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 complete identity verification using one of the following government-issued documents: a national ID card, a passport, or a driver's licence (submitting a driver's licence simultaneously satisfies driving verification under section 4.2).

Verification is performed through our automated identity verification service, which checks document authenticity, performs a liveness check, and matches your face to the document. This process typically completes within a few minutes. In rare cases requiring additional review, verification may take up to 1–2 business days. Until approved, you may browse trips but cannot complete a booking.

The verification process involves processing of biometric data (liveness and face matching). By submitting a document for verification, you acknowledge this processing as described in our Privacy Policy and KYC & AML Policy.

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 complete driver's licence verification using a driving licence that is valid in Iceland (Icelandic-issued or an equivalent EEA licence). Your submission is processed through our automated identity and document verification service. Submission of a licence confirms that:

• The licence is valid and covers the class of vehicle you intend to drive.
• The name and photograph on the licence match your identity.
• 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).

Verification uses automated document authenticity checks, liveness detection, and biometric face matching. Until verification is approved, no rides may be posted. Once approved, your profile displays a verified driver's licence badge. Submitting a driver's licence simultaneously satisfies identity verification under section 4.1.

SameFare reserves the right to re-verify drivers periodically and to suspend posting privileges if a previously approved licence expires or is found to be invalid.

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 details are locked once any passenger has booked. Departure time, date, route, and price may not be changed after the first booking is confirmed. If you need to change a locked detail, you must cancel the trip entirely — passengers will not be charged — and post a new listing with the correct details.

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 validated at checkout with a zero-value transaction. A pre-authorisation hold for the full amount (cost contribution + service fee) is placed automatically 24 hours before departure — or immediately at checkout if your departure is within 24 hours. Funds are captured automatically at the scheduled departure time — see section 8.
• The driver is notified as soon as your booking is confirmed.
• 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 in all circumstances. If the driver cancels, no capture is made and no charge is incurred. If the driver fails to appear, capture fires as scheduled and the passenger's remedy is a chargeback against the driver — the service fee portion is not recoverable through SameFare (see sections 8 and 9).

Pre-authorisation retry surcharge. If the automatic pre-authorisation 24 hours before departure fails, you will be notified by SMS and email and given a 2-hour window to update your payment card via My Trips. If you choose to update your card and retry within this window, a 5% retry surcharge is added to the service fee, bringing the total to 23% of the cost contribution. This surcharge covers the cost of payment notifications and retry processing and is non-refundable once the updated card is authorised. The new total will be shown clearly before you confirm the retry. One retry attempt is permitted. If the retry is also declined, your booking is automatically cancelled, your seat is released, and no charge is made. If you do not attempt a retry within the 2-hour window, the same outcome applies.

7.3 Driver Payouts

Capture is triggered automatically at the scheduled departure time. At the moment of capture, the amount is immediately split and routed directly by our licensed payment processor: the cost contribution (82%) goes to the driver and the service fee (18%) goes to SameFare. SameFare never holds driver funds. If the driver cancels, no capture is made. If the passenger cancels or fails to appear after the pre-authorisation is placed, the full amount is captured with no refund (see section 8.2).

Disbursement to the driver's nominated bank account is subject to the terms of our licensed payment processor and may be subject to a short settlement period. Payouts may be withheld or delayed pending investigation of disputes, reported no-shows, policy violations, or where required by applicable anti-money laundering or fraud screening obligations (see section 13).

8. Payment, Cancellation & Refund Policy

8.1 How Payment Works

Your card is not charged when you book. A hold is placed on your card 24 hours before your departure — or immediately at booking if your trip departs within 24 hours — reserving the full amount. The charge is collected automatically at the scheduled departure time. SameFare never stores your card number.

Once the hold is placed, the booking is non-refundable — the seat is reserved and the service is considered fulfilled whether or not you travel.

8.2 Cancellation Policy

Booking cutoff. Bookings close 1 hour before scheduled departure.

Right of withdrawal. Under the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) Article 16(l) and its Icelandic transposition, the standard 14-day withdrawal right does not apply to transport services for a specific date. No cooling-off period applies.

8.3 Payment Failure

If the payment hold fails (for example due to insufficient funds or an expired card), you will be notified by SMS and email immediately. You have 2 hours to update your card via My Trips and retry. A 5% surcharge applies on retry (see section 7.2). If the retry fails or you do not act within 2 hours, your booking is cancelled and your seat released. No charge is made.

8.4 Disputes

If you believe a charge was made in error, contact samefare@samefare.com within 30 days. We will respond within 5 business days. If you initiate a chargeback without first contacting us, we reserve the right to suspend your account pending resolution.

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. The pre-authorisation hold on the passenger's card is captured in full — no refund of any kind is issued.
• The cost contribution is paid to the driver as compensation for the reserved seat.
• 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

Each driver on SameFare is registered as a merchant with our licensed payment processor. Payments for their trips are routed directly to the driver at capture time. SameFare acts as the platform intermediary and retains only the service fee.

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 between 15 minutes and 4 hours after the scheduled departure time. The following applies:

• The driver's account is immediately suspended from posting new trips. A first confirmed no-show results in permanent suspension unless successfully appealed to samefare@samefare.com.
• An automatic 1-star rating is immediately added to the driver's profile. No grace period applies.
• Because the driver is the registered merchant for the transaction, the passenger's financial remedy is a chargeback filed with their card issuer. The card issuer will reverse the charge against the driver's merchant account. SameFare will provide booking confirmation, scheduled departure time, and no-show report records to support the dispute upon request by the passenger or the card issuer.
• Passengers should contact their card issuer promptly. Most issuers require disputes to be raised within 60–120 days of the transaction date.
• No-show reports submitted outside the 4-hour window cannot be processed through the Platform. Passengers in this situation should contact their card issuer directly or email samefare@samefare.com for assistance obtaining booking records.

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.

12.1 Driver Posting Suspension Thresholds

The following thresholds trigger an automatic suspension of your ability to post new trips. Existing bookings are not affected. You may appeal by contacting samefare@samefare.com:

• 3 or more cancellations within any 90-day period — posting suspended pending review. This threshold applies to all driver-initiated trip cancellations regardless of timing.
• 2 or more late cancellations within any 90-day period — immediate posting suspended. A late cancellation is a driver-initiated cancellation made after the pre-authorisation has been placed (i.e. within 24 hours of scheduled departure), when passengers have already had funds ring-fenced on their cards.
• 1 confirmed driver no-show — immediate permanent suspension from posting trips. A confirmed no-show is one reported by a passenger within 4 hours of scheduled departure (see section 9.2). No grace period applies. Appeal is available but reinstatement is at SameFare's sole discretion.

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

13.1 Anti-Money Laundering & Fraud Screening

SameFare and its licensed payment processor are required to comply with applicable anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing laws, including Icelandic Act no. 140/2018 on Measures against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Our full customer due diligence procedures are set out in our KYC & AML Policy. Accordingly:

• We reserve the right to withhold, delay or reverse any payment — including driver disbursements — where we have reasonable grounds to suspect fraudulent activity, money laundering, or a breach of applicable financial regulations.
• We may request additional identity information or documentation at any time as part of our ongoing compliance obligations. Failure to provide requested information within a reasonable timeframe may result in account suspension and payment hold.
• Unusual transaction patterns (including but not limited to unusually high booking volumes, repeated cancellations, or suspicious pricing) may be flagged for manual review.
• We are legally obliged to report suspicious activity to the relevant Icelandic authorities and cannot notify affected users when such a report has been made.

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: