CareStride — Terms & Conditions for Clients

version: "2.1.0" effectiveDate: "[DATE TO BE SET AT LAUNCH]" lastUpdated: "2026-05-23"

Operator: MICRO PIXEL PRIVATE LIMITED
Brand: CareStride
Corporate Identification: CIN U33111TN1987PTC015203 · GSTIN 33AAACM4619C1Z0 · PAN AAACM4619C
Registered Office: C19A Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032, Tamil Nadu, India
Document Version: 1.0
Effective Date: [DATE TO BE SET AT LAUNCH]
Last Updated: [DATE TO BE SET AT LAUNCH]

📌 Key Terms — Read This First (30 seconds)

A plain-English summary of what matters most. The full Terms below are the legally binding version; this just gives you the gist.

Six things to know:

1. What CareStride is: An open marketplace connecting you with verified, independent care professionals — not their employer.

2. Marketplace model: We verify, match, book, and facilitate payment; professionals deliver care; we do not guarantee clinical outcomes.

3. Your safety: NurseShield verification (20+ checks). Final care decisions are between you, your Treating Doctor, and the professional.

4. Cancellations: See carestride.health/cancellation-policy. Less than 4 hours → no refund + possible strike.

5. Account standing: 5 strikes in 90 days = 30-day suspension; 10 lifetime = permanent. Appeal after 7 days.

6. Your data: Collected for care, payments, and safety. Grievance Officer responds in 30 days.

Pre-counsel draft. This document will be reviewed and refined by legal counsel prior to launch. Nothing in this document constitutes legal advice.

1. Acceptance and eligibility

By creating an account on CareStride, installing the CareStride mobile application, accessing carestride.health, or otherwise using the CareStride platform (together, the "Platform"), you ("Client", "you") agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions (these "Terms") and by the CareStride Privacy Policy, Cancellation Policy, and Grievance Redressal Policy, each of which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

You represent that you are at least 18 years of age, of sound mind, and legally competent to enter into a binding contract under the Indian Contract Act 1872. If you are booking care for a Care Recipient who is a minor, elderly, or otherwise legally dependent, you represent that you have the lawful authority to do so (as parent, guardian, or legal representative) and that you will obtain the Care Recipient's consent to the extent they are able to give it.

2. Definitions

• "Platform" — the CareStride website, mobile applications, APIs, and all related services operated by Micro Pixel Private Limited.
• "Client" — a User registered to book home healthcare services through the Platform.
• "Professional" — an independent nurse, physiotherapist, or other qualified healthcare practitioner registered on the Platform to offer their services.
• "Operator" — an agency or organisation registered on the Platform to list multiple Professionals under a single account.
• "Care Recipient" — the person who will actually receive the healthcare service, who may or may not be the Client themselves.
• "Booking" — a request by a Client for a specific service, which becomes binding when its status reaches CONFIRMED.
• "Facilitation Services" — the discovery, matching, booking, payment processing, communication facilitation, and dispute administration functions performed by the Platform. These are the only services CareStride itself provides.
• "Platform Fee" — the fee charged by the Platform to Clients and/or Professionals for the Facilitation Services, distinct from the fees paid to Professionals for their clinical services.
• "AI Features" — any feature of the Platform producing output through artificial intelligence, including SmartMatch, NLP Search, AI Review Summaries, Review Sentiment and Topic Tags, Care Insights, AI Briefings, Market Insight, Review Fraud Detection, and Document Cross-Reference.
• "Treating Doctor" — the registered medical practitioner consulted by the Client regarding the Care Recipient's health, who provides clinical direction.

3. Nature of service — what CareStride IS and IS NOT

This section is fundamental. By using the Platform you affirmatively accept each of the following.

3.1 What CareStride IS

CareStride is an online open marketplace and technology platform. Its role is limited to the Facilitation Services — helping you discover Professionals, compare options using information aids including AI Features, request and pay for a Booking, and communicate with the Professional through platform-provided channels.

3.2 What CareStride IS NOT

CareStride is not:

• a hospital or clinic;
• a medical or healthcare provider;
• a clinical establishment within the meaning of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010;
• an employer, agent, or principal of the Professionals listed on the Platform;
• a medical agency, home healthcare service provider, or nursing service provider;
• a diagnostic, prescriptive, or supervisory authority over clinical practice.

3.3 Your acknowledgement

You expressly acknowledge and accept, as a condition of using the Platform, that CareStride does not render medical, nursing, physiotherapy, or any other clinical services directly. All clinical services are rendered by independent Professionals operating their own practices. CareStride does not supervise, direct, endorse, or take responsibility for any clinical act or omission of any Professional.

4. The marketplace model — how it actually works

4.1 Credential verification

CareStride operates NurseShield, a layered credential verification process that typically includes:

• Identity verification (Aadhaar),
• Tax identity (PAN),
• Biometric face match against government ID,
• Registration verification with the Indian Nursing Council, respective State Nursing Council, or Rehabilitation Council of India,
• Bank account verification,
• Criminal background screening subject to lawful availability.

Verification is performed by independent third-party verification providers and is based on records publicly and lawfully available at the time of verification.

4.2 Limits of verification — you acknowledge this frankly

You accept and acknowledge that, notwithstanding our verification efforts:

• No verification process, however layered, can guarantee with complete certainty the ongoing clinical competence, conduct, personal character, or suitability of any Professional for any particular Care Recipient, medical condition, or specific visit;
• Records verified on a given date may change thereafter, and CareStride cannot continuously re-verify every Professional in real time;
• CareStride does not test clinical proficiency, does not evaluate bedside manner, and does not rate Professionals on qualities outside the verification scope;
• Any representation by CareStride about a Professional — including CareScore, AI Summaries, Topic Tags, and SmartMatch percentages — is an information aid derived from verified data and User-generated content, not a certification of clinical competence or suitability.

4.3 You make the choice

You acknowledge that the final decision on which Professional to book rests with you, after reviewing the information presented on the Platform, including verification status, reviews, CareScore, AI Features outputs, and your own judgement. CareStride presents information; you choose.

5. Care decisions rest with you and your Treating Doctor

5.1 Principle

The determination of what type of home healthcare is appropriate for the Care Recipient — including whether home healthcare is medically indicated at all, the nature of the care required, the frequency and duration of visits, the medications and treatments to be administered, and the clinical goals of the engagement — is a medical decision to be taken by you, in consultation with the Care Recipient's Treating Doctor.

5.2 CareStride does not provide medical advice

CareStride, its staff, its AI Features, and its content do not:

• diagnose any condition;
• prescribe any medication, treatment, or procedure;
• recommend any particular course of care;
• determine clinical suitability of a Professional for a condition;
• replace consultation with a Treating Doctor.

5.3 AI Features are information aids

The search, filter, SmartMatch, NLP Search, AI Review Summaries, Topic Tags, Care Insights, AI Briefings, and Market Insight features help you locate and evaluate Professionals and understand trends. They are information aids produced by artificial intelligence models (including large language models), which may contain errors, omissions, biases, and limitations. They are not clinical recommendations and must not be the sole basis for any clinical decision.

5.4 Upload of Treating Doctor's care instructions

CareStride permits you to upload care instructions obtained from the Care Recipient's Treating Doctor for the informational reference of the assigned Professional. If you use this feature, you warrant that the instructions are genuine, current, and provided by a registered medical practitioner competent to issue them. CareStride does not review, validate, translate, or endorse any such instructions and accepts no responsibility for their accuracy, completeness, or clinical appropriateness. The Professional will exercise independent clinical judgement. This feature is governed fully by Section 12.

6. Professional independence and the nature of care

6.1 Professional's independent practice

The clinical judgement, techniques, procedures, medications, and overall nature and quality of healthcare services rendered during a Booking are determined exclusively by the Professional in the exercise of their independent professional judgement and scope of practice licensed by their regulatory council.

