Terms & Conditions

Frugal Booking Service Ltd provides an online marketplace that connects Riders with independently licensed Private Hire Drivers. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Frugal does not provide transportation services and is not a party to the transportation contract between the Rider and the Driver.

Airport operators may revise their drop-off and other applicable charges from time to time. Frugal reserves the right to update any airport-related charges displayed within the App without prior notice to reflect such changes. The applicable charges in effect at the time of booking will be shown to the Rider before the booking is confirmed.

1. Definitions

  • “App” means the Frugal mobile application available on iOS and Android.
  • “Rider” means a user registered in the passenger role.
  • “Driver” means a user registered in the taxi driver role who holds a valid PHV licence.
  • “Trip” means a private hire journey created by a Rider and assigned to a Driver via auction.
  • “Bid” means a price submitted by a Driver for a specific Trip.
  • “Cut-off” means the auction deadline set by the Rider, which must be at least 2.5 hours before the scheduled pickup time. Riders may create a trip no earlier than 3 hours before the scheduled pickup time.
  • “Winning Bid” means the lowest Bid automatically selected by the system when the Cut-off expires, or the Bid accepted early by the Rider.
  • “Booking Fee” means the non-refundable £1.50 platform fee charged to the Rider on Trip publication.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a binding contract under UK law to use the App. By registering, you confirm that all information you provide is accurate and up to date. Frugal reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts where eligibility requirements are not met.

3. Account Registration

Registration is available via Apple Sign In or Google Sign In, followed by SMS OTP verification for new users. One account can hold both Rider and Driver roles simultaneously; however, the same phone number may be registered for each role as separate independent profiles.

4. Payment Terms

4.1 Riders

  • Payment is collected immediately upon Trip publication (base trip cost + £1.50 Booking Fee).
  • Supported payment methods: credit/debit card (via Stripe), Apple Pay. Cash is not accepted.
  • If the Winning Bid is lower than the base price charged, the difference is automatically refunded.
  • The £1.50 Booking Fee is non-refundable, except where the trip cannot be fulfilled due to circumstances beyond the Rider’s control. This includes, but is not limited to, cases where the Driver cancels the trip, the Driver fails to arrive, no bids are placed, the App experiences a technical failure that prevents the trip from proceeding, or Frugal cancels the trip for any reason. In such cases, the Booking Fee will be refunded to the Rider.
  • Cancellation by Rider less than 3 hours before pickup: the Booking Fee is forfeited; no additional charge applies.
  • Rider no-show: if the Rider does not arrive within 20 minutes of the scheduled pickup, the Driver may mark a no-show. The full trip amount will then be charged to the Rider’s payment method.
  • Airport drop-off charges are added to the base fare for journeys to designated airports. The applicable charges are determined by Frugal and may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in airport fees. The current airport drop-off charge is displayed separately in the pricing breakdown before booking confirmation.
  • For airport pickups, any applicable parking charges are incorporated into the total fare presented to the Rider before the booking is confirmed. The total fare is inclusive of such charges, and no additional payment for parking will be required from the Rider unless expressly stated otherwise before the booking is accepted.

4.2 Drivers

  • Frugal retains a 12.5% commission on each completed Trip’s earnings.
  • Airport fees are passed in full to the Driver (no commission deducted on the airport surcharge).
  • Driver earnings are paid out weekly every Monday for the Mon–Sun cycle via Stripe Connect.
  • A £5 penalty is deducted from the weekly payout for any cancellation made less than 3 hours before the scheduled pickup.
  • Drivers must connect a Stripe account to receive payouts; no alternative payment methods are supported.

5. Driver Obligations

To become an active Driver on Frugal, you must: hold a valid UK PHV (Private Hire Vehicle) licence; upload and maintain valid copies of your Driving Licence, Insurance Documents, PCO Certificate, and PCO Photo ID; ensure all documents are manually verified by Frugal before accepting orders.

Verified personal information (first name, surname, photo, phone, date of birth) cannot be changed directly. To update these details, contact support or initiate a document renewal.

6. Rider Obligations

Riders must provide accurate pickup and drop-off addresses, arrive at the designated pickup location on time, and treat Drivers with respect. Repeated no-shows are logged and may result in account suspension.

7. Trip Cancellation

7.1 Statutory Cooling-Off Period

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, consumers ordinarily have a 14-day right to cancel certain contracts entered into at a distance. However, this right does not apply to contracts for transport services where the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance (regulation 28, Schedule 2). As each Trip is booked for a specific scheduled pickup date and time, the statutory 14-day cancellation right does not apply to Trips booked through the App. Instead, the cancellation terms set out in the remainder of this Section 7 govern your right to cancel a Trip.

Note: this exclusion applies to transport service contracts. Given Frugal’s role as a booking intermediary rather than the transport provider (see Section 1), we recommend confirming with UK consumer-law counsel that the exemption is correctly characterised as applying to the Rider’s contract with Frugal.

7.2 Cancellation Terms

  • Riders may cancel a Trip up to 24 hours before pickup without penalty beyond the non-refundable £1.50 Booking Fee.
  • Riders who cancel less than 3 hours before pickup forfeit the £1.50 Booking Fee only.
  • Drivers who cancel less than 3 hours before pickup incur a £5 penalty deducted from their next weekly payout.
  • Frugal reserves the right to cancel Trips in exceptional circumstances (e.g., fraud, safety concerns) with appropriate notification to both parties.

8. Ratings

After each completed Trip, Riders may rate Drivers and Drivers may rate Riders on a 5-star scale. Ratings are voluntary and may be skipped. Ratings are used to maintain platform quality and may influence account standing. Text comments are not supported in the current version of the App.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You must not: provide false information during registration or while using the App; use the App for any unlawful purpose; attempt to manipulate Bids or auction outcomes; harass, threaten, or abuse other users or Frugal staff; use automated tools to access the App; operate a vehicle without a valid UK PHV licence as a Driver.

Frugal reserves the right to immediately suspend or terminate any account found to be in breach of these restrictions.

10. Intellectual Property

All content in the App (including the Frugal name, logo, UI design, and underlying software) is owned by or licensed to Frugal Booking Service Ltd. You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute any part of the App without our prior written consent.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by UK law, Frugal is not liable for: any loss or damage arising from the conduct of Drivers or Riders; delays, cancellations, or route changes during a Trip; loss of data or device damage; indirect, incidental, or consequential losses.

Our total liability to you in connection with the App will not exceed the total Booking Fees paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any liability that cannot be excluded by law.

12. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the App will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

For disputes, please contact us first at Ridersupport@frugalbookingservice.com. We aim to resolve all complaints within 14 working days.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via in-app notification or push notification at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the App after that date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Contact

Frugal Booking Service Ltd · Ridersupport@frugalbookingservice.com

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