Guide Services Agreement

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, or partner of TerraGuide. You control how you deliver your services. TerraGuide provides the marketplace platform and does not direct your work beyond platform rules and safety standards.

To become a verified guide you must: (a) pass identity verification; (b) pass a Checkr background check; (c) hold current personal liability insurance ($500,000+ minimum); (d) maintain accurate and up-to-date profile information at all times. TerraGuide may suspend or remove your account if any requirement lapses.

TerraGuide retains a 5% commission from each booking's subtotal as a platform fee. Additionally, Stripe payment processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are deducted from your payout. Travelers are charged a separate 5% platform fee on top of your advertised rate — this does not come from your earnings. Payouts are processed via Stripe Connect within 2 business days of trip completion. TerraGuide may adjust the fee structure with 30 days' notice.

Your hourly rate is subject to tier caps based on your current tier: Explorer cap $65/hr, Local cap $90/hr, Expert cap $120/hr, Elite cap $160/hr. Tier is determined by your verified rating and trip count. TerraGuide may update tier thresholds with 14 days' notice.

You are solely responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes on your TerraGuide income. TerraGuide will issue a 1099-K if required by law. We recommend consulting a tax professional. TerraGuide does not withhold taxes from your payouts.

You must maintain personal liability insurance at all times while active as a guide. If you offer vehicle transport, you must additionally hold a commercial auto policy. You must notify TerraGuide immediately if any policy lapses or is cancelled. TerraGuide may remove vehicle-transport eligibility if coverage cannot be verified.

Guides who cancel more than 2 bookings in a 90-day period without documented emergency may face temporary suspension. Guides who do not show up to a confirmed booking (no-show) may be permanently removed. Reliability scores are visible to travelers.

You grant TerraGuide a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display your profile photo, bio, and reviews on the platform and in marketing materials. You retain ownership of all content you create. You may not use TerraGuide's brand or trademarks without written permission.

Either party may terminate this agreement at any time. TerraGuide may immediately terminate your account for: Code of Conduct violations, fraud, criminal conduct, or repeated reliability failures. Outstanding payouts for completed trips will still be processed.