BOOKO PLATFORM

5.1 Users. Must be at least 18 years of age and possess the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts. By agreeing to these Terms, you represent that you are of sound mind and have the capacity to understand and accept them, and Booko is entitled to rely on that representation.

5.2 Merchants. Must be legally authorised to operate in their jurisdiction, hold all required health, safety, food hygiene, and alcohol licences, and maintain adequate public liability insurance.

5.3 Merchant Verification. Merchant accounts are subject to a verification process, including review by Booko's administration team. Booko reserves the right to approve, reject, or suspend any Merchant account at its sole discretion.

5.4 Identity Verification. Booko reserves the right to use third-party services (including Stripe Identity and Stripe Connect) to verify the identity of any User or Merchant. Failure to complete requested verification may result in account restriction or suspension.

5.5 Account Security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.

6.1 Booking Requests. Users submit Booking Requests specifying their preferences. The Platform uses automated matching to identify qualifying Merchants based on cuisine, location, capacity, budget, and dietary requirements.

6.2 Merchant Bids. Matched Merchants may submit Bids (including food/drinks discounts and/or complimentary items). Merchants may also configure automated bidding strategies ("Auto-Offers") to respond to matching requests automatically.

6.3 User Acceptance and Card Authorisation. When a User accepts a Bid, they are required to provide valid payment card details. The User's card is saved securely via Stripe and an Authorisation is placed. The User is not charged at this stage. The Authorisation serves as downside protection against No-Shows and Late Cancellations.

6.4 Merchant Confirmation. For bookings with more than 24 hours' lead time, the Merchant must manually confirm the booking within the applicable SLA deadline. For short-notice bookings (24 hours or less), confirmation is automatic upon User acceptance. If a Merchant fails to confirm within the deadline, the booking is cancelled and the Authorisation is Released.

6.5 Booking Completion. Following a successful booking (i.e., the User attends), the Authorisation is Released. The User is charged £0 for standard bookings. The Merchant is invoiced for the applicable Performance Fee via Booko's weekly billing cycle.

6.6 Fulfilment. The dining experience, including the provision of any discounts, complimentary items, or other promotional terms offered in the Bid, is the sole responsibility of the Merchant. Booko has no involvement in and accepts no liability for the fulfilment of the booking or any offer made by the Merchant.

6.7 Deal Publication. Merchants may publish Deal Drops offering promotional terms (discounts, complimentary items) for specified dates, times, and availability windows.

6.8 User Requests. Users may browse available Deal Drops and submit a request specifying their party size and preferred time. Card details are provided and an Authorisation is placed upon Merchant acceptance.

6.9 Merchant Acceptance. Deal Drop requests always require manual Merchant confirmation. Upon acceptance, the Platform places an Authorisation on the User's card.

6.10 Deal Fulfilment. Deal Drops, including all stated discounts, complimentary items, and promotional terms, are offers made by the Merchant, not by Booko. The Merchant is solely responsible for honouring the terms of any Deal Drop. Booko does not guarantee the availability, accuracy, or fulfilment of any Deal Drop.

7.1 Payment Processor. All financial transactions are processed by Stripe Payments UK Ltd. Booko does not store, process, or have access to full payment card numbers. Card data is handled exclusively by Stripe in accordance with PCI DSS standards.

7.2 Authorisation Model. The Platform operates an authorisation-based payment model. When a User accepts a Bid or a Merchant accepts a Deal Drop request, the User's card is authorised (held) for a specified amount. This is a hold, not a charge. No money is debited from the User's account unless and until the Authorisation is Captured.

7.3 Standard Authorisation Amount. For standard bookings (typically parties of fewer than 10 guests, or where the Merchant has not enabled Custom Deposits), the Authorisation amount equals the applicable Platform Fee, currently a flat rate of £2 per cover.

