Terms of Service

1. What Nearest is

Nearest is an online platform that connects verified students ("Students") with independent beauty and personal-care professionals ("Professionals") in participating cities in the United States where Nearest operates. Through Nearest, Students can find Professionals, book and pay for appointments and Model Calls, message about their booking, and leave reviews.

Nearest does not provide beauty, hair, lash, nail, barber, makeup, photography or any other personal-care services. Professionals are independent businesses. They are not Nearest's employees, agents or contractors, and Nearest does not control how they perform their services. Any agreement for a service is between the Student and the Professional; Nearest provides the platform, payment processing and the booking rules described in these Terms.

2. Changes to the Service

We may add, change or remove features, participating areas, categories and rules at any time. Rule values shown in these Terms (for example notice periods, grace periods, deposit amounts and fines) are the current settings and may be updated; the values in effect when you make a booking apply to that booking.

3. Who can use Nearest

Students. To book on Nearest you must:

• be at least 13 years old;
• be enrolled at a participating high school, college or trade school when you first verify (after you're verified, you keep your account after graduating as "Nearest Alumni" with the same access; Nearest may ask you to confirm your identity again if it suspects misuse) (you may verify with a school ID and selfie, or with a selfie and a code sent to your school email — school-email verification gives temporary access until Nearest completes its review, and Nearest may remove access if it can't confirm you're a student); and
• complete Nearest's student verification (school, school ID photo and selfie — or, if your school doesn't issue student IDs, proof of current enrollment such as an enrollment confirmation, class schedule, student portal screenshot or tuition receipt, plus a selfie) and re-verify when asked, at least once each school year.

Students under 18. If you are 13 to 17, you may use Nearest only with the permission of your parent or legal guardian, who must review and agree to these Terms on your behalf. When you sign up, Nearest emails your parent or guardian, and you can't book until they approve from that email by checking the approval box and typing their name. Your parent or guardian is responsible for your use of Nearest and for any payments made on your account, and should be comfortable with the services you book, where appointments take place, and the fact that Professionals are independent adults. Some services may require parental consent under the Professional's own policies or Texas licensing rules; Professionals may decline to serve a minor without it.

Professionals. To offer services on Nearest you must be at least 18, legally able to work in the United States, able to form a binding contract, and hold every license, permit and registration required for the services you list (see Section 10).

Nearest isn't available to anyone we have previously removed, or where it would be unlawful. We may refuse, suspend or close any account at our discretion, including if we can't verify the information provided.

4. Your account and verification

You agree to give accurate, current and complete information, keep it up to date, keep your login secure, and use only one account. You're responsible for everything that happens under your account. Tell us right away at hello@usenearest.com if you think your account has been used without permission.

Connections let verified students connect with each other and share professionals. Only send requests to people you know, and don't use Connections to harass, spam or contact anyone who hasn't accepted. Nearest may limit or remove Connections that are misused.

Student verification is reviewed by Nearest staff. Professional identity is reviewed by Nearest staff using a photo of a government ID (driver's license or state ID) and a live selfie. Identity verification only confirms that a real person is behind an account — it is not a background check, criminal history search, or endorsement of anyone's skills, character or safety.

The green shield next to a professional's name (approved by Nearest), "Identity Verified," "Verified Student" and similar labels describe the checks described here and nothing more.

5. Booking appointments

Professionals set their own services, prices, hours and locations. When you book, you agree to the service, price, date, time and location shown at checkout.

• Standard bookings must be made at least 24 hours before the appointment.
• Same-day bookings are available only for openings a Professional has posted for that day, only until 12:00 PM Central Time, and only for start times at least 4 hours away.
• Where the service happens — at the Professional's location or at an address you provide — is shown at checkout. The appointment address is shared with the booked Student (or, for travel appointments, with the Professional) starting at 12:00 AM Central Time on the appointment day.
• Each booking has its own message thread. Keep booking communication inside Nearest; phone numbers and email addresses are not shared between users.

Model Calls are appointments a Professional offers, often at a reduced price, to practice techniques or build a portfolio. Results may differ from a standard service. Model Calls may list requirements (for example, natural hair only, or photos/video required); by booking you confirm you meet them. A Professional may cancel a Model Call; if they do, Section 7's Professional cancellation terms apply.

6. Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe. By paying through Nearest you also agree to Stripe's terms. Nearest does not store full card numbers.

• Bookings are paid in full at checkout. Starting November 19, 2026, a booking is confirmed as soon as your payment goes through (booking requests sent before then were confirmed by the Professional first, then paid). Each booking includes a protected deposit (currently $5, or the full price if the service costs less). At checkout the deposit and Nearest's booking fee are shown together as the "Deposit/Booking Fee"; both are part of the listed price, not added to it.
• Your payment is held by Nearest's payment processor and is released to the Professional when you complete the appointment finish steps (confirm the service, result photo, review, release payment).
• If a Professional has finished the service and you don't complete the finish steps within 24 hours after the scheduled end time, the payment is released to the Professional automatically, unless you have reported a problem that is still under review.
• Available credits are applied automatically at checkout before any card charge.
• Prices are set by Professionals and include everything shown at checkout. You're responsible for any taxes that apply to your purchase if not included.

Promotions. Nearest campaigns (such as the student launch campaign) have their own published terms shown on the campaign page, which you accept when you join. Campaign rewards are one per student. The launch campaign reward is Nearest credit, added to an approved student's account once; it can be used toward services booked with any Professional on Nearest (not Bundle Me bookings), is non-transferable, has no cash value and can't be withdrawn. Professionals are paid their normal price when a Student pays with campaign credit. Taking part is optional and doesn't affect ordinary access to your Nearest account, and a campaign waitlist entry does not reserve a reward.

Prices shown to Students include Nearest's $5.00 booking fee for each service (the Nearest service fee described in Section 10), so the total is shown before you pay and there are no surprise charges at checkout. Professionals bear card-processing fees, as described in Section 10.

Bundle my booking. Students may build a bundle of services from different Professionals for the same week within a budget they set. Nearest's suggestions are based on the prices and availability Professionals list and aren't guaranteed until each appointment is booked and paid. Each appointment in a bundle is a separate booking with its own Professional and follows these Terms, including cancellation, deposit and no-show rules. Credits and invite rewards can't be used on bundle bookings. Bundles that aren't booked are saved for 14 days and then cleared.

Nearest Cards. Nearest may give out printed promotional Nearest Cards (no purchase required). A card must be saved to a Nearest student account before it can be used: sign in, open Account → Cards & activations, and enter the 16-digit number from the front and the code from the back (3 digits on discount cards, 4 digits on free cards). A saved card is never applied automatically — you choose whether to use it on a specific booking, and you can switch or remove it until you pay for that booking. One card covers one booking with a Professional who takes Nearest Cards (not Bundle my booking bookings or Model Calls). A card covers the service price only — you still pay the booking fee and the deposit. A discount card takes its stated amount off the service; a free card covers that Professional's chosen free service up to its stated amount, and you pay anything above that. Each Professional gives their free service only once, so a free card can't be used with a Professional who has already given it. Value a card doesn't use on its booking is not kept. If the booking expires or is declined before you pay, the card can be used again; once you pay, the card is used, and if that booking is later cancelled, the card's part comes back to your account as promotional credit, which works the same way (service only, Professionals who take it, no cash value). Only one Nearest Card may be saved per Student, and a card must be saved within 30 days of being handed out (and by the Valid thru date printed on it); a card not saved in time becomes inactive and can't be used. Nearest Cards are not credit cards, debit cards or gift cards purchased for value; they have no cash value and can't be sold, transferred, exchanged for cash or replaced if lost before they're saved. Too many wrong codes lock a card for security. Nearest may turn off or discard cards at any time, including cards saved to an account but not yet used, for example cards that were lost, stolen, copied, given out by mistake, or obtained or used in violation of these Terms. Promotional credit (for example, a launch campaign reward) follows the same rules as a card: it covers the service only, with Professionals who take it, and has no cash value.

Invite rewards. A verified Student may share a personal invite link. When someone signs up through it and is verified as a Student, both Students receive a $5 invite reward. Each invite reward takes $5 off one booking — only one reward per booking, they can't be combined, and they apply only to a Student's first booking with a given Professional (not Model Calls). Invite rewards have no cash value, can't be transferred, and return to your account if the booking is cancelled or never paid. Nearest may withhold or remove rewards earned through fake, duplicate or self-made accounts.

