Terms & Conditions

1. About SameFare

Wellfare ehf. ("SameFare", "we", "us") operates an online ridesharing platform at samefare.com that connects drivers travelling across Iceland with passengers who wish to share the journey and split the cost of fuel and road expenses.

SameFare is a marketplace intermediary only. We do not provide transportation services. All rides are arranged directly between drivers and passengers, who enter into a private cost-sharing agreement with each other. SameFare is not a party to that agreement.

2. Accepting These Terms

By creating an account or using any feature of the Platform, you confirm that:

• You are at least 18 years of age.
• You have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy.
• If you are registering on behalf of a legal entity, you have authority to bind that entity.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify registered users by email or platform notice at least 15 days before material changes take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

3. Registration & Account

You must register an account to post rides or make bookings. When registering you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current and complete information.
• Keep your login credentials confidential and not share your account.
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account.
• Maintain only one active account at a time.

You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. SameFare will not be liable for losses caused by unauthorised account access where you failed to keep credentials secure.

4. Identity & Driver Verification

4.1 Identity Verification (all users)

Before making your first booking as a passenger, you must submit a government-issued photo ID (national ID card or passport). Our team reviews submissions within 1–2 business days. Until approved, you may browse trips but cannot complete a booking.

Once approved, your profile displays a verified identity badge, increasing trust with drivers and other passengers.

4.2 Driver's Licence Verification (drivers)

Before posting your first ride, you must upload a valid Icelandic driver's licence. Submission of a licence confirms that:

• The licence is valid and covers the class of vehicle you intend to drive.
• Your civil liability insurance policy covers ridesharing or carrying fare-contributing passengers. It is your responsibility to confirm this with your insurer.
• The vehicle has a valid roadworthiness certificate (skoðun).

Once approved, your profile displays a verified driver's licence badge. SameFare verifies document authenticity to a reasonable standard but cannot guarantee the validity of any document submitted.

4.3 Minors

Users under 18 may not register or use the Platform. Passengers under 13 may not travel unaccompanied on any trip booked through SameFare.

5. Posting a Ride

When you post a ride as a driver you agree that:

• You own, lease, or have explicit permission to use the vehicle for ridesharing.
• The vehicle is a passenger car with a maximum of 7 seats (including driver).
• All information in your ride listing (route, time, price, vehicle details) is accurate.
• You will not post the same trip in multiple listings simultaneously.
• You will wait at least 15 minutes beyond the agreed pickup time before departing, and will be present at the agreed pickup location.
• You will promptly notify passengers of any delays or cancellations.

Trip listings are visible to all platform visitors. SameFare reserves the right to remove listings that violate these Terms.

6. Booking a Seat

When you complete a booking as a passenger:

• Your card is authorised for the full amount (cost contribution + service fee). The actual charge is collected at departure — see section 8 for the payment authorisation model.
• Your booking is confirmed once authorisation succeeds; the driver is notified.
• The driver's contact details are shared with you, and your first name is shared with the driver.
• You agree to arrive at the pickup point and wait at least 15 minutes past the agreed departure time.
• You must carry valid photo ID for the journey.
• You may not book on behalf of a minor under 13 who will travel alone.

7. Cost Contributions & Fees

7.1 Cost Contributions

SameFare is a cost-sharing platform. Drivers may only request a contribution that reflects actual trip costs (fuel, tolls, wear). It is strictly prohibited to use the platform to generate a profit. SameFare may remove listings or suspend accounts where pricing appears commercial in nature.

As a guideline, reasonable contributions for common Icelandic routes are:

7.2 Service Fee

SameFare charges a 18% service fee on the cost contribution, payable by the passenger at the time of booking. This fee is non-refundable unless the driver cancels the trip or fails to appear (see sections 8 and 9).

Late-authorisation surcharge. For trips booked more than 7 days in advance, your card is saved today and charged 24 hours before departure (see section 8.1). If that authorisation fails and you choose to update your card within the 2-hour retry window, a 5% surcharge is added to the service fee, bringing the total service fee to 23%. This surcharge is non-refundable once the updated card is saved.

7.3 Driver Payouts

Cost contributions are transferred to drivers after the trip departure date. Payouts may be withheld pending investigation of disputes or policy violations.

8. Payment Authorisation, Cancellation & Refund Policy

8.1 How Payment Works

SameFare uses an authorise-then-capture model. Your card is never charged at the moment of booking — it is authorised (a hold is placed) and the funds are only captured (collected) when your trip departs.

Trips departing within 7 days (Case A)
When you complete checkout, your card is authorised for the full amount. You will see a pending reservation on your statement. The actual charge is collected at departure. If the trip is cancelled before departure, the authorisation is released in full.

Trips departing more than 7 days away (Case B)
Your card details are saved securely today (no charge). We will authorise the full amount 24 hours before your departure date. By saving your card you consent to this merchant-initiated authorisation in accordance with PSD2 strong customer authentication rules.

Case B authorisation failure & retry window
If the 24-hour-before-departure authorisation fails (e.g. insufficient funds, expired card), you will immediately receive an SMS and email notification. You have 2 hours to update your payment card via My Trips. If you update your card within this window, a 5% late-authorisation surcharge is added (total service fee becomes 23% — see section 7.2). If you do not update your card within 2 hours, your booking is automatically cancelled and your seat is released to other passengers. No charge is made on cancellation.

