The Terms and Conditions can be found on the Stuart website by following this link:
On this page:
Understanding the Stuart Terms and Conditions (“T&Cs”) and the Privacy Notice
Frequently Asked Questions
About using the Stuart platform
Special Conditions applicable to Independent Couriers
Privacy Notice
Understanding the Stuart Terms and Conditions (“T&Cs”)
To use the Stuart platform, couriers have to agree to the Stuart T&Cs. It’s important that you fully understand them.
Below you will find information about our T&Cs and answers to some of the most common questions about them. Please note that you should always refer to the full T&Cs rather than relying on this help centre article.
The key documents you need to familiarise yourself with are:
The T&Cs, sometimes referred to as the General Conditions of Use, or GCU. In this article, we will refer to them as T&Cs. A T&Cs agreement is a legal document that outlines each party's responsibilities and obligations and defines the conditions under which Users can request and pay for the delivery of goods. Once accepted, the T&Cs grants you, the Independent Courier, a licence to use the Stuart app and the Stuart platform to accept and complete deliveries for Users. They are divided into two sections:
The Privacy Notice, a document that describes how Stuart processes your personal data and the personal data of clients and end customers
Every time you accept a delivery request, you are entering into a contract with the User to offer your delivery services through the Stuart platform. This contract is regulated by the T&Cs, meaning that, every time you accept to deliver an item, you agree to follow the terms we set out.
Our T&Cs apply to three parties:
Independent Couriers* | Users* | Company |
Independent Couriers using the Stuart platform (you) 🚲 | Clients using the Stuart platform (e.g. grocery partners) 🏪 | Stuart as a company, which provides the Stuart platform to Members 👨💻 |
*Independent Couriers and Users are known collectively as “Members” throughout the T&Cs
Frequently Asked Questions
You should always read the T&Cs in full. However, we have added some Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand more about the ways in which they affect you.
What are the T&Cs?
A T&Cs agreement is a legal document that outlines each party's responsibilities and obligations and defines the conditions under which Users can request and pay for the delivery of goods. Once accepted, the T&Cs grants you, the Independent Courier, a licence to use the Stuart app and the Stuart platform to accept and complete deliveries for Users.
2. Can the T&Cs change?
Yes, from time to time we will update the terms and conditions. When this happens, we will send you a notification and ask you to accept our new T&Cs, as well as summarise the changes.
3. What is the relationship between me and the User?
Stuart is responsible for the Stuart platform, which connects you with Users who request delivery services. When you accept a delivery request, you are entering into a contract with the User and agreeing that you will carry out the delivery for them.
4. Do I need to give Stuart my data?
Yes, you need to share some data with Stuart in order to conduct deliveries through the Stuart Platform. You can find more information about how Stuart uses your personal data here.
5. What are my responsibilities in relation to other data (data belonging to clients, end customers, and order recipients)?
By signing the Stuart Terms & Conditions, you legally bind yourself to keep the data of Stuart’s users,clients and end customers confidential.
6. Is this an employment contract?
No, the T&Cs do not constitute a contract of employment. All couriers using the Stuart platform are self-employed and therefore do not have employment contracts. This means that, as a self employed courier, you can decide when, where, and how you use the Stuart platform to complete deliveries.
About using the Stuart platform
How are delivery requests allocated?
If you are logged into the app, the Stuart algorithm may allocate you a delivery request. Delivery requests are assigned depending on a number of factors such as appropriate transport type for the package, and distance to the pick-up location. See clause 5.2. Package Size & limits of the Method of Transport and 6.2(a) Confirmation of the Delivery Request.
2. What happens when I accept a delivery request?
You will receive delivery requests from the Stuart app. You can decide to accept or reject them. Pressing the [confirmation]/[accept] button means that you are accepting the invitation and, therefore, that you are committing to perform the delivery in accordance with the T&Cs. See clause 6.2. Acceptance by the Independent Courier of the Delivery Request.
3. Do I have to take the suggested route to drop-off?
You are under no obligation to take the route recommended by the app as we appreciate that sometimes taking a different route is necessary. Nevertheless, please note that you will still be expected to conduct the delivery within a reasonable timeframe. See clause 6.2.3. Execution of the Delivery of Goods by the Independent Courier.
4. Do I need to complete the delivery within the ETA?
You are under no obligation to complete the delivery within the timeframe assigned. However, by accepting the delivery request, you commit to make your best efforts to complete the delivery within a reasonable timeframe, taking into account factors such as package size, transport type, package type, distance, traffic, and weather conditions. See clause 6.2.3. Execution of the Delivery of Goods by the Independent Courier.
