Terms of Service

Version 2026-08-13 · Effective 13 August 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a binding agreement governing your access to and use of the Alongo mobile applications, websites and related services (collectively, the “Platform”), operated by Alongo Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (PLACEHOLDER) (“Alongo”, “we”, “us”). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, our Community Guidelines, our Safety & Booking Policy and our Cancellation & Refund Policy (each incorporated by reference). If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

What Alongo is. Alongo operates a technology marketplace that facilitates discovery, booking, payment processing and communication between users who book (“Explorers”) and independent providers (“Companions”) for lawful, platonic, non-sexual, non-romantic social companionship — coffee, meals, events, city tours and conversation. Alongo provides the marketplace; Alongo does not itself provide the companionship service, does not employ Companions, and is not the counterparty to the companionship a Companion agrees to give. A booking pays for a person’s time and company only.

1. Definitions

Explorer — a user who books a Companion’s time.
Companion — an independent, identity-verified provider who offers platonic social company.
Booking — a confirmed, paid arrangement between an Explorer and a Companion made through the Platform.
Companion Service Amount — the rate the Companion sets for their time.
Platform Fee — the fee Alongo charges for access to and use of the marketplace, currently 18% of the Companion Service Amount, shown at checkout.
Content — anything you submit, such as profile details, photos, reviews and reports.

2. The role of Alongo (marketplace, not the provider)

Alongo provides the marketplace and supporting services: discovery, booking, in-app communication, payment processing and payout facilitation, identity verification, moderation and dispute handling.
The companionship itself is provided by the independent Companion, who is solely responsible for how they conduct it. Alongo is not a party to, and does not control the performance of, the companionship a Companion agrees to give.
Facilitating a transaction does not make Alongo the supplier of the companionship, the employer of any Companion, or a guarantor of any user’s identity, conduct, suitability or safety.

3. Eligibility & accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a contract. The Platform is strictly not available to minors; we verify date of birth at sign-up and may re-verify age at any time.
You must provide accurate information, keep your credentials secure, and are responsible for all activity under your account. One person, one account.
Companions must complete identity verification before taking Bookings. “Identity-verified” means we checked a government ID, a matching selfie, and other required details — it confirms an identity check was performed. It is not a background check and is not a guarantee of any person’s identity, character, conduct or safety.
We may refuse, suspend, or terminate accounts at our discretion, including for risk, fraud or non-compliance.

4. Nature of the service & strictly prohibited uses

The Platform is for arranging lawful, platonic companionship and social activities only. You expressly agree not to use the Platform to offer, solicit, arrange, imply, or pay for:

any sexual, escort, intimate, or adult service of any kind, or any act in exchange for sexual or physical activity;
any illegal activity, human trafficking, coercion, or exploitation;
any activity involving a minor;
harassment, threats, hate, stalking, or discrimination;
soliciting money, loans, gifts, investments or financial assistance from another user, or any romance/financial scam or manipulation;
regulated professional services (e.g. medical, legal, financial, or therapeutic advice) presented as such; or
anything that violates applicable law, our Community Guidelines, or our Safety & Booking Policy.

Any such use is a material breach, results in immediate termination, and, where required or permitted by applicable law or reasonably necessary to protect users or prevent serious harm, may be reported to law enforcement. This restriction applies on and off the Platform in connection with any Booking.

5. Bookings — how they work

Explorers request a Booking for a specific time and activity; Companions may accept or decline.
A Booking becomes confirmed only after the Explorer’s payment is successfully authorised for the full amount shown at checkout.
The agreed activity, time and public location are part of the Booking. Changing them requires both people’s consent; see the Safety & Booking Policy.
You must not circumvent the Platform to arrange, solicit, or pay for Bookings off-platform.

6. Payments & fees

Payments are processed by third-party, RBI-regulated payment partners. Alongo does not store your full card, UPI or bank credentials. At checkout you pay online only the Platform Fee and any applicable taxes. The Companion Service Amount (the Companion’s own rate) is paid by you directly to the Companion when you meet.

What we collect. Online, Alongo collects only the Platform Fee (plus any applicable taxes). We do not collect, process, or hold the Companion Service Amount.
Direct settlement. The Companion Service Amount is settled directly between the Explorer and the Companion at the time of the meeting. Alongo is not a party to, and is not a custodian of, that payment. The Platform Fee is generally non-refundable once a booking is confirmed, except as required by law or stated in our cancellation terms.
Companion rates. Companions set their own rates. The Platform Fee and rates may change prospectively with notice; the amount shown at checkout governs that Booking.
Invoicing & taxes. Tax treatment (including GST and any withholding) depends on the final transaction structure; see §11. Amounts are shown in INR.

Alongo collects only the Platform Fee online and does not hold client funds in escrow. We are not a custodian of the Companion Service Amount, which you pay directly to the Companion, and we do not represent that Alongo operates a regulated escrow service.

7. Chargebacks & payment reversals

If a payment is reversed, disputed, charged back, or otherwise invalidated by a payment provider or bank,Alongo may, to the extent permitted by law: place associated payouts or account balances on hold; reverse or claw back transfers; recover the amount (plus any fees) from current or future payouts or from the responsible user; suspend the account pending investigation; and take other lawful measures needed to reconcile the transaction. Abusing chargebacks to obtain services for free is fraud and a material breach.

8. Cancellations, refunds & no-shows

Cancellations, refunds, no-shows and disputes are governed by our Cancellation & Refund Policy, which distinguishes between Explorer cancellations, Companion cancellations, no-shows, service issues, and events outside anyone’s control. Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method within the provider’s standard timelines.

