Terms of Service

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BiteRoutes, including our website, iOS application, and all related services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our platform. We may update these terms from time to time, and continued use constitutes acceptance of any changes.

Account Registration

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. You must create an account to place orders or manage a food truck listing. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. You must provide accurate and complete information and keep it up to date.

Using the Platform

BiteRoutes connects customers with food truck operators. We are a platform, not a food vendor. Food truck operators are independent businesses responsible for their own food preparation, pricing, and compliance with local health and safety regulations. BiteRoutes does not guarantee the quality, safety, or availability of any food items listed on the platform.

Mobile Application

Our iOS application is available through the Apple App Store. Your use of the app is also subject to Apple's terms of service. BiteRoutes, not Apple, is responsible for the app and its content. Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the app.

Orders & Payments

When you place an order, you agree to pay the listed price plus any applicable taxes and fees. BiteRoutes is the merchant of record for orders placed through the platform. That means you are paying BiteRoutes, your card statement shows BiteRoutes, and we handle the payment and any dispute with your bank. Payments are processed securely through Stripe. All sales are final unless the food truck operator agrees to a refund, though we may issue a refund ourselves where we are required to.

How Your Order Is Held

Placing an order does not send it to the truck. We hold it while your payment goes through, and the truck does not see it on their dashboard until payment completes. If you do not finish paying within about an hour, we cancel the order automatically and release the payment hold. Any BiteRoutes credit you applied goes back to your balance. Nothing is cooked and nothing is charged in the meantime, so an abandoned checkout costs you nothing.

Tips

Tipping is optional and your tip goes to the truck that made your food. Two limits apply. A tip cannot exceed the food subtotal of your order, except that we always allow at least $20 so you can still tip well on a small order, and no tip can exceed $1,000. If you enter more than the limit we tell you the maximum for that order rather than quietly changing your tip. BiteRoutes keeps 2.9% of the tip to cover the card processing cost of collecting it, which is 9 cents on a $3 tip. The truck receives the rest. If your order is covered entirely by BiteRoutes credit and no card is charged, nothing is deducted from the tip.

BiteRoutes Credit & Referrals

Credit earned through a referral or a promotion is promotional credit, not cash. It applies automatically at checkout to reduce what you pay. It has no cash value, cannot be transferred to another account or another person, and cannot be redeemed for money. If an order you spent credit on is cancelled, refunded, or abandoned before payment, the credit returns to your balance. We may withdraw credit that was issued in error or obtained by abusing a referral program.

Text Messages

We text you only if you ask us to, and only to US mobile numbers. There are two kinds of message. Verification codes, sent when you add or confirm a phone number on your account. And alerts that a truck you favorited has opened for the day, which you switch on for each truck individually. Reply STOP to any BiteRoutes text to stop receiving them, or reply HELP for help. Message frequency varies and message and data rates may apply. You can also turn truck alerts off in your notification settings.

Subscriptions & Billing

Food truck operators may subscribe to paid plans (Basic or Premium) for additional features. Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis through Stripe. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your dashboard settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are provided for unused time.

Food Truck Operators

If you register as a food truck operator, you are responsible for the accuracy of your menu, pricing, availability, and schedule. You agree to comply with all applicable food safety, health, and business regulations in your jurisdiction. You represent that you hold all required licenses and permits. BiteRoutes may charge service fees as outlined in your subscription plan.

Getting Paid: Stripe Connect Onboarding

If you take orders through BiteRoutes, you are paid through Stripe. Before your first payout you complete Stripe's onboarding inside your BiteRoutes dashboard. Stripe collects and verifies what it needs to pay you, which includes your legal name, date of birth, a government identification number such as a Social Security number, and your bank account details. You enter that directly into Stripe's own forms. It goes to Stripe, not to us. BiteRoutes never receives or stores your identification number or your bank details. All we keep is your Stripe account ID, whether the account is cleared to receive transfers, and a list of anything Stripe is still waiting on from you. Payout accounts are available to US-based businesses. Creating one means you also agree to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which incorporates the Stripe Services Agreement.

Stripe Connected Account AgreementStripe Privacy Policy

Getting Paid: Payouts, Timing & Chargebacks

BiteRoutes is the merchant of record, so the customer pays us and Stripe transfers your share to your connected account on each paid order. Your share is the food subtotal plus sales tax plus the tip, less the tip processing share described above. BiteRoutes keeps the service fee and any delivery fee. Stripe then pays out from your account balance on a schedule, and new accounts sit through a holding period before money reaches the bank, so your first payout takes longer than the ones after it. Your balance, your schedule, and every payout are visible in the Payouts area of your dashboard. If a customer disputes a charge with their bank, the money for that order can be reversed, including the part already transferred to you and the sales tax that rode with it. We recover what we can from your Stripe balance. If your balance does not cover it, we record the shortfall and follow up with you directly. Keeping a working bank account connected and responding to anything Stripe asks for is your responsibility; if the account falls out of good standing, payouts stop until you fix it.

Content & Reviews

Users may post reviews, ratings, photos, and other content. You retain ownership of your content but grant BiteRoutes a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute it on the platform. Reviews must be honest and based on genuine experiences. We reserve the right to remove content that violates our guidelines or is flagged by the community.

Intellectual Property

BiteRoutes and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by BiteRoutes and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of our platform without prior written consent.

Prohibited Conduct

You may not use BiteRoutes for any unlawful purpose, attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems, harass or impersonate other users, post false or misleading content, scrape or data-mine our platform, interfere with the platform's operation, or use the platform to distribute spam or malicious content.

Disclaimer of Warranties

BiteRoutes is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BiteRoutes shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform, the quality or safety of food purchased, the accuracy of food truck locations or menus, or any loss of data or profits.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless BiteRoutes, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms or for any other reason at our discretion. You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Upon termination, your right to use the platform ceases immediately, but sections on liability, indemnification, and governing law survive.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the platform shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except where prohibited by law. You agree to waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit.

Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at support@biteroutes.com.