Joy Provider Agreement

1. Our relationship

• You are an independent contractor, not an employee, partner or agent of JoyUS. Nothing in this agreement creates employment, and you are not entitled to wages, overtime, benefits or workers' compensation from JoyUS.
• You control your work. You choose your availability, which requests to accept or decline, your base rate within our posted range, and which add-ons you offer. You may work on other platforms, including competitors, and for other clients.
• You provide your own phone, internet, transportation and other tools.
• You are responsible for your own taxes. Stripe may issue you a Form 1099-K, and JoyUS may request a W-9 or similar form as the law requires.

2. What Joy Providers do, and don't do

Joy Providers offer non-medical companionship: conversation, calls, video visits, meals, outings, worship, games, hobbies and errands.

You will not:

• Give medical or nursing care, handle or give medication, or offer medical advice.
• Provide personal care, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, lifting or transfers.
• Handle a client's money, cards, accounts or passwords, or accept cash, gifts, loans or favors.
• Discuss or sign wills, deeds, powers of attorney or beneficiary forms.
• Drive a client unless you offer the transportation add-on and meet its requirements in section 7.

3. Eligibility and screening

• You must be at least 18, legally able to work in the United States, and give accurate information in your application.
• Before you can be booked, you must verify your identity with an ID and selfie match, pass a background check, complete elder-safety training and accept the Code of Conduct. You authorize these checks when you apply.
• You pay for your own background check (currently $35.00). The fee covers the cost of the check and is not refundable once the check has been ordered, whatever the result.
• We may re-run checks periodically while you are active. You must tell us within 3 days if you are arrested, charged or convicted of any crime, or named in any abuse or neglect report.
• If a background check result may affect your eligibility, we will follow the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act: you will get a copy of the report and a chance to respond before any final decision.

4. Rates, fees and getting paid

• You set your base hourly rate within the range for your area ($30.00 to $50.00 per hour, depending on local cost of living). Add-ons are paid on top of your rate: transportation (+$10.00/hr), shopping and errands outing (+$5.00/hr), tech help (+$5.00/hr).
• Families pay JoyUS, and JoyUS keeps a platform fee of 30% of the visit price to run the marketplace, payments, matching, support and safety programs. The rest is yours.
• Your share is sent to your Stripe payout account when the family's card is charged, 24 hours before the visit, and Stripe pays it to your bank on its regular payout schedule.
• Late cancellations by families: if a family cancels inside 24 hours or isn't available for a confirmed visit, you are still paid.
• Refunds you cause: if you cancel, don't show up, or a visit is refunded because of your conduct, your share is returned from your payout account.
• Bank disputes: if a family disputes a charge with their bank, your share is held while we respond. If we win, it is returned to you. If we lose because of your conduct, it is not.
• We may change the platform fee or rate ranges with at least 30 days' notice. Changes never affect visits already confirmed.

5. Payment processing by Stripe

Payment processing services for Joy Providers on JoyUS are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Terms of Service (together, the "Stripe Services Agreement"). By agreeing to this agreement or continuing to operate as a Joy Provider on JoyUS, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Services Agreement, as Stripe may modify it from time to time. As a condition of JoyUS enabling payment processing services through Stripe, you agree to provide JoyUS accurate and complete information about you and your business, and you authorize JoyUS to share it and transaction information related to your use of the payment processing services provided by Stripe.

6. Visits, cancellations and strikes

• Respond to requests promptly. Requests that aren't answered in time expire automatically.
• The Cancellation policy applies. Cancelling a confirmed visit inside 24 hours is 1 strike, and not showing up is 2 strikes. 3 strikes in 90 days pauses your account while we review it.
• Send a joy note to the family after each visit.

7. Transportation and insurance

• If you offer transportation, you must hold a valid driver's license, keep auto insurance that meets your state's requirements and covers passengers, and drive a safe, registered vehicle. We may ask for proof at any time.
• You are responsible for your own insurance. Any insurance JoyUS carries protects JoyUS and does not cover you, your vehicle or your belongings.
• Never drive a client during a medical emergency. Call 911.

8. Safety, privacy and reporting

• Follow the Code of Conduct and your safety training at every visit.
• Keep clients' information private. Use it only to provide visits through JoyUS, and never share it, post it or keep it after you stop working with that client.
• Report any emergency to 911 first, and report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or warning signs to JoyUS the same day. You may also have your own duty to report to adult protective services under state law.

9. Protecting JoyUS clients

JoyUS invests in finding, screening and matching every client. So while you are a Joy Provider, and for 24 months after your last JoyUS visit with a client, you agree not to provide paid companionship or related services to that client or their family outside JoyUS, whether on your own or through another company, agency or app, and not to encourage them to leave JoyUS.

If a family wants to continue privately, you may release this restriction for that client by paying a conversion fee of $2,500.00 through JoyUS. If you work with a JoyUS client outside JoyUS without paying it, you agree to pay JoyUS that amount as a reasonable estimate of the fees JoyUS would lose, and we may close your account.

This does not limit you from working for any other company, agency or person you did not meet through JoyUS, or from staying in touch with a client as a friend without pay. Payments outside JoyUS are not covered by our screening, insurance, support or dispute protections.

10. Deactivation

You can stop using JoyUS at any time. We may pause or close your account for safety concerns, a background check result that makes you ineligible, breaking this agreement or the Code of Conduct, or repeated strikes. Except where safety requires immediate action, we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond. You can appeal through the Support page.

11. Liability and disputes

The disclaimers, limits on liability, and dispute resolution terms, including individual arbitration and the class action waiver, in our Terms of Service apply to this agreement. You agree to cover JoyUS's reasonable losses and costs from claims caused by your breach of this agreement, your negligence or your misconduct during a visit.

12. Changes

We may update this agreement with at least 30 days' notice by email or in the app. If you don't agree, you may stop using JoyUS before the change takes effect. Continuing to accept visits after that means you accept the change.