9. Companion (provider) terms & independent status

Companions are independent individuals who provide their own services on their own account. Companions set their availability and rates within the Platform, choose which Bookings to accept, may offer their services elsewhere, and are solely responsible for the lawful, platonic conduct of their company.
Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, agency, partnership, franchise, fiduciary or joint-venture relationship between Alongo and any Companion or Explorer. Marketplace features such as verification, ratings, standards and fees exist to keep the community safe and do not make Alongo an employer.
Companions must maintain accurate verification and provide valid payout details, and agree to honour confirmed Bookings or cancel promptly per the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

10. Reviews & ratings

You may leave honest reviews and ratings based on genuine experiences. You must not post false, defamatory, retaliatory, or manipulated feedback, or offer or accept incentives for reviews. We may remove content that violates these Terms or our Guidelines.

11. Taxes

Companions are responsible for their own income taxes and other statutory obligations arising from their earnings. Where Alongo is required to collect tax on the Platform Fee, or to withhold or deduct tax (including any e-commerce operator obligations), it will do so and reflect this in the transaction. The precise GST/TDS treatment depends on the final marketplace structure and is being finalised with our tax advisers; nothing here is tax advice.

12. Assumption of risk (offline meetings)

Bookings result in real-world meetings between independent adults. Alongo does not supervise or control offline conduct and does not conduct exhaustive background checks. You accept the inherent risks of meeting new people and agree to follow the Safety & Booking Policy — meet in public, tell someone your plans, keep to the agreed activity, and use your judgment. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, you release Alongo from claims arising out of the acts or omissions of other users during your interactions or meetings. This release does not apply to liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, or to loss caused by our own gross negligence, wilful misconduct or fraud.

13. Messaging & content

In-app messages are end-to-end encrypted; Alongo stores only ciphertext, cannot read message content, and cannot recover it. Because of this, we do not proactively scan message content. Moderation of messages is reactive: when you report a message, the relevant content and context are made available for review and we may act on it. We can always see limited delivery metadata needed to operate the service.
You retain ownership of your Content and grant Alongo a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store and display it as needed to operate the Platform.
You represent that you have the rights to your Content and that it is lawful, of yourself, and not infringing or harmful.

14. Intellectual property

The Platform, including its software, design, trademarks and content (excluding your Content), is owned by or licensed to Alongo and protected by law. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-transferable licence to use the Platform for its intended personal purpose. You may not copy, modify, reverse-engineer, scrape, or create derivative works without our written permission.

15. Third-party services & scope

The Platform relies on third-party services (e.g. payment processing, maps, cloud hosting, messaging, identity/photo processing). Your use of those may be subject to their own terms, and Alongo is not responsible for third-party services. Alongo does not sell or arrange transportation, accommodation, package tours, or travel-agency services unless expressly offered as a separately identified, lawfully authorised service.

16. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or terminate your access for breach of these Terms, unlawful or unsafe conduct, risk to others, or as required by law — immediately for zero-tolerance violations. You may stop using the Platform and delete your account at any time in-app (Profile → Settings → Delete Account) or at /delete-account; see the Privacy Policy for what is deleted and what may be retained. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive.

17. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Alongo does not warrant the conduct, identity, safety, or suitability of any user, or that the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

18. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Alongo and its officers, employees and affiliates will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss arising from another user’s conduct or offline interactions. Our aggregate liability for any claim relating to a Booking will not exceed the greater of (a) the total Platform Fees you paid to us for that Booking, and (b) the Platform Fees you paid to us in the three (3) months before the event giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including your rights under applicable consumer-protection law or liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for our fraud.

19. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold Alongo harmless from third-party claims, damages, liabilities and reasonable expenses arising out of your use of the Platform, your Content, your interactions with other users, or your breach of these Terms or applicable law. This does not require you to indemnify us for our own gross negligence, wilful misconduct or fraud.

20. Intermediary status & grievance redressal

Alongo is an “intermediary” under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made under it, and observes the due diligence required of intermediaries. Complaints regarding content or conduct may be sent to our Grievance Officer, Grievance Officer, Companion (PLACEHOLDER — named individual), at grievance@companion.app. We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and aim to resolve them within 15 days. See Contact & Grievance.

21. Consumer grievances & dispute escalation

If you have a problem with a Booking or payment, please first raise it through in-app Support, then our Cancellation & Refund Policy process, then our Grievance Officer. We aim to resolve most issues at this stage. This escalation path is in addition to, and does not take away, any right you have to approach a consumer forum or other competent authority under applicable consumer-protection law.

22. Governing law, arbitration & jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to applicable law and to Section 21, any dispute that is not resolved through our grievance process may be referred to binding arbitration by a sole arbitrator seated in Bengaluru, Karnataka, conducted in English under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Nothing in this section requires a consumer to give up any right or remedy that cannot be waived under applicable consumer-protection law, or prevents either party from seeking urgent interim relief from, or a consumer from approaching, a competent court or consumer forum. Subject to the foregoing, the courts at Bengaluru, Karnataka will have jurisdiction.

23. General

Force majeure: we are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
Severability: if any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
Assignment: you may not assign these Terms; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or reorganisation.
Waiver: our failure to enforce a right is not a waiver of it.
Entire agreement: these Terms, the Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines, Safety & Booking Policy and Cancellation & Refund Policy are the entire agreement between you and Alongo regarding the Platform.

24. Changes

We may update these Terms. Material changes will be notified in-app or by other reasonable means, and continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance. The current version and effective date appear at the top of this page.

25. Contact

Alongo Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (PLACEHOLDER), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (PLACEHOLDER — registered office). General: support@companion.app · Privacy: privacy@companion.app · Grievance: grievance@companion.app. See also Contact & Grievance.