6.2 CareStride does not supervise or endorse

CareStride does not supervise, direct, or endorse any particular clinical approach, protocol, medication, or procedure. CareStride does not certify any Professional as best suited for any specific medical condition. References to CareScore, specialisations, and AI Features outputs are information aids only.

6.3 Professional's suggestions are the Professional's own — consult your Treating Doctor

A Professional may, during a visit, offer observations, suggestions, or opinions about the Care Recipient's condition, medication, or care plan. Any such observation or suggestion is the Professional's own independent clinical view — it is not a CareStride recommendation.

You expressly accept that:

• CareStride does not endorse, verify, or take responsibility for any clinical suggestion offered by a Professional;
• Any such suggestion should be discussed with the Care Recipient's Treating Doctor before being acted upon;
• Reliance on a Professional's suggestion is at your own risk, and CareStride disclaims any liability arising from such reliance.

7. Safety features — maximum possible safety considerations, not guarantees

7.1 What we provide

CareStride provides safety features that together offer maximum possible safety considerations:

• NurseShield 5-layer credential verification (Section 4.1);
• Zero-phone-sharing policy with masked calling via platform-provided virtual numbers;
• 4-digit visit codes confirming Professional arrival at the correct address;
• SOS function in the app for both Clients and Professionals;
• AI safety monitoring on reviews (Section 13);
• Professional refusal right with zero CareScore penalty for safety cancellations;
• Admin escalation and incident investigation workflows.

7.2 What we do NOT guarantee

You acknowledge that these features are not guarantees of safety and that:

• No platform can eliminate all risk inherent in an in-home service;
• CareStride does not control, supervise, or guarantee the conduct of any party during a visit;
• The SOS feature creates an administrative alert and, where configured, calls a designated safety contact; it is not a substitute for State emergency services;
• In a medical emergency you must call 108. In a law-and-order emergency you must call 112. The Platform does not replace these services.

7.3 Your responsibility

You accept the responsibility of exercising your own judgement regarding personal safety and the Care Recipient's safety, including cooperating with the Professional during the visit and reporting any safety incident through the Platform within 24 hours.

8. Your obligations as a Client

You agree:

• To provide accurate information about the Care Recipient's requirements, keeping in mind that Professionals rely on this information to decide whether to accept the Booking;
• To obtain the Care Recipient's consent to the extent they are capable of giving it, and to represent their lawful guardianship if they are a minor or legally dependent;
• To pay Platform Fees and Professional fees promptly per the invoiced amounts;
• To treat Professionals with dignity and respect. Harassment, abuse, discrimination, or conduct creating a hostile environment is grounds for immediate account termination;
• To submit honest reviews based on your actual experience;
• Not to solicit Professionals to provide services outside the Platform. Off-Platform solicitation is a material breach and may result in suspension, termination, and pursuit of damages;
• To comply with all applicable Indian laws while using the Platform;
• To report any safety incident through the Platform within 24 hours of its occurrence.

9. Bookings, cancellations, and refunds

9.1 Booking lifecycle

A Booking proceeds through the following states:

1. PENDING_PRO_ACCEPT — Client has created the Booking; the Platform surfaces it to qualified Professionals.
2. PENDING_CLIENT_CONFIRM — Professional has accepted. For Bookings scheduled six (6) or more hours after the time of acceptance, the Client has thirty (30) minutes to confirm the assigned Professional or request a swap. If the Client takes no action within 30 minutes, the Booking auto-confirms.
3. CONFIRMED — For Bookings scheduled within six (6) hours of acceptance, this state is reached immediately on Professional acceptance. Once CONFIRMED, the Booking is binding on both parties subject to the Cancellation Policy.
4. IN_PROGRESS — Professional has checked in and begun the visit.
5. COMPLETED — Visit finished, care report submitted. Payment settled per the payment terms.

Cancellation, safety-cancellation, and no-show states are defined in the Cancellation Policy.

9.2 Cancellation Policy

The Cancellation Policy is published at carestride.health/cancellation-policy and forms part of these Terms. In summary: refunds are tiered by the time between cancellation and scheduled visit start; Clients who cancel repeatedly face escalating refund reductions; Professionals cancelling without a safety reason face CareScore penalty and, after three such cancellations in 30 days, account suspension; safety cancellations by Professionals carry zero CareScore penalty and 100% Client refund.