7. Cancellations, no-shows and credits

Nearest uses service credits instead of cash refunds. Please make sure you can attend before you book.

• If you cancel 24 hours or more before the appointment: the full amount you paid becomes credit you can use with that same Professional.
• If you cancel less than 24 hours before the appointment: the protected deposit is forfeited and paid to the Professional; the rest becomes credit with that same Professional.
• Grace period: Professionals must wait 15 minutes after the start time. If you haven't checked in by then, the Professional may mark you a no-show. A no-show is treated like a late cancellation: the deposit is forfeited to the Professional and the rest becomes credit with that Professional.
• If a Professional cancels, or Nearest confirms the Professional was at fault (see Section 8), you receive the full amount as general Nearest credit you can use with any Professional.

About credits: credits have no cash value; can't be withdrawn, sold, transferred or exchanged for cash; don't expire while your account is open; and can be used only on Nearest. Credits tied to a Professional can be used only with that Professional. Credits are not gift cards or stored-value cards. If your account is closed, unused credits end, except where the law requires otherwise.

Nothing in these Terms limits any refund right you have under applicable law. If a charge was made in error (for example a duplicate charge or a booking that failed), contact us and we will correct it.

8. Appointment day

• Check in through the app when you arrive. Check-in uses your device's location and requires you to be at the appointment location (currently within 100 feet).
• If something goes wrong at the appointment — the Professional isn't there, refuses the booked service, or there's an access problem — report it from the appointment location using Report a problem. Reports are reviewed by Nearest; a report doesn't automatically mean anyone is at fault.
• Photos are required at both ends of every appointment: a check-in photo when you arrive and a result photo when you finish. They're stored with the booking to protect both you and the Professional and are used to review disputes. A result photo appears on a Professional's portfolio only if you choose Yes.
• Be respectful and safe. Either party may end or decline an appointment if they feel unsafe or are treated inappropriately; report it to us.
• Tell your Professional about allergies, sensitivities, medical conditions or medications that could affect the service (for example adhesive or product allergies). Ask for a patch test if you are unsure. Services involving the body carry inherent risks, including allergic reactions and irritation.

9. Account standing

To keep Nearest fair and reliable:

• Students: more than 5 no-shows, or leaving an appointment without completing the finish steps, pauses booking for 90 days.
• Professionals: each confirmed professional-fault incident results in a fine (currently $50) due within 7 days. While a fine is past due, your profile is hidden from Students. Every 3rd confirmed incident suspends your account for 30 days. An unpaid fine outstanding for 30 days may result in account termination.
• We may also suspend or close accounts for violations of these Terms, safety concerns, fraud, chargebacks, or unpaid amounts.

You can request a review of any suspension or fine in the app. Reviews can take 30 to 90 days, and the action stays in place during the review unless we decide otherwise. Our decision after review is final, subject to Section 21.

10. Additional terms for Professionals

Independent business. You operate your own independent business. You decide whether to accept work on Nearest, your prices, your hours, your methods and your tools. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, joint venture, franchise or agency relationship. You're responsible for your own taxes, insurance, supplies, workspace and compliance.

Licenses and law. You must hold and maintain every license, permit and registration required for the services you offer — including any required by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — and follow all health, sanitation and safety rules. You must keep the professional status you choose on Nearest accurate and stop offering any service you are no longer authorized to provide. Nearest does not review or verify licenses.

Insurance. You must carry professional liability (malpractice) and general liability insurance appropriate to your services while you provide services through Nearest, and provide proof if Nearest asks (see the Professional Terms, section 6).

Your services and license status. You are solely responsible for the services you provide and their results, including any injury or reaction, and for following all sanitation and safety rules. You must tell Nearest within 48 hours if any license, permit or registration you rely on is suspended, revoked, expired, restricted or under investigation, and stop offering affected services right away.

Your listings. Your profile, services, prices, photos, hours, location, languages and ASL level must be accurate. Only post work you performed or have the right to post. You must honor bookings made through Nearest at the listed price.

