Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: 21 August 2026

Template notice. This document was drafted to give TalkLingoo a real, specific Terms of Service rather than a placeholder — it accurately describes how the product actually works (escrow, the 2-hour cancellation cutoff, M-Pesa/Paystack/Whop payment channels, etc.). It is a starting point, not a substitute for review by a lawyer licensed where TalkLingoo operates and where its users are located, especially for consumer-protection and payments-regulation requirements in Kenya and any other country served.

1. Who we are and what TalkLingoo does

TalkLingoo is an online marketplace that connects learners with independent teachers for live, 1-on-1 language lessons booked and paid for through the platform. TalkLingoo is not a language school and does not employ teachers — teachers are independent providers who set their own rates and availability.

2. Accounts

You must provide accurate information when creating an account and are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of legal majority in your country, to create an account. TalkLingoo may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, provide false information, or are used for fraud or abuse.

3. Booking and payment

When you book a lesson, TalkLingoo calculates the price directly from the teacher's published hourly rate and the lesson duration you select — this amount is never taken from anything entered in your browser. A service fee is added on top of the teacher's rate at checkout; the total is shown before you pay.

You can pay by card, M-Pesa, or Whop, depending on what's available in your region. Your payment is held by TalkLingoo in escrow — not released to the teacher — until 24 hours after the scheduled lesson time, unless you cancel in time or raise a dispute (see Sections 4 and 5). TalkLingoo does not store your card number; card payments are processed entirely by our payment processor, Paystack.

4. Cancellations

You may cancel a booking yourself up to 2 hours before the scheduled lesson time. Cancelling inside that 2-hour window requires contacting support directly. Full details, including how and when refunds are issued for each payment method, are in our Refund & Cancellation Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

5. Disputes about a lesson

If a lesson didn't happen as booked, you can open a dispute from your bookings list after the lesson's scheduled time has passed. Opening a dispute pauses the automatic release of that payment to the teacher until TalkLingoo reviews it and resolves the dispute in favor of either you (refund) or the teacher (payment released as normal). Disputes must describe the issue in enough detail for TalkLingoo to make a fair decision.

6. If you're teaching on TalkLingoo

Teachers are independent contractors, not employees or agents of TalkLingoo. As a teacher you're responsible for the accuracy of your profile, the quality and legality of the lessons you provide, and your own tax obligations on what you earn. TalkLingoo currently pays out 100% of your listed lesson price, 24 hours after each lesson, once you've added a payout destination (M-Pesa number or bank account) in your settings — TalkLingoo's service fee is charged separately, on top, to the learner. Payouts to M-Pesa are currently sent manually while automated payouts are pending approval from Safaricom; this does not change how much you're owed or when it becomes due.

TalkLingoo may remove a teacher listing at its discretion if it receives credible reports of unsafe, fraudulent, or abusive conduct.

7. Video lessons

Each confirmed booking gets a meeting code for joining the lesson. You're responsible for having a working device, camera, microphone, and internet connection. TalkLingoo is not responsible for a lesson being disrupted by your own connectivity or equipment, though this can be raised as part of a dispute if the disruption was on the platform's side.

8. Prohibited conduct

Taking a booking or payment off-platform to avoid TalkLingoo's fees
Harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior toward another user
Providing false identity, location, or qualification information
Using the platform for anything illegal in your jurisdiction or the teacher's
Attempting to interfere with, reverse-engineer, or abuse the platform's payment or booking systems

9. Limitation of liability

TalkLingoo provides the booking and payment platform but is not a party to the lesson itself — that's an agreement between learner and teacher. To the maximum extent permitted by law, TalkLingoo is not liable for the conduct, content, or quality of lessons delivered by teachers, beyond the escrow, dispute, and refund mechanisms described in these Terms.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make a material change, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and, where required by law, notify you directly.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Kenya, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you may have under the law of your own country of residence.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at talklingoo@gmail.com.