5. What happens when I deliver the package?
A package is “delivered” when you have confirmed delivery on the app, and/or if you have taken a photo of the completed delivery (if required by the app). See clause 6.2.4. Delivery of the Goods by the Independent Courier to the Recipient.
6. What happens if the recipient is not there? (For food deliveries)
If you are delivering food and you are unable to contact the recipient, you can leave the order in a safe place. See clause 6.2.5. Return of Goods by the Independent Courier.
7. What happens if the recipient is not there? (For any other type of delivery, including age-restricted items)
If you are unable to contact the recipient, you need to cancel the delivery and return the order to the pick-up address. You will be paid the same amount for the return journey as you were paid for the initial delivery. You must not dispose of the goods unless you are authorised to. If you dispose of goods without being authorised, you may have to reimburse the User. See clause 6.2.5. Return of Goods by the Independent Courier.
8. Do I have any other obligations?
a. Yes, Independent Couriers are also required to follow the obligations listed below. See clause 6.4.4.
i. You must ride using an appropriate transport type (info here).
ii. You must drive responsibly and ensure that your vehicle is clean, appropriately maintained, and in good roadworthy condition
iii. You must deliver packages using the correct equipment (info here). You can use Stuart branded equipment, JET branded equipment, or unbranded equipment
iv.Be professional and work diligently, always handling the goods that you are delivering with care
v.Be responsible with the goods and make sure you don’t damage, destroy, steal, lose the items, or tamper with them
vi. Don’t discriminate, harass, or engage in threatening behaviour against other couriers, customers, members of the public, and staff at pick-up points
vii. Don’t engage in criminal activity or any fraudulent action
vii. Make sure that you look clean, tidy and professional
ix. Make sure you maintain good personal hygiene standards. This is essential as delivering often requires handling food
x.Do not interfere with pick-up location operations
xi. Follow our Challenge 25 policy when delivering age-restricted items
xii. Attend any induction that the User may request (e.g. Challenge 25)
xiii. Deliver goods in accordance with the estimated delivery times and within any requested time limits or deadlines indicated by the User
xiv. Deliver items in a timely manner and without delay. If you know you will be late at pick-up, contact Stuart to allow us to reassign the delivery. If you are delayed and the recipient isn’t there to receive the delivery, you must try your best to contact them (process here) and if they still aren’t available, leave the order in a safe place (food deliveries) or return the goods to the pick-up (all other orders, including age-restricted items)
xv. Have a good standard of spoken English
xvi. Remove motorcycle helmets when interacting with Users and Recipients
xvii. Be polite and courteous to both the User and the Recipient
xviii. Comply with operating standards for Users such as:
Pick-up procedures
Delivery procedures
Parking requirements
Other requirements regarding premises
9. What happens if I don’t fulfil these obligations?
a. If you don’t fulfil these obligations you may be notified. Your account may be suspended for a period of time while Stuart investigates any breach of the T&Cs, and/or ultimately terminated if we find that you are at fault. See clauses 6.4.5 and 14. Duration – suspension – termination.
10. What are the obligations of the User?
a. Users are required to act with professionalism and decency and are not allowed to carry out any action that would be harmful to you. Additionally, they should allow you to access their premises to use facilities such as drinking water and toilets. They should also let you know about parking and pick-up procedures. See clause 6.4.5.
11. Can a User cancel a delivery?
a. A User can cancel a delivery without being charged up to 2 minutes after making the request. After 2 minutes, the User has to pay a cancellation fee, which Stuart passes on to you. You can read what the cancellation fee amount is here. See clause 6.6.1 Cancellation by the User.
12. Can I cancel a delivery?
a. Yes. Before you pick up the goods, you can cancel a delivery for any reason. When you cancel, Stuart assigns another courier to that delivery. See clause 6.6.2. Cancellation by the Independent Couriers.
13. What happens if a package is damaged or lost?
a. If a package is accidentally damaged or lost during transit, or it was already damaged before pick-up, then you are not liable to pay for it. However, if the damage or loss was caused by you, you may be liable to reimburse the User. This may also result in your suspension and/or termination from the Stuart platform. It is the User’s responsibility to prove that the item was not damaged before it left the pick-up location. See clause 7.2. Upon receipt of the Delivery of Goods by the Recipient.
Special Conditions applicable to Independent Couriers
What do I need to be a courier?
To become a courier, you have to submit a series of documents. This is to prove identity, right to work and the right to operate a vehicle. Additionally, you may have to pass a background check. See clause 1.1.1. Private individual.
Who can use my account?
You are the only person who is allowed to use your account. You should never share your login information with anyone. Stuart checks that couriers are using legitimate accounts and may suspend and/or terminate drivers who are found sharing accounts with another person. See clause 1.1.3. Accounts.
