use, as most recently published by the IRS and applied in the app. It is currently $0.76 per mile (the IRS rate in effect from July 1, 2026). The IRS sets this rate to reflect the average cost of operating a car, including fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. When the IRS changes the rate, we update the app, and the new rate applies to trips published after the update.
The driving distance is calculated by the app from the trip's route and is limited to a plausible maximum for the start and end points.
The cost is split by the number of seats the Driver offers, so when every seat is taken, the total of all contributions matches the formula's cost of the trip.

The formula is designed so that the contributions for a trip cover no more than the Driver's cost of making it, except that the $2.00 minimum per seat applies for payment-processing reasons (very small card payments are not practical to process). On a very short trip, the minimum can be more than the formula would give. The app will not let a Driver publish a price above the formula's limit, and our servers check the limit again when a Rider pays.

7.3 We may change the rate or formula to keep it at or below a reasonable measure of actual trip costs. A change applies to trips published after the change.

7.4 No tips, bonuses, or extras. No one may pay, offer, request, or accept any tip, gratuity, "thank-you" payment, gift of money, bonus, or any other amount for a trip beyond the trip contribution, whether in the app or outside it. RIDEMATE does not pay Drivers any bonus, incentive, referral reward, or guaranteed amount, and does not use surge, dynamic, or demand-based pricing.

7.5 How payment works. Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. When you join a trip, your card is charged for the trip contribution. The trip contribution is held in RIDEMATE's account at Stripe until the trip's departure time has passed and the trip has not been cancelled, and is then transferred to the Driver's Stripe account, usually about 24 hours after departure. A payment can be held longer while a no-show report or dispute about it is open. Stripe's card processing fee (about 2.9% + 30¢) is deducted from the amount transferred to the Driver, so RIDEMATE neither earns nor loses money on a trip contribution. RIDEMATE does not keep any part of the trip contribution.

7.6 RIDEMATE booking fee. RIDEMATE may charge a separate booking fee for use of the platform (the "RIDEMATE fee"). The RIDEMATE fee is currently $4.99 per booking and is currently waived. Whenever it applies, it will be shown as its own line at checkout, before you pay. The RIDEMATE fee:

is paid to RIDEMATE for access to and operation of the platform (hosting, matching, account checks, messaging, support, and payment handling);
is never paid, in whole or in part, to any Driver; and
is never used to fund, guarantee, or top up any Driver's receipts.

We will give at least 30 days' notice, by email and in the app, before we start charging the RIDEMATE fee.

7.7 Pay in the app only. All trip contributions must be paid through the app. Cash, payment apps, and any other off-app payment for a trip arranged through RIDEMATE are not allowed.

7.8 Payment details. You authorize us and Stripe to charge the payment method you choose for the amounts shown at checkout, and to issue refunds to that payment method. Drivers must accept Stripe's Connected Account Agreement to receive transfers.

7.9 Taxes. RIDEMATE does not give tax advice. You are responsible for any taxes that apply to you.

8. Cancellations, Refunds, and No-Shows

Cancellations, refunds, no-shows, driver strikes, and what happens to money when a trip does not go ahead are governed by the Cancellation & Refund Policy (https://ridemate.ai/cancellation-policy), which forms part of these Terms. Before you confirm a cancellation, the app shows you how much you will get back. Any part of a contribution a Rider does not get back goes to the Driver as the Rider's share of the trip cost; RIDEMATE keeps none of it. The version of the policy in effect when you paid for a seat applies to that booking.

9. Ratings and Reviews

9.1 After a trip, users may rate and review each other. Reviews must be honest, relevant to the trip, and respectful.

9.2 We may remove reviews that break these Terms or the Community Guidelines. Ratings are other users' opinions. They are not a RIDEMATE endorsement or safety rating.

10. Code of Conduct and Prohibited Uses

10.1 You must follow the Community Guidelines. You may not use the Service to:

break any traffic, criminal, or other law;
harass, threaten, discriminate against, stalk, or harm anyone;
carry weapons, illegal drugs, or hazardous materials on a trip;
give false information, impersonate anyone, or act fraudulently;
charge, pay, or accept more than the trip contribution, or arrange payment outside the app;
use the Service to run a commercial transportation business or to transport people for profit;
get around the cost formula, payment system, or account checks;
collect, copy, scrape, or misuse other users' data;
post illegal, defamatory, sexually explicit, or hateful content; or
interfere with or attempt to hack the Service.