9.3 Care Engagements (multi-visit bookings)

The Platform supports Care Engagements, which are a series of Bookings with the same Professional and Care Recipient created as a single request. An engagement is a convenience layer over standard Bookings: each visit within the engagement is an individual Booking for billing, cancellation, and clinical purposes. Cancelling an engagement cancels all remaining future Bookings within the engagement, each subject to the Cancellation Policy. Engagements do not create any ongoing employment or agency relationship between the Client and the Professional; the Professional remains an independent contractor and CareStride's Facilitation Services remain per-visit in nature.

A Professional may offer an optional discount for longer engagements (for example, a reduced per-visit rate for engagements of five or more visits). Any such discount is set by the Professional, not by CareStride, and is disclosed transparently at the time of engagement creation.

10. Platform Fee, payments, and GST

10.1 Platform Fee

CareStride charges a Platform Fee for the Facilitation Services. The Platform Fee is disclosed transparently at the point of Booking and in the invoice generated post-visit. The Platform Fee is distinct from the fees paid to the Professional.

10.2 GST

Goods and Services Tax applies to the Platform Fee under the CGST Act 2017 and applicable State GST laws. Invoices are issued under Service Accounting Codes 999312 (nursing services) and 999319 (physiotherapy services). For intra-state transactions in Tamil Nadu (state code 33), CGST 9% and SGST 9% are applied. For inter-state transactions, IGST 18% is applied. GST is calculated on the Platform Fee, not on the full Booking value.

10.3 Payment processor

Payments are processed by Razorpay Software Private Limited. By making a payment you agree to Razorpay's own terms of service. CareStride does not store full card numbers or banking credentials.

10.4 Invoices

CareStride issues invoices in compliance with the CGST Act 2017. Invoices contain the operating entity's GST registration details, the SAC code, and the GST breakdown.

11. Communications and the zero-phone-sharing policy

11.1 No personal contact data is shared

CareStride operates a strict zero-phone-sharing policy. Personal telephone numbers, personal email addresses, and precise residential addresses of Clients and Professionals are not disclosed to the other party at any point in the Booking lifecycle.

11.2 Masked calls and in-app chat

• Voice calls between Clients and Professionals are routed through masked telephony provided by our communications partner. Each party sees a platform-issued virtual number in place of the other party's real number.
• In-app chat is enabled only during active Bookings with status CONFIRMED or IN_PROGRESS.
• Calls may be recorded for safety, dispute resolution, and regulatory purposes, per the Privacy Policy.

11.3 Admin access

Real contact information is accessible only to authorised CareStride administrators bound by confidentiality, and only for dispute resolution, safety incident handling, and regulatory grievance redressal, in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

11.4 Off-platform solicitation

Any User who solicits, shares, or obtains the other party's personal contact information — whether through the Platform or otherwise — commits a material breach of these Terms. Consequences include suspension or termination of your account, forfeiture of any pending payouts or credits, and pursuit of damages where applicable.

12. Client-uploaded Treating Doctor's care instructions

12.1 Feature description

As described in Section 5.4, you may upload care instructions obtained from the Care Recipient's Treating Doctor for the informational reference of the assigned Professional.

12.2 Your warranty

By uploading, you warrant that the instructions are genuine, current, and issued by a registered medical practitioner competent to provide them for the Care Recipient.

12.3 Platform non-involvement

CareStride does not review, validate, translate, endorse, or clinically evaluate any uploaded instructions. CareStride does not pass uploaded instructions into the AI Briefing or any other AI processing pipeline. CareStride accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, appropriateness, or clinical implications of uploaded instructions.

12.4 Professional's use

The Professional may take uploaded instructions into informational consideration but is required to exercise independent clinical judgement in all cases and is under no obligation to follow any specific instruction that, in the Professional's judgement, is contraindicated, outside her scope of practice, or otherwise inappropriate.

