By accessing and using RediChefs ("the Platform"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use the Platform.

RediChefs is an online marketplace connecting customers with home cooks and professional cooks who provide in-home cooking services. RediChefs facilitates these connections but is not party to the actual service agreements between customers and cooks.

3.1 How Our Service Model Works Legally: RediChefs operates under the "Private Home Exemption" established in federal and state food safety laws. Because our cooks prepare food inside your private home—not in a commercial kitchen or food establishment—this is considered a private service transaction, not a commercial food service operation. This distinction is critical and legally compliant.

3.2 No Health Department License Required: When a cook prepares food in your kitchenusing your groceries, this activity falls under the private home exemption. The service is considered private domestic help—similar to hiring a private chef, housekeeper, or tutor. As such, health department permits and commercial food establishment licenses are not required because:

• The food is prepared in a private residence (your home), not a commercial establishment
• You, the homeowner, provide the ingredients—the cook is performing a service, not selling a product
• The transaction is a personal service contract between you and the cook
• The food is consumed in your home or taken by you for your own use—it is not offered for public sale

3.3 Why We Don't Offer Delivery: This is an important legal distinction. Under food safety regulations,preparing food in one location and delivering it to another for sale constitutes commercial food production, which requires:

• State-licensed commercial kitchen facilities
• Health department inspections and permits
• Compliance with food handler certification requirements
• Adherence to time-temperature control and packaging regulations

By having the cook prepare food in your home, we remain within the private home exemption. The moment food is prepared elsewhere and delivered for sale, it becomes a regulated commercial food product. Our in-home model is specifically designed to remain compliant with these regulations while providing you with fresh, personalized cooking services.

3.4 Your Role as the Homeowner: You maintain full control over your kitchen environment, ingredients, and food safety standards. The cook is working in your space with your equipment andyour groceries—this is what defines the service as private and exempt from commercial food establishment regulations.

4.1 Registration: To use certain features, you must create an account with accurate information.

4.2 Account Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

4.3 Account Types: RediChefs offers two types of accounts: Customer accounts and Cook accounts.

4.1 Booking Process: Customers can browse cook profiles and submit booking requests. Submitting a booking request is an inquiry for a quote, not an immediate booking. The cook will review your request details and provide a final, fixed-price quote based on the meal complexity, service requirements, and estimated work involved.

4.2 Price Confirmation: Once you receive the cook's fixed-price quote, you can discuss and negotiate details via the platform's messaging system. When you agree on the final price, you confirm the booking. The agreed-upon fixed price is binding for both parties.

4.3 Payment: All payments are securely processed through Stripe, our third-party payment processor. Customers agree to pay the confirmed fixed price after service completion and verification.RediChefs does not see, access, or store any customer payment information - all payment details (card numbers, CVV, etc.) are collected and processed directly by Stripe's secure systems. Payment is only charged after you verify that the service was completed satisfactorily.

4.4 Cancellations: Customers may cancel bookings according to the cancellation policy. If you cancel before the service date and before payment has been processed, no charges will apply. Refunds for post-payment cancellations are subject to the timing and reason for cancellation.

4.5 Reviews: After service completion, customers may leave honest reviews about their experience.

5.1 Eligibility: Cooks must be at least 18 years old, pass background checks through Checkr (our third-party verification partner), and complete identity verification.

5.2 Registration Fee & Background Check Investment: RediChefs covers half of your background check as an investment in your success. You pay a one-time $15 upfront when registering as part payment of your background check. Here's how it works:

• You pay $15 upfront as part payment for the background check
• RediChefs pays the remaining half of the background check cost
• To recover our investment, we deduct an additional $6.67 per booking (on top of the standard 15% commission) for your first 3 completed bookings
• After your first 3 bookings, you only pay Stripe's processing fee and the standard 15% platform commission

5.3 Independent Contractor: Cooks are independent contractors, not employees of RediChefs. Cooks are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and legal compliance.

5.4 Tax Obligations: RediChefs does not withhold taxes from cook payments. As an independent contractor, you are solely responsible for reporting your income and paying all applicable federal, state, and local taxes. You may receive a 1099 form if your annual earnings exceed IRS thresholds. We recommend consulting with a tax professional.

5.5 Pricing and Quoting: Cooks set their own base hourly rates, which are displayed on their public profiles. When a customer submits a booking request, cooks must review the specific requirements and provide a final, fixed-price quote that accurately reflects the work involved. This quote should consider:

• Meal complexity and required preparation time
• Number of guests being served
• Special dietary requirements or ingredient sourcing
• Travel distance to service location
• Cleanup and any additional services requested

Once a customer accepts your fixed-price quote and confirms the booking, that price is binding. Cooks agree to complete the service for the agreed-upon price, regardless of whether the service takes more or less time than initially estimated.

5.6 Service Quality: Cooks agree to provide professional, high-quality cooking services and maintain proper food safety standards. Cooks must honor the fixed price they quoted, even if the service takes longer than anticipated.

