Terms and Conditions

1. What Pliho Is

Pliho Technologies, LLC ("Pliho," "Platform") operates a peer-to-peer cost-sharing carpooling marketplace governed by 23 U.S.C. § 146 (federal carpooling policy). Pliho is NOT a Transportation Network Company (TNC), taxi service, common carrier, or transportation provider of any kind. Drivers are volunteer individuals sharing the actual cost of a trip they were already taking, they are not employees, agents, or contractors of Pliho. Riders are individuals who contribute to a driver's out-of-pocket trip costs. All cost-share amounts are bounded by a per-mile rate (currently $0.76/mile for 2026), as Section 4 sets out.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. Pliho does not offer accounts to anyone under 18, and sign-up does not accept a date of birth less than 18 years ago. By creating an account, you represent that all information you provide is accurate and complete, and that you will maintain the accuracy of your information.

3. Driver Requirements

To post trips as a driver, you must:

(a) Be at least 18 years of age with a valid, unexpired driver's license. (b) Own or have lawful authorization to operate the vehicle. (c) Carry personal auto insurance that covers carpooling activity (a rideshare endorsement, commercial auto policy, or equivalent coverage that does not exclude passenger cost-sharing). You represent that you have disclosed your Pliho activity to your insurer if required. (d) Complete Pliho's identity and vehicle verification process, including government ID upload and biometric verification. (e) Upload a current insurance declarations page prior to posting your first trip. (f) Re-verify insurance documentation annually.

Pliho verifies the existence of uploaded documents but does not underwrite, supplement, or guarantee any driver's insurance coverage. Insurance responsibility rests solely with the driver.

4. Cost-Share Ceiling

Every seat on Pliho is subject to a hard platform ceiling. Two rules set it, and whichever is stricter for a given trip is the one that applies:

(a) The seats sold on a trip may never recover more than the trip cost to run. Pliho measures that cost as the trip distance valued at Pliho's per-mile rate in force on the date the trip runs. The per-mile rate follows the IRS standard mileage rate, which estimates the full cost of running a car. The ceiling is set deliberately below full recovery, so a driver always carries part of their own journey and a trip can never return a profit.

(b) No single rider may be charged more than one person's share of a shared car, however few seats a driver offers. A driver cannot price a seat so that one passenger funds the journey.

Together these mean a Pliho trip reimburses a driver for part of what the drive cost them and never more, and that no rider is paying a fare. The ceiling is enforced automatically: a seat price above it is rejected before it is saved. The price is fixed when the trip is posted, so a later change in the per-mile rate cannot raise what you have already agreed to pay.

Tolls are not part of this ceiling and are not added to it. A trip's tolls are split the same way, across the seats offered plus the driver, and charged separately as a toll share under Section 5.

Adventures: An Adventure is held to the same ceiling as a ride. The transport share each member with a seat in the car pays is set when the drive is confirmed, by the rules in (a) and (b) above, divided across the seats the driver offers, so a full car recovers part of the drive and never all of it. That figure is fixed once set and does not change if the per-mile rate changes later. Adventures posted before October 6, 2026 keep the share they were posted with, which divided the drive by the whole group, driver included. A member with a seat in the car also pays a toll share, split the same way as on a ride (Section 5): it sits outside this ceiling and goes to the driver in full. Adventures posted before September 27, 2026 carry no toll share. Money the host has paid for the group and any organiser fee the host sets are separate from the transport share, are shown separately before a member joins, and are not part of this ceiling. The organiser fee pays for planning and organising the trip, never for driving: the transport share only ever recovers the cost of the drive, whoever the driver is, and no part of it is profit.

Organiser fee records: a member pays for an Adventure in one payment, but Pliho records the organiser fee separately from the transport share and the shared costs on every payment and every payout, and keeps that record for audit. An organiser fee is income to the host. The host is responsible for any tax on it, and Pliho may report payments to tax authorities where the law requires.

Drivers are responsible for their own tax filings. Cost-share receipts that constitute reimbursement of actual vehicle operating costs may be excluded from gross income under IRS guidance; consult a tax professional. Pliho provides in-app mileage logs to assist with IRS recordkeeping.

5. Platform Fees

Platform fees depend on the market a trip runs in. The schedule set out below is the one in force in the United States.

In Bangladesh, Pliho charges no platform fee at launch: no Safety & Technology Fee to the rider and no Marketplace Fee to the driver. The driver receives the whole seat cost-share and the whole toll share. Wherever this document states a fee as a dollar amount or as a percentage, that figure is the United States figure and does not apply to a trip in Bangladesh while the free launch is in effect. Pliho will publish the Bangladesh schedule in the app before any fee there begins.