10.2 We may investigate suspected violations and may suspend or close accounts (Section 20).

11. Safety Tools and Emergencies

11.1 Report and block. You can report or block another user from the trip chat in the app. Reporting a user blocks them by default. While a block is in place, neither of you can book a seat on the other's trips. We review reports, but we do not promise any particular outcome or response time.

11.2 RIDEMATE is not an emergency service. In an emergency, call 911. Report crimes to the police. Report to us afterwards through the app or at contact@ridemate.ai.

11.3 Safety information is general. Any safety tips we publish, including the Trip Safety Policy, are general suggestions. They are not a promise that we will keep you safe and do not create a duty to supervise trips or users.

12. Ownership and Intellectual Property

12.1 The app, website, trademarks, logos, designs, text, and software are owned by RIDE MATE LLC or its licensors. We give you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the app for its intended purpose under these Terms. No other rights are granted.

12.2 Your content. You keep ownership of the content you post (profile information, photos, messages, reviews). You give RIDEMATE a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, store, display, and use that content to operate, improve, and promote the Service, for as long as it remains on the Service and as needed afterward for legal, safety, and record-keeping purposes.

13. Third-Party Services

The Service relies on third parties, including Stripe (payments), mapping and routing providers, and the Apple and Google app stores. Their terms and privacy policies apply to your use of their services. RIDEMATE is not responsible for third-party services.

14. Insurance

14.1 RIDEMATE does not insure Drivers, Riders, vehicles, or trips. Any insurance for a trip is the Driver's own personal insurance (and your own health and other insurance).

14.2 Personal auto policies may not cover carpooling. Many personal auto insurance policies exclude coverage when a car is used to carry passengers for a fee or charge. Only recovering costs does not necessarily avoid that exclusion. RIDEMATE makes no representation about whether any Driver's insurance covers a trip. Drivers must follow the insurance rules in the Driver Terms. Riders should understand that if an accident happens, the Driver's insurance may not pay.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." RIDEMATE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. RIDEMATE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT ANY USER IS WHO THEY CLAIM TO BE, THAT ANY USER OR VEHICLE IS SAFE, OR THAT ANY TRIP WILL TAKE PLACE. RIDEMATE MAKES NO PROMISE ABOUT THE CONDUCT, IDENTITY, DRIVING, INSURANCE, OR INTENTIONS OF ANY USER.

16. ASSUMPTION OF RISK: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

16.1 Travelling by car is dangerous. You understand that taking or giving a trip arranged through RIDEMATE involves risks, including the risk of a crash, serious injury, or death, as well as property damage, loss, delay, and emotional distress. You choose to take or give each trip voluntarily.

16.2 By using the Service, you knowingly and voluntarily accept the following three kinds of risk:

(a) Risks that come with any car travel. For example: collisions; other drivers on the road; weather and road conditions; mechanical failure; delays; and injuries that can happen in any moving vehicle even when everyone is careful.

(b) Risks that come from other users. For example: a Driver's unsafe, careless, impaired, or unlicensed driving; an unsafe, unregistered, or uninsured vehicle; a Driver's insurance not covering the trip; another user's rude, threatening, or criminal behavior; another user not being who they claim to be; and another user cancelling or not showing up.

(c) Risks that come from how RIDEMATE runs the platform, including RIDEMATE's own ordinary negligence. For example: RIDEMATE not catching false or expired information or documents; matching or map errors; app outages or bugs; a message, notification, or safety report not being delivered or reviewed promptly; and mistakes by our team in running the Service.

16.3 What you do not assume. You do not assume the risk of fraud, intentional misconduct, recklessness, willful or wanton conduct, or gross negligence by RIDEMATE, or any risk that the law does not allow a person to assume by contract.

16.4 Why this matters. Accepting these risks means you may not be able to recover money from RIDEMATE if one of them happens to you (see Section 17). It does not affect any claim you have against another user.

17. RELEASE OF RIDEMATE'S LIABILITY: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

In plain English: by agreeing to these Terms, you give up the right to sue RIDEMATE, or recover money from RIDEMATE, for harm connected with trips or with the Service, including harm caused by RIDEMATE's own carelessness (ordinary negligence). You keep your rights against the Driver or Rider who caused the harm, and you keep claims for fraud, intentional misconduct, recklessness, and gross negligence.