7.4 Custom Deposits (Large Parties). Where (a) the party size meets or exceeds the Merchant's large-party threshold (default: 10 guests), (b) the Merchant has enabled Custom Deposits, and (c) the Merchant holds a verified Stripe Connect account, the Authorisation amount shall be the Merchant's configured per-guest deposit rate multiplied by the party size. Custom Deposits are transferred in full to the Merchant's Stripe Connect account within 24 hours of a successful booking. The Platform Fee is invoiced to the Merchant separately via the weekly billing cycle.

7.5 Deferred Authorisation. For bookings more than 6 days in the future, the Platform saves the User's card details but defers the Authorisation to within 5–6 days of the booking date, in order to avoid payment processor hold expiration limits. Users will be notified if additional card verification (e.g., 3D Secure) is required when the deferred Authorisation is created.

7.7 Merchant Performance Fees. Merchants are invoiced weekly for accrued Performance Fees arising from completed bookings. Fees are billed in arrears. A minimum billing threshold of £10 applies; fees below this threshold roll over to the following billing period. Performance Fees are waived for any booking where the User was marked as a No-Show by the Merchant. Promotional discounts (e.g., introductory offers for new Merchants) may apply.

7.8 Launch Promotion. Booko may offer selected Merchants, including founding members, a temporary 100% discount on Booko Performance Fees during the launch period. Unless expressly stated otherwise, this promotion applies only to Booko Performance Fees and does not cover Stripe or payment processing charges, taxes, Custom Deposits, refunds, chargebacks, venue costs, or any discounts or offers provided by the Merchant to Users. Bookings confirmed while the promotion is active will receive the discount shown in the Platform at the time of confirmation. Booko will give affected Merchants reasonable advance notice before the promotion ends or paid billing begins.

7.9 Taxes. Merchants are solely responsible for calculating, reporting, and remitting any VAT or other taxes applicable to the services they provide and any Performance Fees they pay to Booko.

7.10 Supported Payment Methods. The Platform supports major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Stripe Link, subject to availability in the User's region.

8.1 Global Cancellation Policy. A 24-hour cancellation policy applies to all bookings. Users who cancel 24 or more hours before the scheduled booking time will have their Authorisation Released in full (no charge). Users who cancel less than 24 hours before the booking time will have their Authorisation Captured.

8.2 Merchant Cancellations. If a Merchant cancels a confirmed booking, the User's Authorisation is Released immediately (no charge to the User), regardless of timing. Repeated Merchant cancellations may result in platform penalties, account suspension, or termination.

8.3 No-Shows. If a User fails to attend a confirmed booking, the Merchant may mark the booking as a No-Show within 24 hours of the scheduled time. Upon such marking, the Authorisation is Captured. The Merchant's Performance Fee is waived for No-Show bookings.

8.4 Custom Deposit Refunds. For bookings involving a Custom Deposit: (a) cancellation by the User 24 or more hours before the booking results in full Release of the Authorisation; (b) cancellation by the User less than 24 hours before the booking, or a No-Show, results in Capture and transfer of the full Custom Deposit amount to the Merchant.

8.5 Disputes. Any dispute regarding a payment, Authorisation, or Capture must be raised via the Platform or by contacting support@booko.email within 48 hours of the relevant booking time. Booko will investigate in good faith and its determination on the disposition of held or captured funds shall be final in its capacity as intermediary, without prejudice to your statutory rights. Any dispute regarding the quality or fulfilment of a booking, the accuracy of a promotional offer, or the service received at a venue must be directed to the Merchant.

8.6 General Complaints. If you have a complaint about the Platform or Booko's services, you should contact us via the Platform or at support@booko.email. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable time. Nothing in this clause prevents either party from commencing court proceedings where appropriate.

9.1 SLA Deadlines. The Platform enforces time-bound deadlines for key actions. Deadlines are calculated using business hours (08:00–00:00 daily) and preserve minute-level precision.

9.4 Expiry. If a Merchant fails to respond within the applicable SLA deadline, the booking is automatically cancelled and the User's Authorisation is Released.