Safety & Technology Fee: Pliho charges the rider one fee per seat at booking. It covers payment processing, escrow, identity verification, insurance-document checks and platform maintenance. The fee is worked out from the price of the seat on a sliding scale: 18% of the first $40 of the seat cost-share, 12% of any part between $40 and $150, and 10% of any part above $150, plus a further $1.50 that phases in gradually across seats priced from $20 to $35. A per-seat minimum applies. Both that minimum and the fee itself are lower when a booking is paid from your Pliho Balance, because a Balance payment costs Pliho less to process and that saving is passed to you.

As a share of the seat, this fee does not simply fall as the seat gets more expensive. It is proportionally largest on the smallest seats, reaches its lowest point at around a $20 seat, rises again between $20 and $35 as the $1.50 component phases in, and falls steadily from there as the seat price grows. The fee is not capped.

The exact fee for your booking is always shown to you in full, as its own line, before you confirm and pay. No fee is ever charged that you were not shown first. The fee is charged on the seat cost-share only: it is never charged on a toll share, and never on money a host is being reimbursed for.

This fee does not count toward the driver's cost-recovery ceiling in Section 4, and is non-refundable in all cases, including rider-initiated cancellations.

Marketplace Fee: Pliho charges United States drivers no Marketplace Fee. A driver receives the whole seat cost-share and the whole toll share collected for every seat they fill. Pliho does not take a percentage of a cost reimbursement: a driver on a Pliho trip is recovering part of what the drive cost them, not earning income, and Pliho earns from the rider-side fee above instead.

The toll share reimburses the driver's actual out-of-pocket toll for the trip and is paid through to the driver in full. It carries no Marketplace Fee, because it is a cost the driver has already paid rather than value the marketplace created. It is not part of the cost-share ceiling in Section 4. It is split across the seats offered plus the driver, so the driver carries a share of every toll like everyone else in the car.

Adventures: a member with a seat in the car pays Pliho a booking fee, worked out the same way as the Safety & Technology Fee above, on the member's transport share only. It is never charged on the toll share, on shared costs the host is being paid back for, or on the organiser fee. A member with no seat in the car pays no booking fee.

Organiser fee commission: Pliho keeps 15% of every organiser fee. The member pays the organiser fee as shown; the host is paid the organiser fee less 15%. The organiser fee and Pliho's 15% are recorded separately on every payment and every payout. The transport share, the toll share and the shared costs carry no commission and go in full to the driver or the host, because they reimburse costs rather than pay for anyone's time.

Adventures created before October 6, 2026 keep the terms they were posted under: no organiser fee commission, and a booking fee on the transport share plus any organiser fee. Adventures posted before September 27, 2026 carry no booking fee.

6. Bidding System

Bidding is available only in markets where Pliho enables it. It is enabled in Bangladesh. It is not available in the United States, where a seat is booked at the cost-share the driver has posted.

Where bidding is available, a driver may enable it on an individual trip listing. Riders may then submit a cost-share offer below the driver's posted price. An offer is checked against the cost-share ceiling that applies to that trip before it reaches the driver, and the ceiling in force at that moment is recorded with the offer, so that a later change in the underlying rate does not disturb an offer already submitted. An offer above the ceiling is not accepted.

A driver may accept, reject, or counter an offer. An offer the driver has not accepted reserves no seat and holds no money. Acceptance of a bid constitutes a binding carpooling agreement between the driver and rider at the agreed cost-share, and the rider is charged as set out in Section 8.

7. Cancellation Policy

The grace period runs from the time of booking. All other times are relative to the confirmed departure time.

Grace Period: cancelled within 60 minutes of booking. 100% refund of seat cost-share and of any toll share; $0 driver payout. The grace period applies however close the trip is to departure.

Standard Notice: cancelled more than 2 hours before departure. 100% refund of seat cost-share and of any toll share; $0 driver payout.

Late Notice: cancelled less than 2 hours before departure. 50% refund of seat cost-share. The retained half, plus the whole toll share, is released to the driver in full on the timetable in Section 8.

No-Show: the rider fails to appear within 10 minutes of the confirmed departure time. No refund. The full seat cost-share, plus the whole toll share, is released to the driver in full on the timetable in Section 8.

The Safety & Technology Fee is not refunded in any cancellation scenario.

Your toll share follows the driver. Where a cancellation still pays the driver, the reduction applies to the seat cost-share only: the toll share is never reduced, you are refunded none of it, and the driver drove the route and paid the toll in full. Where a cancellation pays the driver nothing, the whole toll share is refunded to you instead. A toll share exists only to reimburse a driver for a toll they actually paid, so when no driver is owed one, Pliho does not keep it.

Promotional Discounts: A one-time promotional discount, including the new-rider discount and the student discount, is consumed at the moment your booking is created. It is not restored to your account if the booking is later cancelled, by you or by the driver, and it cannot be reapplied to a future trip.