17.1 "RIDEMATE Parties" means RIDE MATE LLC and its members, managers, officers, employees, agents, contractors acting on its behalf, successors, and assigns.

17.2 Release. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU RELEASE, WAIVE, AND FOREVER DISCHARGE EACH RIDEMATE PARTY FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, LIABILITIES, AND CAUSES OF ACTION OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING CLAIMS FOR BODILY INJURY, DEATH, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND FINANCIAL LOSS, THAT ARISE OUT OF OR RELATE TO (a) ANY TRIP YOU TAKE, GIVE, JOIN, OR ARRANGE THROUGH THE SERVICE, (b) THE CONDUCT OF ANY OTHER USER, OR (c) YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING CLAIMS CAUSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY THE ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE, NEGLIGENT ACTS, OR NEGLIGENT OMISSIONS OF ANY RIDEMATE PARTY.

17.3 Future trips and future versions. THIS RELEASE APPLIES TO EVERY TRIP AND EVERY USE OF THE SERVICE FROM THE DAY YOU FIRST ACCEPT THESE TERMS ONWARD, INCLUDING TRIPS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN PLANNED, AND TO EVERY CURRENT AND FUTURE VERSION OF THE APP AND THE SERVICE. IT CONTINUES TO APPLY AFTER YOUR ACCOUNT IS CLOSED FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED WHILE YOU HAD AN ACCOUNT.

17.4 What this release does NOT cover. This release does not apply to:

claims arising from a RIDEMATE Party's fraud or intentional misconduct (including intentional torts);
claims arising from a RIDEMATE Party's reckless, willful, or wanton conduct or gross negligence;
your right to refunds or payments under the Cancellation & Refund Policy or Section 7;
any claim you have against another user (the release covers the RIDEMATE Parties only); and
any claim or right that cannot be released or waived under applicable law.

17.5 Separate from indemnity. This release is separate from, and in addition to, the indemnity in Section 19 and the assumption of risk in Section 16. If any part of this release is found unenforceable, the rest of it, and those other sections, still apply.

17.6 You understand what you are giving up. You confirm that you have read this Section, understand it, and agree to it voluntarily, and that it is a material part of what allows RIDEMATE to offer the Service at low or no cost.

18. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

18.1 No indirect damages. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NO RIDEMATE PARTY WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR LOSS OF GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR ANY TRIP.

18.2 Cap. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF ALL RIDEMATE PARTIES FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS, THE SERVICE, OR ANY TRIP WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (a) $100 OR (b) THE TOTAL RIDEMATE FEES YOU PAID TO RIDEMATE IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM (TRIP CONTRIBUTIONS PASSED TO DRIVERS ARE NOT RIDEMATE FEES).

18.3 What the cap does NOT apply to. Sections 18.1 and 18.2 do not limit:

liability for bodily injury or death caused by a RIDEMATE Party's negligence, to the extent that liability is not released under Section 17;
liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, recklessness, willful or wanton conduct, or gross negligence;
liability under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act or any other law that does not allow liability to be limited;
RIDEMATE's obligation to refund, or pass on to the Driver, trip contributions it holds under Section 7 and the Cancellation & Refund Policy; or
any other liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

18.4 These limits apply whatever the legal theory (contract, tort, statute, or otherwise), and even if RIDEMATE was told a loss was possible.

19. Indemnification

19.1 What you agree to cover. You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the RIDEMATE Parties from claims, demands, and lawsuits brought by third parties (anyone other than you and RIDEMATE), and the resulting losses, damages, settlements, and reasonable legal fees, to the extent they arise from your own conduct, meaning:

your breach of these Terms, the Rider Terms, the Driver Terms, or the Community Guidelines;
your violation of any law or of anyone else's rights;
your driving, your vehicle, or your behavior before, during, or after a trip;
content you post;
any payment or arrangement you make outside the app; or
the conduct of any companion you book a seat for (Section 3.4).

19.2 What you do not have to cover. You do not have to indemnify any RIDEMATE Party for a claim to the extent it is caused by that RIDEMATE Party's own negligence or misconduct, or for claims you bring yourself.

19.3 Process. We will tell you promptly about any claim covered by this Section. We may choose to control the defense at our own cost, and you agree to cooperate. You may not settle a claim that imposes any obligation on a RIDEMATE Party without our written consent.