12.5 Scope and access

Uploaded instructions are visible only to the Professional assigned to an active Booking for the concerned Care Recipient. Access expires on Booking completion or cancellation. Uploaded files are stored encrypted and handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

12.6 Limits

A maximum of three (3) files may be active per Care Recipient at a time. Each file must be PDF, JPG, or PNG and must not exceed 10 MB in size. You may delete a file at any time.

13. Reviews, content, and AI moderation

13.1 Your content

You retain ownership of the reviews, photographs, and other content you submit. By submitting content, you grant CareStride a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sub-licensable licence to use, display, reproduce, and distribute the content in connection with operating and promoting the Platform.

13.2 AI analysis

All reviews are analysed by AI for sentiment, topic tags, and safety concerns. Reviews flagged for safety may be escalated to CareStride administrators and may result in Safety Incident investigation under the Safety Policy.

13.3 Removal

CareStride may remove content that violates these Terms, applicable law, or the Community Guidelines in §29. CareStride does not guarantee that any review will remain published indefinitely.

13.4 No fake reviews

Creating, soliciting, or enabling false, misleading, or paid reviews is a material breach. CareStride's AI Review Fraud Detection monitors for such conduct and may remove reviews and suspend accounts on evidence of fraudulent activity.

14. No medical advice — an explicit disclaimer

No content, text, image, video, notification, AI-generated output, email, message, or other communication made available through the Platform constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment. Nothing on the Platform is intended to substitute for consultation with a registered medical practitioner.

AI Features are produced by large language models and may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. They are informational aids only.

In a medical emergency, call 108. In a law-and-order emergency, call 112. The SOS feature within the Platform creates an administrative alert and optional safety contact call; it is not and cannot be a substitute for State emergency services.

15. Intellectual property

All intellectual property in the Platform — including the CareStride name, logo, brand system, the tagline "Doorstep Care :— AI-Powered, Swift, Seamless", source code, design system, content, and AI Feature outputs — is owned by Micro Pixel Private Limited or its licensors and is protected under the Copyright Act 1957, the Trade Marks Act 1999, the Designs Act 2000, and other applicable laws. You receive a limited, revocable, non-transferable, non-exclusive licence to use the Platform for the purposes described in these Terms.

16. Disclaimer of warranties

The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, CareStride disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose (including any medical or clinical purpose), non-infringement, accuracy, uninterrupted availability, and the ongoing accuracy of verification outcomes.

Without limiting the foregoing, CareStride specifically disclaims any warranty that:

• AI Features will produce accurate, complete, or bias-free output;
• SmartMatch will identify the optimal Professional for a Care Recipient;
• A Professional's credentials remain current after initial verification;
• Any visit will achieve any particular clinical outcome;
• The Platform will be free of errors, defects, or interruptions;
• Information displayed about Professionals (reviews, CareScore, specialisations) is a certification of clinical competence.

17. Limitation of liability

17.1 Cap

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the aggregate liability of Micro Pixel Private Limited, CareStride, and their directors, officers, employees, and agents, for any and all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform, shall not exceed the greater of (a) the sum of Platform Fees paid by you in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (b) ₹10,000.

17.2 Excluded damages

Under no circumstances shall CareStride be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, loss of reputation, loss of opportunity, emotional distress, or mental anguish, even if advised of the possibility.

17.3 Non-waivable liabilities

Nothing in this Section limits liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable Indian law, including liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or fraud by CareStride or its personnel acting within the scope of their employment.

18. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Micro Pixel Private Limited, its affiliates, and their directors, officers, employees, and agents from any claim, liability, loss, damage, cost, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of:

• your use of the Platform,
• your breach of these Terms,
• your violation of any applicable law,
• your infringement of any third-party right,
• any claim by the Care Recipient or their representative relating to your conduct or the conduct of a Professional you booked.

19. Data protection and privacy

CareStride processes personal data in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and the CareStride Privacy Policy. Micro Pixel Private Limited is the Data Fiduciary. You have the right to access, correct, update, erase, and port your personal data (subject to statutory retention overrides), to withdraw consent, and to lodge grievances with the Grievance Officer identified in Section 20. Detailed processing particulars are set out in the Privacy Policy.