If my account is terminated, can I challenge the decision?
If you believe your account has been unfairly terminated, you can fill out a Termination Appeal Form. You will be asked to provide objective evidence that you were not at fault. Once you do this, the Stuart team will review this evidence and reconsider the termination. They will then get in touch with you to let you know if your appeal has been approved or not. See clause 1.1.3. Accounts.
Can I change my transport type?
If you wish to change your transport type, you have to submit a request and upload any relevant documents. Once these are verified, the team will get in touch with you to let you know the status of your request. Please have a look at this article to find out how to change your transport type. Please note that Stuart checks that couriers are using the correct transport type and, therefore, your account may be suspended and/or terminated if we detect that you are using a different transport type from the one registered on your account. See clause 1.2. Choice of Method of Transport.
What documents do I need to use my vehicle?
It is your responsibility to make sure that you comply with the legal requirements of operating the vehicle that you are using. This includes: making sure the vehicle is in good working order, having a valid MOT certificate, as well as paying insurance and taxes. See clause 1.2. Choice of Method of Transport.
Why do I have to upload my insurance documents?
It is a legal requirement that you always have valid insurance for your vehicle. Because of this, you have to upload your insurance documents and update them every time they expire. Stuart checks that couriers have valid and up-to-date insurance documents. Please note that your account may be suspended or terminated if we find that your insurance documents have expired. See clause 1.3 Biannual and pre-expiration renewal of evidence required by the Company.
Can I have another job?
Yes! As a Stuart courier you are self-employed. This means that, as well as delivering with our platform, you can have other jobs. However, please note that you cannot complete any other work at the same time as being on a slot or when delivering a Stuart order. See clause 2. Availability of the Independent Courier.
How does Stuart use my location data?
When your device is switched on and the app shows that you are “available”, Stuart is able to access your location data and uses it to assign you orders and check that you are on route while delivering packages. If you block your location using GPS spoofing or blocking apps, your account may be suspended or terminated. See clause 2. Availability of the Independent Courier.
How does Stuart use my phone number?
When completing a delivery, you may sometimes need to contact Users by phone and we use the phone number associated with your account to connect you with them. Therefore, ensuring that your phone number is always up-to-date on your account is extremely important. See clause 2. Availability of the Independent Courier.
How much am I paid?
When you complete a delivery with us, you are paid a Delivery Fee. This is based on your location, your transport type, the distance you travelled to deliver the order, and the size of the package. You can find detailed information about pay here.
To offer you full transparency about how much you will be paid for a delivery, we add this information to any delivery invite that you receive. This allows you to choose if you want to accept the delivery or reject it. You may also receive Incentive Payments such as a multiplier or, depending on your city, a Waiting Fee. This allows you to receive payment for any time between 15 and 30 minutes that spent waiting for an order at pick-up. You can find more information here.
See clause 4. Delivery Fee
How many deliveries will I complete?
Stuart doesn’t guarantee a minimum number of available deliveries. However, we do our best to put you in contact with Users who require the delivery of goods. See clause 5. Acceptance and execution of a Delivery of Goods.
Does Stuart get paid for deliveries?
Yes, Stuart takes a commission for every delivery completed. See clause 6. Commission.
How am I paid?
The User pays their fee to Stuart, who deduct their commission from it. The sums due to you are then paid into your bank account. See clause III. Collection mandate.
How often will I be paid?
You will receive weekly payments for all the deliveries completed since the last invoice issued. Payment FAQs can be found here. See clause 9. Payment.
Where are my payments recorded?
When paying you, Stuart acts as your ‘agent’. This means that we prepare the invoices, or payment statements, that you can use to track your earnings. See clause IV. Billing mandate.
Do I have to pay taxes?
As a self-employed individual, you are fully liable for your legal and tax obligations. While we cannot provide any tax advice, you can find relevant information on the topic on the government website here. We provide an annual statement with a summary of your earnings every April for the last tax year (April - April) - you can find more information about this here. This can be used to work out how much tax you owe on your Stuart earnings. See clause V. Taxation.
Is there anything else I agree to by accepting the T&Cs?
By signing our T&Cs, you also guarantee that you will comply with any applicable legislation and regulations, including the payment of taxes. In addition to this, you agree to comply with the Highway Code and to take all possible precautions to be in the best possible condition, both physically and psychologically, to undertake your delivery duties when you are “available” on the Stuart app. Additionally, you guarantee that you will not commit any fraud or act dishonestly against both Stuart and Users, and that, in case you are involved in any accident, incident, or incur in any problem while completing a delivery, you will inform Stuart as soon as possible. See clause 10. Specific guarantees of the Independent Courier.