The student discount is 15% of the seat cost-share; the new-rider discount is 10%. Each is available once per account. The student discount requires verified student status, and the new-rider discount requires completed identity verification. The two are never combined: where an account qualifies for both, the student discount applies. The value of either is limited twice over, to $5.99 and to the Platform Fee charged for that seat, whichever of the two is lower. A discount that works out to nothing is not consumed, and stays on your account for a trip where it has something to reduce.

Referral Rewards: A referral reward behaves differently. If a booking that reserved a referral reward is cancelled, the reward is returned to your account and remains available for a later trip. The value of a referral reward is the smallest of the Platform Fee on that booking, 25% of the seat cost-share, and $5.99; the Referral Agreement sets out the program in full.

One discount per booking: a booking that carries a promotional discount does not also use a referral reward. The reward stays in your account and is applied to your next booking without one.

8. Payment Timing

Payment is taken in full when your booking is confirmed: the seat cost-share, any toll share, and the Safety & Technology Fee are charged to your payment method at that point, not held as an authorization. At the meetup point the driver starts the trip and records who boarded and who did not show; starting the trip does not move money.

For rides in the United States there is no holding period. The driver's share is paid as soon as it is final: for a completed trip, when the trip ends; for a no-show or a late cancellation, at the scheduled departure time. The driver's share, meaning the seat cost-share owed under Section 7 plus any toll share collected for that seat, with no Marketplace Fee deducted, is sent to the driver's connected payout account by a batch that runs every 15 minutes. Money a rider paid by card reaches a Stripe payout account as soon as that card payment settles with Stripe, normally within two business days, and Stripe then pays it to the driver's bank automatically every day at no charge. A driver may instead cash out instantly to an eligible debit card at any time. An instant cash out costs 1% of the amount, with a $0.50 minimum, deducted from the amount sent. The minimum cash out is $1.

For Adventures in the United States, members pay when they join, and Pliho holds that money until the Adventure is over. As soon as it ends, the same batch sends each member's transport share and toll share to the driver, and any costs and the organiser fee less Pliho's 15% commission to the host, at the Stripe or PayPal account each of them has linked for payouts. When a member other than the host drives, the host takes a seat in that car and owes its transport share and toll share to the driver, and the driver owes the organiser fee and their share of any costs to the host, the same as any member. Pliho sets those two amounts against each other: only the difference is charged and paid out, by whichever of the two owes more. The booking fee is charged to each of them on their full amount before that set-off. If a recipient has not linked a payout account, their payment waits and is sent once they link one. A PayPal payout is complete when PayPal reports it delivered. If PayPal returns it unclaimed, the money is not lost: Pliho holds it and sends it again once the recipient's payout account can receive it. A cancelled Adventure pays nothing out. In Bangladesh, Adventures are free for now: nobody is charged when they join, so there is nothing to pay out.

In Bangladesh, a driver requests withdrawal of their net share once the trip is complete, and bank withdrawals are processed on a weekly cycle. For cash rides the rider pays the driver directly on the day of travel, and the driver owes Pliho its fee, which is netted against future withdrawals.

Filing a dispute places a hold on any payout for that booking that has not already been sent, and the hold stays until the dispute is closed. Disputes are reviewed under Section 9. A resolution either releases the hold to the driver or refunds the rider, in whole or in part, to their Pliho balance.

Chargebacks and refunds after payout: because earnings are paid without a holding period, the driver or host who received a payment is responsible for it if it is later reversed. If a rider's card issuer reverses a payment (a chargeback), or a payment is refunded after it has been paid out, the amount paid out for that booking is taken back from the person who received it. On a Stripe payout account, Pliho reverses the transfer. On PayPal, where a payout cannot be reversed, the amount is deducted from that person's future payouts until it is repaid. A payout not yet sent when a chargeback is opened is held until the chargeback is decided. If a chargeback is decided in the driver's or host's favour, the payout is sent again.

9. Dispute Resolution

Disputes must be submitted through the in-app dispute system within 24 hours of a trip event. Pliho supports four dispute types: driver no-show, rider no-show, route/trip interruption dispute, and billing error.

Pliho will automatically retrieve booking records, GPS data, payment logs, and in-app chat history as evidence. Both parties have 24 hours to submit their account. Pliho will issue a resolution within 48 hours of receiving both submissions (72 hours total maximum).

Pliho is a neutral intermediary in disputes between drivers and riders. Platform dispute resolution is a service feature, not an assumption of legal liability for the underlying carpooling arrangement. Disputes regarding personal conduct during a trip are outside the scope of platform dispute resolution.

10. Community Standards & Strike System

All users must: treat others with respect and dignity; not discriminate based on any protected characteristic; not engage in harassment, threatening behavior, or unsafe driving; not attempt to conduct transactions outside the platform.

