Website terms and conditions template

About these terms

These website T&C are for a business that provides a subscription based service that is delivered online and that continues until one side or the other terminates.

Examples of businesses for which these terms would be suitable include providers of:

• cloud based accounting software

• affiliate marketing software

• web based CRM systems

• CMS web hosting

Because your services are provided online, your terms should relate to the use of those services as well as those of sale. This document covers everything you should need.

We include extensive and detailed provisions to protect your intellectual property and your infrastructure, and to control how customers may use your services. The document allows you to set out what can be uploaded to and stored on your site. And although unlikely to be required by every business, we have included special additional provisions regarding the use and renewal of domain names on behalf of customers.

The benefit of using these clear terms

Using this document on your website will help you:

• Set out clearly what service you are offering

• Present a professional image of your business. Our use of plain English helps ensure customers do not feel intimidated by overly formal or legalistic language

• Prevent misunderstandings and solve disputes more easily

• Comply with consumer protection law (such as the Consumer Contracts (ICAC) Regulations 2013) without compromising your legal rights if you also sell to businesses

• Protect your website from misuse (we include paragraphs that form an Acceptable Use Policy, useful if your visitors can interact with your website, for example, by posting reviews or exchanging messages in a customer forum)

• Trade safely internationally, whether your customers are in the UK, EU or further afield

Similar templates

If your services are on an on-demand basis, i.e. your customers buy them in blocks of time at the end of which they end, then you should look at this set of terms.

If they are bought online, but provided offline, we have terms specifically for service providers.

If you are in any doubt as to which template you should choose, please contact us.

The law in these terms

The law in these T&C is largely common law that deals with the basics of contracts: offer, acceptance, price and payment, delivery, returns, dispute resolution, liabilities and risk.

They are valid for businesses based anywhere in the UK.

This template complies with The Sale of Goods Acts (1979 and 1994) and The Consumer Contracts (ICAC) Regulations 2013 allowing you to sell to businesses or consumers.

We have contracted out of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 so as not to obligate you in contracts made between your customer and any other party. This is usual in a document such as this one.

Contents

• Definitions and interpretation
• Preliminary legal matters
• The price
• Renewal (subscription) payments
• User contributed content and information
• Other restrictions
• Removal of offensive content  
• Website security
• Other legal provisions
• Publicity and announcements
• Miscellaneous matters

We also include over 3,500 words of helpful and informative drafting notes.