1. Delivery coordination and optional business ordering
Ungouged provides software that connects restaurants, independent delivery drivers, and customers for delivery coordination. Businesses may use their own sales channels or enable a business storefront for customer requests through Ungouged. A storefront request is unconfirmed until a driver is selected and payment is confirmed to both business and driver. Food preparation must not begin before those conditions are met. Restaurants are responsible for food preparation, menu accuracy, allergens, and lawful sale of their products. Drivers are responsible for safe, lawful delivery and for their own vehicles, insurance, taxes, and work decisions.
2. Accounts and customer delivery access
Public registration is available to restaurants and drivers. You must provide accurate registration information, protect your credentials, and use the correct account role. Restaurants must provide accurate customer contact details and have an appropriate basis to share them for delivery. A restaurant may create secure delivery access for a customer so they can follow progress, view live tracking and retrieve a handoff code without creating an account. Customers do not place food orders through Ungouged.
3. Introductory access, bid credits, and delivery auctions
During the introductory period displayed in the application, restaurant and driver platform access is free and no credit purchase is required. Third-party payment processing fees are separate. After that period, restaurants may purchase bid credits at the displayed price. A credit is reserved when a driver is assigned and consumed only when delivery is confirmed with the customer’s delivery code. A delivery assigned during introductory access remains free through completion or cancellation. Credits are not cash, are not transferable, and are not refundable except where required by law or expressly approved by Ungouged.
Businesses set a maximum delivery budget. Drivers submit private quotes at or below it, subject to their own saved minimum. The business selects a driver based on price, timing, and service quality. Selection reserves the driver and fixes the delivery price; commitment follows payment confirmation. Prices never change automatically with time. Driver minimum, ideal, and stoked price preferences remain private. Drivers receive the full accepted delivery amount, less only any taxes or third-party charges they are legally responsible for.
4. Payments
Businesses may pay drivers using their own methods or optional card checkout. Customer storefront card payments collect item value plus the selected delivery price; the business settlement bears processing costs and the displayed flat checkout fee. For new deliveries, the restaurant pays the accepted driver amount and the separately displayed processing recovery and checkout fee. Food payment stays with the restaurant. Processing recovery is based on configured rates and may differ from actual provider fees. The driver receives the full accepted delivery amount. For external payment, the business and driver each confirm payment before preparation or pickup. For customer ordering, the business also confirms that customer payment was collected. Card payment success is verified before work begins; settlement to the driver and business follows completed delivery. Ungouged does not add an order-value commission. Card authorization, capture, refund availability, and payout timing are subject to Stripe’s terms and the payment provider’s rules.
5. No-driver and failed-delivery recourse
If no driver is assigned before an auction expires, the restaurant may raise the capped offer, extend the auction, or cancel. If an order cannot be completed, participants must report the issue promptly. Eligible card authorizations or payments may be reversed. An undelivered order does not consume a paid bid credit. Food costs, partial refunds, and completed-work disputes are reviewed using the order’s event, chat, payment, and tracking history.
6. Location, chat, and delivery confirmation
Drivers choose when to enable GPS sharing. Location must not be falsified or collected outside an active delivery. Chat must be lawful, respectful, and relevant to the order. Customers should provide their delivery code only at handoff.
7. Acceptable use
You may not commit fraud, manipulate bids, interfere with another participant, scrape personal information, harass others, deliver unlawful goods, or use Ungouged in a way that violates safety, consumer, employment, tax, food, privacy, or payment laws.
8. Suspension and termination
We may restrict activity needed to protect users, investigate fraud, comply with law, or prevent harm. You may stop using the service at any time. Provisions relating to payment obligations, records, disputes, and liability survive termination.
9. Disclaimers and liability
The service is provided on an “as available” basis. Ungouged does not guarantee uninterrupted availability, a driver for every order, or a particular delivery time. To the extent permitted by law, Ungouged is not liable for indirect or consequential losses. Nothing in these terms excludes rights or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
10. Changes and contact
Material changes will be posted with a new effective date and, where appropriate, communicated to account holders. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.