20. Suspension and Termination

20.1 By us. We may suspend, restrict, or close your account, or remove trips, reviews, or content, if we reasonably believe you have broken these Terms, the Rider Terms, the Driver Terms, or the Community Guidelines, created a safety risk, acted fraudulently, or if required by law. Where it is safe and practical, we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond.

20.2 By you. You may delete your account at any time in the app.

20.3 Pending trips and money. When an account is closed, pending bookings and trip contributions are handled under the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

20.4 What survives. Sections 7.4, 12, and 15 through 24 survive the end of your account.

21. DISPUTE RESOLUTION: BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS-ACTION WAIVER. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

In plain English: if we have a dispute we cannot resolve informally, it will be decided by a neutral arbitrator, not a judge or jury, and only on an individual basis, not as part of a class action. You can still use small-claims court. You can opt out of this Section within 30 days by emailing us (Section 21.10).

21.1 Scope. Except as stated in Sections 21.6 and 21.7, you and RIDEMATE agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy between you and any RIDEMATE Party arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Service, any trip, or your relationship with RIDEMATE, whether based on contract, tort, statute, or any other legal theory, and whether it arose before or after you accepted these Terms (a "Dispute"), will be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration. This Section 21 is the "Arbitration Agreement."

21.2 Federal Arbitration Act. These Terms involve interstate commerce. The Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.) governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.

21.3 Talk to us first. Before starting arbitration, the party with the Dispute must send the other a written Notice of Dispute describing the claim and the relief requested. Send yours to contact@ridemate.ai with the subject line "Notice of Dispute," including your name, account email, and phone number. We will send ours to the email address on your account. Both sides agree to try in good faith to resolve the Dispute for 30 days after the Notice is received. Deadlines for bringing claims are paused during those 30 days.

21.4 Arbitration rules and provider. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules in effect when the arbitration is filed, as modified by this Arbitration Agreement. The rules are available at www.adr.org. A single arbitrator will decide the Dispute.

21.5 Fees, location, and procedure.

Fees. Payment of all filing, administration, and arbitrator fees will be governed by the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules and the AAA's consumer fee schedule. Each side pays its own attorneys' fees and costs unless the arbitrator awards them under applicable law or those rules.
Location. The arbitration will be conducted by video conference, telephone, or written submissions, as the AAA rules allow. If an in-person hearing is held, it will take place in the county where you live or at another location that is reasonably convenient to you, as the AAA rules provide.
Relief. The arbitrator may award any individual relief a court could award, but only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent needed to resolve that party's individual claim. The arbitrator must follow these Terms and applicable law, and must issue a written decision explaining the essential findings.
Who decides what. The arbitrator decides all issues about the Dispute and about the scope, validity, and enforceability of this Arbitration Agreement, except that a court decides (a) whether the class-action waiver in Section 21.8 is valid and enforceable and (b) whether the opt-out in Section 21.10 was validly exercised. Procedural questions about a Mass Filing (next paragraph) are decided as the AAA's mass arbitration rules provide.
Mass filings. If 25 or more similar Demands for Arbitration are filed against RIDEMATE, or by RIDEMATE, by or with the help of the same law firm, group of law firms, or organization (a "Mass Filing"), the Demands will be administered under the AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules and mass arbitration fee schedule in effect at the time. As those rules allow, one arbitrator may be appointed for several Demands, but each Demand will be decided individually, on its own facts. This paragraph does not allow claims to be combined into a class, collective, or representative proceeding.

21.6 Small-claims court. Either you or RIDEMATE may instead bring an individual action in small-claims court, as long as the claim qualifies and stays in small-claims court on an individual basis. You may file in the county where you live or in Miami-Dade County, Florida. If RIDEMATE files against you, it will do so in the county where you live.

21.7 Other exceptions. Either party may go to court to (a) stop the infringement or misuse of intellectual property or unauthorized access to the Service, or (b) seek a temporary order to preserve the status quo while an arbitration is pending.

21.8 CLASS-ACTION WAIVER. YOU AND RIDEMATE EACH AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE WILL BE RESOLVED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING, whether in arbitration or in court. The arbitrator may not combine more than one person's claims or preside over any class or representative proceeding, unless you and RIDEMATE both agree in writing. Handling a Mass Filing under Section 21.5 is administrative only and does not change this.