10.1 Users shall not misuse the Platform, including by: submitting fraudulent or fictitious Booking Requests; using the Platform to harass, abuse, or discriminate against any Merchant or other User; circumventing or attempting to circumvent any security features; or creating multiple accounts to exploit promotional offers.

10.2 Users shall provide accurate information when creating Booking Requests, including party size, dietary requirements, and contact details.

10.3 Users acknowledge a maximum of 5 concurrent active Booking Requests (across both Traditional and Deal Drop bookings).

11.1 Merchants shall honour confirmed bookings and the specific terms of any Bid or Deal Drop they have offered, including all stated discounts and complimentary items.

11.2 Merchants shall only mark a booking as a No-Show where the User has genuinely failed to attend. Fraudulent No-Show marking is a serious breach of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination.

11.3 Merchants are responsible for ensuring that their venue information, availability, operating hours, and deal details are accurate and up to date.

11.4 Merchants using automated bidding strategies (Auto-Offers) remain responsible for all Bids generated by such strategies.

12.1 All intellectual property rights in the Platform (including its design, code, brand, logos, and content) are owned by or licensed to Booko Ltd. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the Platform without our prior written consent.

12.2 By uploading content to the Platform (including venue photographs and descriptions), Merchants grant Booko a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, display, and distribute such content for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform.

13.1 Booko reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate any account at any time for breach of these Terms, suspected fraud, or where required by law.

13.2 Users may delete their account at any time via the account settings in the Platform. Account deletion is subject to the resolution of any outstanding bookings and is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including GDPR-compliant anonymisation of personal data.

13.3 Merchants with active bookings or outstanding Performance Fee balances may not delete their account until all obligations are fulfilled or settled. Merchants whose sign-up is incomplete may delete their account at any time.

14.1 "As Is" Basis. The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Booko makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the reliability, availability, accuracy, or fitness for purpose of the Platform.

14.3 No Liability for User Conduct. Booko is not liable for any acts, errors, omissions, or conduct of any User, including failure to attend a confirmed booking, misrepresentation of party size or requirements, or any other breach by a User of a Service Agreement.

14.4 Indirect Loss. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Booko shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses.

14.5 Maximum Liability. Booko's total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the use of the Platform shall not exceed the greater of: (a) £100; or (b) the total fees paid by you to Booko in the 12 months preceding the claim.

14.6 Statutory Rights. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

16.1 Availability. We do not guarantee that the Platform will be available at all times, uninterrupted, or error-free. We may suspend, restrict, or withdraw the Platform (or any part of it) for maintenance, business, or operational reasons at any time without notice.

16.2 Modifications to Terms and Privacy Policy. Booko reserves the right to update or modify these Terms and our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will communicate material updates through the Platform, including through the app, or by email. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any modification constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms and Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any modification, you must cease using the Platform and close your account.

16.3 Modifications to Fees. Changes to Performance Fee rates or Authorisation calculation methodology will be communicated to affected Merchants with reasonable advance notice.

18.1 By creating an account, you consent to receive essential transactional communications (including booking confirmations, cancellation notices, and payment alerts) via push notification and/or email. Essential notifications cannot be disabled.

18.2 You may manage your preferences for optional communications (including promotional messages, booking reminders, and new deal alerts) via the notification settings in the Platform.

18.3 Where these Terms refer to notice or communication in writing, this includes notice given through the Platform, by push notification, or by email to the contact details associated with your account.

20.1 Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed from these Terms and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

20.2 Assignment. Booko may assign, transfer, subcontract, or novate any of its rights or obligations under these Terms, provided that doing so does not reduce your rights under these Terms or applicable law. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without Booko's prior written consent.

21.1 Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Booko in relation to your use of the Platform and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

21.2 Third-Party Rights. A person who is not a party to these Terms shall have no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any provision of these Terms.