5.7 Commission Structure:

• Payment Processing Fee: Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction. This is a standard industry fee for online card-not-present transactions.
• Platform Commission: RediChefs charges a 15% commission on the service amount only (after Stripe's processing fee has been deducted). Importantly, we do NOT take any commission on tips - tips go 100% to you, minus only Stripe's unavoidable processing fee.
• Background Check Recovery (First 3 Bookings Only): For your first 3 completed bookings, an additional $6.67 per booking is deducted to recover the cost RediChefs advanced for your background check. Remember, we're covering half of the background check cost upfront!
• After First 3 Bookings: You will only pay Stripe's processing fee and the standard 15% platform commission on the service amount. No more background check recovery deductions!

Important: Stripe requires 7-14 days for your first payout to arrive in your bank account. This is a standard security verification period for all new connected accounts. Even during this waiting period, you can monitor your earnings in real-time on both the RediChefs app and your Stripe Express dashboard. After this initial verification, subsequent payouts will be processed much faster, typically arriving within 2-3 business days. Stripe processes payouts on a rolling schedule.

💰 Tip Policy: When customers add tips to their payment, those tips go directly to you with zero platform commission. We only deduct Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee, which applies to the entire transaction. This means you keep 100% of the customer's generosity!

5.8 Cancellations: Cooks should honor confirmed bookings. Repeated cancellations may result in account suspension.

5.9 Cook Account Deactivation: RediChefs reserves the right to suspend or permanently deactivate a cook's account for any of the following reasons:

• Consistent Poor Ratings or Reviews: Cooks whose average rating falls and remains below acceptable platform standards, or who receive repeated negative reviews citing quality, professionalism, or conduct issues, may be suspended or removed from the platform.
• No-Shows: Failing to appear for a confirmed booking without timely notice or a valid reason is a serious violation. A first no-show may result in a warning; subsequent no-shows will result in immediate account suspension.
• Safety Violations: Any conduct that puts the safety or well-being of customers at risk — including but not limited to unsafe food handling, threatening behavior, or creating an unsafe environment — will result in immediate account deactivation.
• Consistent Non-Responsiveness: Repeatedly ignoring or failing to respond to booking requests in a timely manner undermines the customer experience and may result in account suspension after repeated occurrences.
• RediChefs' Discretion: RediChefs reserves the right to suspend or permanently deactivate any cook account at its sole discretion if we determine, for any reason, that continued participation is not in the best interest of the platform or its users. Where possible, we will provide notice and an opportunity to address the concern before taking action.

6.1 Verification: All cooks undergo background checks through Checkr, our trusted third-party background check provider. Background checks include criminal history, identity verification, and other safety screenings. Cooks must pass these checks before being approved on the platform.

6.2 Background Check Process & Investment: After registering as a cook, you will receive an automated email from Checkr to complete your background check. RediChefs pays for half of the background check cost upfront on your behalf as an investment in your success. The background check cost recovery happens through your first 3 completed bookings (an additional $6.67 per booking on top of the 15% commission). This means you can start cooking and earning immediately after your background check clears.

6.3 Customer Responsibility: While we verify cooks through Checkr's comprehensive background check process, customers should exercise reasonable caution and judgment when booking services.

Users may not:

• Provide false or misleading information
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Engage in fraudulent activities
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Circumvent the platform to avoid fees

8.1 Prohibition: Users agree to conduct all transactions and communications related to bookings exclusively through the RediChefs platform. Attempting to circumvent the platform to avoid fees or take services off-platform is strictly prohibited.

8.2 Prohibited Activities Include:

• Exchanging personal contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles) with the intent to conduct business outside the platform
• Arranging direct payments or cash payments that bypass the platform
• Soliciting customers or chefs to continue services outside of RediChefs
• Creating duplicate bookings outside the platform to avoid commission fees

8.3 Enforcement and Penalties: Violations of this policy may result in:

• Immediate account suspension (temporary or permanent)
• Removal of all active and future bookings
• Loss of accumulated ratings, reviews, and reputation
• Permanent ban from the platform for repeat or severe violations

8.4 Reporting Violations: If you encounter or witness attempts at platform circumvention, please report it immediately using the in-app reporting mechanism or by contacting support at redichefs.kitchen@gmail.com. We take these reports seriously and investigate all claims.

8.5 Automated Monitoring: To maintain platform integrity and protect our community, RediChefs employs automated systems to detect patterns of potential policy violations. These systems analyze communication patterns for indicators of disintermediation attempts. Flagged communications are reviewed by our team to determine if a violation has occurred.

RediChefs acts as a marketplace platform connecting customers with independent cooks. We facilitate these connections but are not responsible for the actions, services, or conduct of cooks or customers. Users agree to release RediChefs from liability for disputes between customers and cooks.

While we conduct thorough background checks through Checkr and verify cook identities, the quality and outcome of services provided are the responsibility of the individual cook. We encourage open communication between customers and cooks to ensure expectations are clearly understood before service begins.

10.1 Payment Processing: Stripe is our payment processor. By using RediChefs, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. RediChefs is not responsible for any issues related to Stripe's services.

10.2 Background Checks: Checkr is our background check provider. By registering as a cook, you agree to Checkr's Terms of Service and consent to their background check process. RediChefs is not responsible for the accuracy or timing of Checkr's background check results.

RediChefs reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of modified terms.

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at redichefs.kitchen@gmail.com or visit our Help Center.