We have updated Stuart General Conditions of Use (GCU). From 11 March 2024, we have introduced the right to substitution for couriers. As a self-employed individual, you are carrying out business in your own name and for your own account. You have the flexibility to decide if you want to complete deliveries on the Stuart platform, and with the right to substitution you may appoint a Substitute to deliver on your courier account.
In this article:
Do I need to inform Stuart I am using a Substitute?
When you appoint a substitute you must inform us within 14 days, and you can do this by following the link below.
This will allow Stuart to monitor the use of Substitution and demonstrate that it is taking place in practice. Failure to inform Stuart of the details of your Substitute is considered to be in breach of Stuart GCUs and may result in your account being terminated.
What are Substitute requirements?*
In accordance with the GCU, before you appoint a Substitute you need to make sure that they:
Are 18 years old or above;
Have the Right to Work in the UK;
Are not subject to any criminal convictions;
Are able to complete deliveries with the same method of transport as registered on your account;
Have Hire & Reward insurance for Fast Food Delivery/Food Courier work ( if necessary, see below);
Can complete deliveries in compliance with road, health and safety regulations;
Perform deliveries in line with the GCU;
Have not had their Stuart account suspended or terminated in the past and do not have their account currently suspended;
Have been sent the C25 page.
See below information on how to verify the information of your Substitute.
*Please note that there is no limit on the period of time that you can substitute for. The substitute must continue to meet all of the requirements (see above list). As the courier account holder, you are responsible for passing on earnings to your Substitute. This is a private agreement between you and your Substitution and this should be determined between you (see more on this below).
What does the right to substitution mean for you?
Important!
Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility, as the courier account holder, to ensure that your Substitute is conducting deliveries on the Stuart platform in accordance with the GCU. If your substitute is considered to be in breach of Stuart GCUs it may result in your account being terminated.
Once you have appointed a Substitute please be aware that:
It is your responsibility to pass on earnings to your Substitute. in. This is a private agreement between you and your Substitution and must be in accordance with applicable laws and regulations;
It’s your responsibility to share your account details with your Substitute in an appropriate secure way to ensure the account details remain safe;
When your Substitute is completing deliveries, in order to be able to contact the customer support team, they must update their phone number on your account.*
Stuart reserves the right under the GCU to undertake audits of accounts holders and Substitutes to ensure that Substitutes are appointed in accordance with the GCU.
*Please note that even if you appoint a Substitute, your insurance and account details need to be up to date and contain all of YOUR relevant information (as the courier account holder).
How to verify the information of your substitute?
1.Right to work in the UK:
The following documents can be used to check that your Substitute is 18 or over and has the Right to Work in the UK:
UK Passport or UK Birth Certificate + NIN (National Insurance Number)
EU/EEA passport and their right to work code ( to learn more click - here )
BRP card - Indefinite Leave to Remain / Settlement / Refugee / Spouse / EU family member / PBS dependant / Tier 1
The document needs to be up to date and valid in order for the Substitute to be able to work, to learn more about Right to work visit our help centre article - here - or the UK government site - here.
2. Insurance:
All Substitutes (in the same way as account holders) driving motorbikes & cars must have a valid Hire & Reward insurance that clearly states that the policy covers Fast Food Delivery or Food Courier work. To learn more about Hire & Reward insurance, please visit our help centre article - here
3. Criminal convictions:
In accordance with the GCU, your Substitute must not be subject to any unspent criminal convictions. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check can allow you to verify this before you appoint them as substitutes.
This can be evidenced by your substitute providing a DBS check that they have obtained for another purpose, you can obtain one on them, or you can require your substitute to process it directly on the UK government website, to learn more click - here.
How to share your account details*
It’s your responsibility as the account holder to share account details with your Substitute.
You will need to share the email address registered to your Stuart account and the password you use to log in.
Please note that once a Substitute logs-in to your account, they must update their phone number. Please refer them to the Help Centre article ‘’ Changing phone number’’ below.
*To ensure the security of your account, we recommend changing your password when you start using your account again after your have exercised your right to substitution.
FAQ’s
Why does my Substitute need to have the same transport type as me?
To ensure that the delivery invitations are sent to the correct transport type, as different vehicles have different package size capacities, speed limits, earnings and other factors that can influence delivery quality for clients. This will also ensure that the clients receive expected service when requesting specific transport types.
How will the Substitute receive their earnings?
Any substitution arrangement is private between the courier (account owner) and the Substitute. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your chosen Substitute is paid for the work they undertake on the Stuart platform using your account.
What should my substitute know before delivering?
We recommend checking our useful link section below, which you can share with your Substitute so that they can learn more about the platform and all relevant processes. Your Substitute should also familiarise themselves with the GCU before carrying out any deliveries.
Can Substitutes order Stuart equipment?
Substitutes are responsible for ensuring they have their own equipment. You may share your Stuart equipment with your Substitute if you choose to do so. To check the requirements please see this help centre article.
Relevant links:
We recommend sharing the following information with your Substitute to ensure they are up to date on all the necessary information to complete deliveries.