20. Grievance Officer

In accordance with Rule 3(2) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, Section 8 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, and Rule 5(3) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, the Grievance Officer for CareStride is:

Name: Authorized Signatory Designation: Grievance Officer Email: [email protected] Postal address: C19A, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai - 600032

CareStride operates four published grievance SLA tracks aligned with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, and Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. A general track uses a 48-hour acknowledgement and 30-day resolution baseline. A consumer / marketplace track matches those same defaults for most platform complaints. A data-principal track applies a 15-day resolution clock for privacy categorisation. A fast-track track applies 24-hour acknowledgement and 24-hour resolution targets for impersonation and intimate or morphed imagery complaints, consistent with intermediary diligence expectations under the 2021 IT Rules.

You may submit online at carestride.health/legal/grievance-redressal/submit (preferred), through the CareStride mobile app (About → Grievance redressal → Submit a grievance) without logging in, or by email using the address above. The submission receipt quotes the applicable acknowledgement and resolution due instants for your category. Full policy text remains at carestride.health/grievance.

21. Dispute resolution, arbitration, governing law

21.1 Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of India.

21.2 Arbitration

Subject to Section 21.3, any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996. The seat of arbitration shall be Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A sole arbitrator shall be appointed by mutual agreement; failing agreement, the sole arbitrator shall be appointed by the High Court of Madras. The language of arbitration shall be English.

21.3 Consumer carve-out

Nothing in Section 21.2 shall be construed to require a consumer to arbitrate a claim that the consumer is entitled to bring before a consumer forum under the Consumer Protection Act 2019. The consumer's rights under that Act are preserved in full.

21.4 Jurisdiction

For any matter not subject to arbitration, or for any judicial proceeding in aid of arbitration, the courts at Chennai shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

21.5 Individual resolution

Disputes shall be resolved on an individual basis. To the extent permitted by law, you waive any right to participate in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

22. Modification of Terms

CareStride may amend these Terms from time to time. Material amendments will be notified at least fifteen (15) days in advance by email and in-app notification. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of amended Terms constitutes acceptance. Material changes that affect your rights may require affirmative re-acceptance.

23. Termination and suspension

CareStride may suspend or terminate your account on grounds including, without limitation: fraud; safety incidents; repeated cancellations exceeding policy thresholds; failure to pay; off-Platform solicitation; violation of these Terms; or conduct that places other Users at risk. You may appeal through the Grievance Officer. Termination does not waive accrued rights or obligations.

23A. Client Account Standing, Strikes, and Suspension

23A.1 Purpose. CareStride records strikes on Client accounts for defined conduct, separate from refund tiers in the Cancellation Policy (carestride.health/cancellation-policy).

23A.2 Strike events.

| Event | Weight | Trigger | | -------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------- | | Last-minute cancel | 1 | Cancel < 4 hours before visit | | No-show | 2 | Unavailable without valid cancel | | Frivolous dispute | 2 | Marked frivolous after review | | Abusive behaviour | 3 | Validated misconduct | | Safety refusal (pro) | 1 | Where attributed to Client conduct |

23A.3 Suspension: 5 strikes / 90 days → 30-day suspension; 10 lifetime → permanent; strikes decay after 365 days.

23A.4 Safety cancellations: 100% refund, no strike where policy applies.

23A.5 Appeal: After 7 days via Grievance; target decision within 14 days.

23B. Investigative Holds

[English placeholder — §23B Investigative Holds: temporary account hold during grievance review; auto-hold for serious categories; rights during hold; lift on resolution or conversion to §23A suspension. See English terms-client.md §23B for authoritative text.]

24. Force majeure

Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform due to events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, government action, war, terrorism, civil unrest, prolonged internet or telecommunications failure, power outages, or cyber incidents including ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, and data breaches originating in third-party services.

