Terms & Conditions

These Terms & Conditions govern your use of the RouteMate SA platform and every lift-club trip arranged through it. By registering, browsing, booking or driving with RouteMate SA, you agree to these terms.

RouteMate SA (Pty) Ltd is a technology platform that connects verified drivers with riders travelling similar commuting routes. We do not own the vehicles and we are not a taxi or e-hailing operator.

'Driver' means a registered member who offers seats in a private vehicle on a recurring route.

'Rider' means a registered member who books and pays for a seat on a driver's route.

'Route' means a recurring set of pick-up and drop-off points, travel days and times published by a driver.

'Booking' means a calendar-month seat reservation confirmed by payment.

'Platform fee / service fee' means the RouteMate SA commission and processing charge added to or deducted from a fare.

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into contracts to use RouteMate SA.

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials safe and for all activity that occurs under your account.

Account information must be accurate and kept up to date. Misrepresentation may result in account suspension.

Drivers must hold a valid South African driving licence for the vehicle class being used and provide their vehicle details for review.

Drivers must complete identity and document verification before a route is listed.

Drivers are responsible for arriving on time, driving safely, obeying traffic laws, and maintaining their vehicle in a safe condition.

Drivers may not discriminate unfairly against riders and must treat all members with respect.

Drivers must cancel or pause a route promptly if they can no longer provide the service.

Riders must be ready at the agreed pick-up point at the scheduled time.

Riders must treat drivers and other riders with respect and must not damage vehicles or disturb the trip.

Riders may not resell, transfer or share a booked seat without the driver's consent.

Riders must keep their contact and payment information current.

All fares are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT where applicable.

Riders pay booking fares in advance by card through Paystack or by instant EFT through Ozow. Memberships are card-only through Paystack and renew automatically each month until cancelled. RouteMate SA stores no card or bank account numbers.

RouteMate SA charges a 12% commission to both rider and driver on each booking unless the member has an active subscription that reduces or waives that commission.

Driver and rider subscriptions are paid by card through Paystack and renew automatically each month until cancelled. Failed renewal charges may be retried.

Drivers are paid by EFT either weekly (every Friday evening, for the travel days both sides confirmed that week) or monthly (at 6pm on the last day of the month, moved to the preceding Friday when that day falls on a weekend), whichever the driver chooses. Payouts cover fares that were collected and not refunded, less commission and any subscription or platform fees; a mid-month start is paid for the days travelled only.

Cancellations are handled according to the RouteMate SA Refund & Cancellation Policy. The policy sets out refund tiers based on who cancels and when.

If a driver cancels or declines a booking, the rider receives a full refund.

If a rider cancels before any trips have been taken, the driver's share of the payment is refunded and the RouteMate SA commissions are retained. If some trips have already been taken, the unused days are refunded pro-rata from the driver's share.

Refunds are processed back to the original payment method and may take 5–10 business days to reflect, depending on the rider's bank.

RouteMate SA is a matching platform only. The driver is responsible for the vehicle and the safety of passengers while in transit.

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, RouteMate SA's liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of the platform is limited to the amount paid by the user to RouteMate SA in the 12 months before the incident.

RouteMate SA is not liable for delays, missed trips or losses caused by traffic, weather, vehicle breakdowns or other events outside our reasonable control.

You agree to indemnify and hold RouteMate SA, its directors, employees and agents harmless from any claim, loss or damage arising from your breach of these terms, your negligence, or your conduct while using the platform.

RouteMate SA may suspend or terminate any account that violates these terms, misuses the platform, endangers others, or is involved in fraud or abuse.

You may close your account at any time by contacting support. Outstanding bookings and payouts will be settled in accordance with these terms.

Your personal information is handled in accordance with our Privacy & POPIA Policy and South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013.

Driver and rider contact details are shared only after a booking is paid for, so that trip coordination can take place.

RouteMate SA may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. Material changes will be notified by email or an in-app notice. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any dispute arising from these terms or the use of the platform should first be raised through our support desk. If unresolved, either party may pursue the dispute through the South African courts.