Violations result in strikes: 2 strikes in 90 days triggers a warning; 3 strikes in 180 days triggers a 30-day suspension; 4 strikes at any time results in permanent account termination with identity flagged to prevent re-registration.

Pliho may suspend or terminate any account immediately without a strike threshold for severe violations including assault, fraud, or regulatory violations.

11. Platform Is Not a Carrier or Employer

Pliho provides technology infrastructure only. Pliho does not own, operate, or control any vehicle used in a trip arranged on this platform. Pliho does not employ, hire, or contract drivers. All carpooling agreements are between the driver and rider as independent parties. If all riders cancel a posted trip, the driver is expected to make the trip regardless, the trip is driver-directed, not rider-created.

Pliho does not hold a transportation license, TLC license, or motor carrier authority in any jurisdiction.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PLIHO AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR: (A) ANY PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR OTHER HARM ARISING FROM TRIPS ARRANGED THROUGH THE PLATFORM; (B) THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF ANY DRIVER OR RIDER; (C) ANY INSURANCE CLAIM DENIAL OR COVERAGE GAP EXPERIENCED BY A DRIVER; OR (D) ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

Pliho's total liability for any claim arising from platform use shall not exceed the amount of the Safety & Technology Fee paid by you in the transaction giving rise to the claim.

13. Arbitration & Class Action Waiver

ALL DISPUTES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM SHALL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION UNDER JAMS RULES, CONDUCTED IN NEW YORK COUNTY, NEW YORK. YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

Exceptions: Either party may seek emergency injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent imminent harm. Claims within the jurisdiction of small claims court may be filed there.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of law principles. Subject to the arbitration clause above, any dispute not subject to arbitration shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts of New York County, New York.

15. Modifications

Pliho reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide 14 days' advance notice of material changes via in-app notification or email. Continued use of the platform after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree, you may close your account before the changes take effect.

16. Commuter Pass

A Commuter Pass is a standing search for a route you travel regularly. It is free, it holds no money, and it is not a booking. Creating a pass does not reserve a seat, does not oblige any driver to post a trip, and does not guarantee that a matching trip will exist on any given day.

A pass records a route, the days you travel, the times you leave, and a rate. That rate is a ceiling, not a price. A trip qualifies for your pass only where the per-seat cost-share the driver has already posted is at or below your rate. Qualifying trips are shown to you, and Pliho may notify you when a new one appears. Your rate never reduces the amount a driver posted and never changes what you are charged. You cannot pay above your rate under a pass, because a trip priced above it is never offered as a match. Setting a lower rate therefore narrows what your pass finds rather than lowering any fare.

Booking a trip found through a pass is an ordinary booking. The seat cost-share, any toll share, and the rider fee that applies in your market are charged as set out in Sections 4 and 5, and the cancellation and payment terms in Sections 7 and 8 apply unchanged.

A pass runs for its period beginning on the day you create it: seven days for a weekly pass, one month for a monthly pass. Where the corresponding day does not exist in the following month, a monthly pass ends on the last day of that month. A pass does not renew automatically and is never charged for, so at the end of its period it simply stops matching trips. You may pause, resume, or cancel a pass at any time in the app. Cancelling a pass does not cancel any trip you have already booked through it.

17. Pliho Balance and Earnings

Your Pliho Balance and your earnings are two different things.

Adding money: you may add money to your Pliho Balance by card, Apple Pay, bank transfer or PayPal, from $5 to $500 at a time. A bank transfer is free. A top-up by card or Apple Pay carries a processing fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents, and a PayPal top-up 3.49% plus 49 cents, paid by you on top of the amount you add and shown before you confirm. The full amount you chose is added to your Balance. The fee is paid once, when you add money: rides you then pay from your Balance carry no card processing cost. A processing fee is not refunded if unused Balance is later returned to you. Money added by bank transfer can be spent straight away, but it is not final until the transfer clears, usually within 1 to 4 business days. If it does not clear, or if your card issuer later reverses a top-up, the amount is taken back out of your Balance, which may leave it below zero until it is repaid.

Using it: your Balance pays for rides and Adventures, at the lower Balance fee described in Section 5. A refund of anything you paid from your Balance goes back to your Balance.

Taking it out: money you add is for paying on Pliho and is not cashed out. Any unused amount can be returned to the card, bank account or PayPal account it was added from, at any time once it has cleared, newest top-up first. It cannot be sent anywhere else. A refund to a card can take 5 to 10 business days to appear.

Earnings: money you earn as a driver, or as a host from shared costs and organiser fees, is not held in your Balance. It is paid to the payout account you link, as set out in Section 8, and you can cash it out at any time.

Your Balance does not earn interest, is not a bank deposit, and is not insured by the FDIC.

Contact

Legal questions: legal@pliho.comCopied