25. Severability, waiver, assignment, entire agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in force. A waiver of any breach is not a waiver of any subsequent breach. CareStride may assign these Terms to an affiliate or to any entity acquiring the CareStride business; Users may not assign without written consent. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Cancellation Policy, Grievance Redressal Policy, and Community Guidelines, constitute the entire agreement between the parties.

26. Electronic contract formation

These Terms form a binding contract under the Indian Contract Act 1872 and the Information Technology Act 2000. Acceptance is recorded electronically, including the exact text shown to you at the time of acceptance, the semantic version of that text, the timestamp, and a technical fingerprint of the device and session. You waive any defence based on the absence of a physical signature.

28. Marketplace Nature

CareStride is an open marketplace operated by MICRO PIXEL PRIVATE LIMITED. We connect Clients with independent nurses and physiotherapists. We verify credentials through NurseShield, facilitate discovery, booking, escrow payment, and masked communication. We do not employ Professionals, provide direct medical care, or guarantee outcomes.

Surfaces. First-booking modal, profile badges, AI disclaimers, and footer text reinforce this model. Voice rules (locked): say "independent professionals", "verified through NurseShield", "maximum possible safety considerations"; never "our nurses" or "guaranteed outcomes".

29. Community Guidelines and Code of Conduct

These Community Guidelines and Code of Conduct form part of the CareStride Terms and apply to every Client and Professional on the Platform.

Respectful behaviour

Treat other users, Care Recipients, their families, and CareStride staff with dignity and respect. Harassment, threats, intimidation, hate speech, discrimination on protected grounds, sexual harassment, or abusive language — in any language — is prohibited. You must not retaliate against anyone who reports a concern in good faith.

Prohibited acts

You must not use the Platform to commit fraud, impersonate another person, manipulate reviews or ratings, submit false safety reports, evade payment, launder money, or violate any applicable law. You must not upload malware, scrape data without authorisation, or attempt to bypass verification, escrow, geofencing, or strike systems.

Off-platform contact prohibition

CareStride provides masked messaging and calling for booking-related communication. You must not share or solicit personal phone numbers, email addresses, WhatsApp handles, or social-media accounts to move transactions, payments, or clinical coordination off-platform ("zero phone sharing"). Limited exceptions apply only where CareStride explicitly enables a feature or where required by emergency services.

Honest information

Provide accurate profile, booking, availability, and review information. Fake reviews, review manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and misrepresentation of credentials or scope of practice are prohibited.

Professional conduct

Professionals must deliver care within their licence and council standards, honour confirmed bookings except for genuine safety refusal, and maintain current registrations. Clients must provide accurate visit information and be available at the scheduled time and place.

Reporting process

Report violations via in-app Help, the Grievance form, or [email protected]. For urgent safety, use the in-app SOS feature. CareStride may remove content, issue strikes, suspend accounts, or permanently terminate access. Strike and suspension schedules are set out in the Cancellation Policy and Client Terms §23A (Clients) or Professional Terms (Professionals).

30. Our Commitments to You

Operational targets — not clinical outcome guarantees.

| Commitment | Standard | | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Verification | NurseShield Mode I (identity), Mode II (credentials), Mode III (background/references) before listing | | Booking / pro assignment | Professional assignment or clear status update within 30 minutes for available slots | | Dispute first response | Within 48 hours | | Refund processing | Within 7 working days of approval | | Grievance | Acknowledgment 48 hours; resolution 30 calendar days | | Platform uptime | 99% monthly target (excluding maintenance) | | SOS | Verified emergency SOS routed for response targeting under 5 minutes during staffed hours |

Appendix A — CareScore Policy

CareScore — How We Calculate It

Version: 1.0 Effective date: [DATE TO BE SET AT LAUNCH] Last updated: [DATE TO BE SET AT LAUNCH]

CareScore is a number between 0 and 100 shown on every verified professional's profile on CareStride. It reflects the depth of verification we have completed, the strength of client feedback, and the professional's reliability over their bookings. We publish this policy because we want you to know exactly how the score is calculated, when it changes, and what you can do if you have questions.

What CareScore is — and is not

CareScore is a transparency indicator. It helps families make an informed choice and helps professionals see where they stand. CareScore is not a medical fitness rating, not a guarantee of outcome, and not a black-box score — every component is calculable, auditable, and visible. The final choice of professional and the responsibility for care delivered rest with the client, the professional, and qualified medical personnel.

The 7 components

1. Identity verification — 15% (Government ID, address proof, face match, geo-tag, profile photo all verified end-to-end)
2. Financial verification — 10% (Bank penny-drop, PAN check, UPI verification — required for payouts)
3. Education — 20% (Educational qualifications approved by CareStride's verification team)
4. Work experience — 20% (Work history at prior employers or institutions, verified by CareStride)
5. Specialisations — 15% (Declared clinical specialties verified by CareStride)
6. Client ratings — 15% (Average client rating from completed visits, with a small bonus for review volume)
7. Service behaviour — 5% (Responsiveness, low cancellations, on-time visits — calculated from completed bookings only)

Components 1–5 measure credential verification. Components 6–7 are calculated from operational data. The exact current contribution of each component is visible in a professional's own dashboard.

When the score recalculates

The score updates automatically on: identity/financial/education/experience/specialisation verification status change, client rating submitted or moderated, booking completed (ratings + behaviour update), professional declined/no-show/cancellation, safety incident with penalty, self-triggered recalc from pro dashboard.

How a professional can improve their CareScore

Complete identity + financial verification, upload all educational qualifications and work history for review, declare and verify all specialties, earn strong client ratings, complete bookings reliably (accept what you can deliver, arrive on time, avoid no-shows and last-minute cancellations).

When a score drops

If CareScore drops, the professional is notified with the specific component and reason. No-show / decline / cancellation events can be acknowledged with a context note visible to admin reviewers, or reviewed through Grievance. Safety incidents are reviewed by the CareStride safety team. Verification revocations are reviewed by the CareStride verification team.

Dispute and appeal

Disputes can be raised via the Grievance channel in the CareStride app or by email to [email protected]. CareStride's grievance team acknowledges within 24 hours and resolves within 15 days per CGSO timelines.

Data and privacy

CareScore uses data already collected as part of standard CareStride operations. Professionals can request their full CareScore history through the DPDP rights flow in their profile settings or by emailing [email protected].

How AI is used — and not used

CareStride uses AI to read and extract structured data from uploaded documents, cross-reference for consistency, and generate review summaries. CareStride does NOT use AI to generate the CareScore itself (all 7 components are explicit, auditable inputs), make hiring/suspension/de-registration decisions (these require human review), or predict medical fitness.

Marketplace context

CareStride is an open marketplace that verifies credentials and facilitates discovery, booking, payment, and communication between clients and independent healthcare professionals. CareStride does not employ the professionals listed on the platform, does not provide medical care directly, and does not guarantee specific outcomes.

Version history

v1.0 — Initial publication.

For questions: [email protected].

— Authorized Signatory, Micro Pixel Private Limited

27. Contact

For support: [email protected] · For legal: [email protected] · Grievance: [email protected]

CareStride is an open marketplace platform that connects clients with independent home healthcare professionals. CareStride verifies credentials and facilitates discovery, booking, payment, and communication — it does not employ the professionals listed on the platform, does not provide medical care directly, and does not guarantee specific outcomes. Professionals run their own independent practice. AI features assist in matching, analysis, and information — they do not replace professional medical judgement.

Acceptance and Authorized Signatory

This document is published by MICRO PIXEL PRIVATE LIMITED on its official Platform (carestride.health and the CareStride mobile application). By using the Platform you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to these terms. This electronic contract is binding under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

For and on behalf of MICRO PIXEL PRIVATE LIMITED

Authorized Signatory
Document timestamp: as recorded in metadata above.

Contact for Questions

• Email: [email protected]
• Postal: MICRO PIXEL PRIVATE LIMITED, C19A Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032

Grievance Officer (per DPDP Act 2023)

• Designation: Grievance Officer
• Email: [email protected]
• Response Time: Within 30 calendar days