8.2 Cancellation & Refund Schedule

The grace period only applies when the departure is still more than 24 hours away — if the trip is imminent, the standard departure-based rules apply regardless of when the booking was made.

Refunds are processed within 5–10 business days via the original payment method. Card payments are processed securely by Rapyd — SameFare never stores your card number. To cancel a booking, go to My Trips and select the relevant booking.

9. No-Show Policy

9.1 Passenger No-Show

If a passenger does not appear at the agreed pickup point within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time, the driver may mark that passenger as a no-show via the trip page on the Platform. The following applies:

• The passenger's booking is cancelled and no refund is issued.
• The driver receives the full cost contribution as compensation.
• A first no-show is treated as a grace offence — no automatic rating penalty is applied.
• Subsequent no-shows result in an automatic 1-star rating being added to the passenger's profile after 14 days (see section 11).

9.2 Driver No-Show

If the driver does not appear at the agreed pickup point, any confirmed passenger may report a driver no-show via their booking on the Platform. The following applies:

• The reporting passenger receives a full refund — cost contribution and service fee — within 5–10 business days.
• An automatic 1-star rating is immediately added to the driver's profile.
• Repeated driver no-shows may result in account suspension (see section 12).

Drivers are required to wait at least 15 minutes beyond the agreed pickup time before treating a passenger as a no-show. Passengers are similarly required to arrive within that window and should contact the driver if they will be delayed.

10. Conduct & Obligations

10.1 All Members

All members agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any commercial transportation business.
• Arrange payment outside the Platform to circumvent service fees.
• Post false, misleading or fraudulent information.
• Harass, threaten, defame or discriminate against other members.
• Carry prohibited or illegal items during a shared trip.
• Contact other members for purposes unrelated to the trip.

10.2 Drivers

Drivers additionally agree to:

• Hold a valid driving licence and motor insurance that covers cost-sharing passengers.
• Never drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication that impairs driving.
• Transport only the passengers listed in the booking.
• Comply with all Icelandic road traffic laws.
• Be present at the agreed pickup point and depart no earlier than 15 minutes after the scheduled time.
• Inform passengers immediately of any significant delay or cancellation.

10.3 Passengers

Passengers additionally agree to:

• Arrive at the pickup point on time and notify the driver promptly if they will be late.
• Not distract the driver during the journey.
• Leave the vehicle in the same condition as found.
• Respect the driver's stated preferences (luggage, pets, smoking).

11. Reviews & Ratings

After each completed trip, both drivers and passengers are invited to leave a review. Reviews are:

• Limited to honest, first-hand accounts of the trip experience.
• Moderated for compliance with our Content Policy.

11.1 Automatic Ratings

To ensure the reliability of the review system, SameFare applies the following automatic ratings 14 days after a trip departs:

• Smooth ride — no review left: if neither party leaves a review within 14 days of departure, a 5-star rating is automatically added for both driver and passenger. This reflects the default assumption that an uneventful trip was a positive experience.
• Late cancellation (repeat offence): if a passenger has previously cancelled a paid booking less than 24 hours before departure, a subsequent late cancellation results in an automatic 1-star rating added to their profile. A first late cancellation is treated as a grace offence.
• Passenger no-show (repeat offence): a second or subsequent no-show results in an automatic 1-star rating added to the passenger's profile (see section 9.1).
• Driver no-show: an automatic 1-star rating is immediately added to the driver's profile when a no-show is reported (see section 9.2). No grace period applies.

Automatic ratings are labelled as such on public profiles. They can be overridden if the affected party contacts us with evidence that the automated classification was incorrect.

11.2 Rating Consequences

Accounts that receive three or more reviews with an average rating of 3 stars or below are subject to review and may be suspended. SameFare reserves the right to remove reviews that breach these Terms.

12. Suspension & Termination

SameFare may suspend or permanently close your account if you:

• Breach any provision of these Terms.
• Provide false or misleading information during registration or verification.
• Generate profit through the Platform in breach of section 7.1.
• Receive a critically low average review rating (section 11.2).
• Repeatedly fail to appear for confirmed trips (sections 9.1 and 9.2).
• Are suspected of fraudulent activity.

Where practicable, we will notify you before suspension so you may provide an explanation. You may appeal a suspension by contacting support@samefare.com.

You may close your account at any time by contacting us. Closure does not entitle you to refunds for confirmed bookings, nor does it affect SameFare's right to retain records as required by law.

13. Liability & Disclaimers

SameFare provides a marketplace platform only. To the maximum extent permitted by Icelandic law:

• We do not guarantee the accuracy of any member-provided information, including verified documents.
• We are not liable for any injury, loss, damage or delay arising from a trip arranged through the Platform.
• We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of drivers or passengers.
• We do not provide or endorse any insurance product in connection with ridesharing trips.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our own negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

14. Intellectual Property

All platform content, design, code and trademarks are owned by or licensed to Wellfare ehf. You may not reproduce, distribute or create derivative works from any platform content without prior written consent.

By posting content on the Platform (trip descriptions, photos, reviews), you grant SameFare a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce and display that content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Iceland. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Icelandic courts, without prejudice to your rights as a consumer under mandatory local law.

For the European Union: online dispute resolution is available via the EC ODR platform.

16. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, or to report a breach: