Effective July 21, 2026
Plates is a peer-to-peer marketplace where home cooks offer meals for pickup by nearby buyers. Plates is not the seller of any food, does not prepare food, and does not deliver food. Plates provides the software that connects cooks and buyers.
You must be at least 18 years old to use Plates. By using Plates you represent that you meet this requirement.
You must provide accurate account information and keep it updated.
Plates may suspend or terminate your account at any time if you violate these terms or if we believe you pose a risk to other users.
When you order a meal, you are entering into a transaction with the cook, not with Plates. Plates helps facilitate the transaction and handles payment processing.
You accept that home-cooked food from strangers carries risk. You are responsible for reading dish descriptions, allergen information, and kitchen conditions before ordering. Plates does not verify that any given meal is safe for your individual dietary needs.
If a cook fails to deliver your order, you can request a refund through the app. Plates will attempt to mediate but is not obligated to compensate you beyond refunding the transaction.
Cooks must be approved by Plates admins before posting dishes. Approval requires you to attest that you comply with your local cottage food or home kitchen regulations.
You are solely responsible for the safety, legality, and quality of the food you sell. This includes proper food handling, accurate allergen labeling, and compliance with all applicable health, tax, and licensing requirements in your jurisdiction.
You agree to indemnify Plates against any claims arising from food you prepare or sell through the platform, including foodborne illness, allergic reactions, or regulatory violations.
Plates takes a platform fee on each transaction. The current rate is disclosed at checkout. Plates may adjust the fee with reasonable notice.
Posts you make in the Plates community feed are your own. You retain ownership of your content but grant Plates a license to display it in the app.
Plates removes posts that violate our content rules: no illegal content, hate speech, harassment, spam, or content that endangers others.
Posts automatically expire after 24 hours.
Payments are processed by Stripe on behalf of the cook. Plates does not directly hold funds. Refunds, when granted, are processed back to your original payment method through Stripe.
Once a cook has begun preparing an order, cancellations may not be eligible for a full refund. Plates admins may make judgment calls in dispute cases.
You may not use Plates to sell:
PLATES IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PLATES DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
PLATES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING FOODBORNE ILLNESS OR OTHER HARM CAUSED BY MEALS PURCHASED THROUGH THE PLATFORM.
PLATES' TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO PLATES IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM.
Plates may update these terms. When we make material changes, we will notify you in the app and require you to re-accept before continuing to use Plates.
Questions about these terms can be sent to support (email in the app footer).
For our Privacy Policy, see /privacy.