21.9 JURY-TRIAL WAIVER. YOU AND RIDEMATE EACH GIVE UP THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY for any Dispute that is arbitrated or, if for any reason a Dispute goes to court, to the extent permitted by law.

21.10 YOUR RIGHT TO OPT OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS. You may opt out of this Arbitration Agreement (Sections 21.1 through 21.9) by sending an email to contact@ridemate.ai with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" within the following time:

New users: within 30 days after the date you first accept these Terms.
Existing users: if you had a RIDEMATE account before September 25, 2026, within 30 days after the date you first accept this version of the Terms, which is the first time, on or after September 25, 2026, that you confirm the boxes on a "Before you book" or "Before you publish" screen. You get this new 30-day window even if an earlier opt-out period has passed.

Your email must include your full name, the email address on your RIDEMATE account, and a clear statement that you want to opt out of the RIDEMATE Arbitration Agreement. We will reply to confirm we received it. If you opt out:

Disputes will be decided in court under Section 22, and the class-action and jury-trial waivers in Sections 21.8 and 21.9 will not apply to you;
the rest of these Terms, including the release in Section 17, still apply; and
opting out does not affect any other arbitration agreement you have with us.

Opting out has no other effect on your account or how we treat you.

21.11 Future changes to this Section. If we change this Arbitration Agreement (other than a change to our contact details), you may reject the change by emailing contact@ridemate.ai with the subject "Reject Arbitration Changes" within 30 days after the change takes effect. If you do, the most recent version you accepted before the change continues to apply to you.

21.12 If part of this Section is invalid. If the class-action waiver in Section 21.8 is found unenforceable for any claim or type of relief, that claim or relief (and only that one) must be decided in court under Section 22, after any arbitrable claims are decided, and the court proceeding will be paused in the meantime. If any other part of this Arbitration Agreement is found unenforceable, the rest of it still applies.

21.13 Survival. This Arbitration Agreement survives the end of your account and of these Terms.

22. Governing Law and Venue

22.1 These Terms, and any Dispute, are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs Section 21.

22.2 For any Dispute that is not arbitrated (including if you opt out), you and RIDEMATE agree to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state courts located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and waive any objection to those courts, unless the law where you live gives you a non-waivable right to sue there.

23. Changes to These Terms

23.1 We may update these Terms, the Rider Terms, the Driver Terms, the Community Guidelines, or the Cancellation & Refund Policy from time to time. Each version shows its "Last updated" date, and we keep previous versions available on request.

23.2 Material changes. If a change is material (for example, a change to fees, the cost formula, the release, the limitation of liability, the indemnity, or the dispute-resolution terms), we will tell you in the app or by email at least 30 days before it takes effect (unless a faster change is required by law or for safety), and we will ask you to accept the updated Terms before you book or publish another trip. Continued use alone will not count as acceptance of a material change. If you do not accept, you may not book or publish new trips, and you may delete your account; your existing bookings stay under the version you accepted when you booked.

23.3 Other changes. Changes that are not material (such as clarifications, corrections, or new contact details) take effect when posted.

23.4 Changes do not apply to Disputes that arose before the change, except as stated in Section 21.11.

24. General

24.1 Entire agreement. These Terms and the documents listed in Section 1.3 are the entire agreement between you and RIDEMATE about the Service.

24.2 Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted and the remaining provisions stay in full effect, except as stated in Section 21.12.

24.3 No waiver. If we do not enforce a provision, that is not a waiver of our right to enforce it later.

24.4 Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours in connection with a merger, sale, or reorganization, with notice to you.

24.5 Electronic communications and signature. You agree to receive notices electronically (in the app or by email) and that ticking a box and tapping to agree is your electronic signature, with the same effect as a handwritten one.

24.6 Events outside our control. We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control.

24.7 No third-party beneficiaries, except that the RIDEMATE Parties may enforce Sections 16 through 19.

24.8 Headings and summaries are for convenience. The words "including" and "for example" mean "including without limitation."

25. Contact Information

RIDE MATE LLC · 661 NE 68th Street, Miami, Florida 33138, USA · Florida Document No. L25000198352

Legal notices, Notices of Dispute, and arbitration opt-outs: contact@ridemate.ai
Support, payment questions, and safety reports: contact@ridemate.ai