Professional qualifications & legal compliance. By listing, offering, accepting bookings for, or providing services through Nearest, you represent and warrant that you possess and will maintain any licenses, permits, registrations, certifications, training, insurance, or other qualifications required by applicable federal, state, and local law for the services you provide. You are solely responsible for determining whether you are legally authorized and appropriately qualified to provide each service you list. Nearest does not independently verify your occupational licensing, education, diploma, certification, training, or other professional qualifications unless Nearest expressly states otherwise; the professional status you choose is self-reported. Nearest's acceptance of your account, profile, service listing, or booking activity does not constitute verification, certification, endorsement, or confirmation of your qualifications. You agree not to list, accept, or perform any service through Nearest that you are not legally authorized to provide.

Student invite rewards. By joining Nearest, Professionals agree to honor the $5 Student invite reward: when a Student applies an invite reward to their first booking with you, the price they pay is reduced by $5 and that $5 comes from that booking's payout to you. It applies at most once per Student per Professional, never to Model Calls, and Nearest shows it on the booking.

Profiles set up by Nearest. With your permission, someone working with Nearest may set up your professional profile for you from details you give them. It isn't shown to Students until you open the link we email you, create your own password and accept the Professional Terms; accepting puts it live. From then on it's your account: you're responsible for checking that everything on it is accurate, and you can edit it or go offline at any time.

Age-restricted services. Professionals must mark any service that legally or medically requires the client to be 18 or older (for example injectables such as Botox, fillers or certain piercings) as 18+ only. Nearest blocks students under 18 from booking those services based on the birthday on their verified account. Professionals remain responsible for following the laws and licensing rules for their services.

Existing membership arrangements. New Professionals pay no membership fee to be listed on Nearest. Professionals who joined under an earlier paid membership arrangement keep the terms of that arrangement as communicated to them; contact support with questions about your account.

Fees. Joining Nearest, building your profile and staying listed are free: there is no sign-up fee and no monthly fee, and no card is needed. You accept the Nearest Professional Terms when you submit your profile. If you don't accept the Professional Terms, send your ID check or submit your profile within 30 days of creating your professional account (or don't use an invitation or registration link within 30 days), registration for your account is closed and you're placed on the waiting list; your information is kept, and Nearest may reopen registration for you. Spots are for professionals who take bookings: if your profile isn't live within 30 days of joining for reasons on your side (not while Nearest is reviewing your profile or ID), your city and category spot may be released, after a reminder; you can reclaim it later if your city still has room.

Text messages. If you check "Text me Nearest updates" when you sign up, you agree that Nearest may send you text messages about your account and Nearest updates at the number you provide. This is optional and not required to use Nearest. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time.

Nearest service fee. A flat $5.00 Nearest service fee applies to each service and each Model Call booked through Nearest. For services it is always added to your price, so Students see one total and you receive your full price. Services saved before October 28, 2026 with the fee included in the price show your price without the fee the next time you edit them, and the fee is added on top when you save. On Model Calls the fee is always added to your model price (Model Calls published before October 17, 2026 have none), and add-ons have no service fee. The fee applies only to completed bookings and is refunded with any refunded booking. Nearest may add or change platform and service fees with notice before they apply.

Moving cities. Each city has a limited number of placements per service category. If you move to a city that is full in your category, you may request a transfer; transfers require Nearest's approval, and you remain listed in your current city until approved. A transfer doesn't change your fees.

Card-processing fees. Card-processing fees charged by our payment processor are deducted from each payout — including when a Student pays with Nearest credit from an earlier payment, and from a forfeited deposit, in proportion to the original payment's processing fee.

Payouts. Payouts are made through Stripe Connect to the account you connect. You must complete Stripe's onboarding and identity requirements and agree to Stripe's terms. Payout timing is set by Stripe. Stripe may issue tax forms (such as Form 1099-K) where required.

Keeping bookings on Nearest. You may not ask Students you met through Nearest to cancel and rebook outside Nearest, or ask for payment outside Nearest for a booking made on Nearest.

Minors. Some Students are 13 to 17. You're responsible for following any law, licensing rule or policy that applies to serving minors, including obtaining parental consent where required, and you may decline to serve a minor.

11. Reviews, photos and other content

Content includes profiles, photos, service descriptions, messages, reviews and anything else you submit. You keep ownership of your content. You give Nearest a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, adapt (for formatting) and distribute your content to operate, improve and promote the Service. This license ends when you delete the content or your account, except for copies already shared with others, backups kept for a limited time, and content we must keep for legal reasons.

Reviews can be left only for completed bookings and must reflect your honest experience. Professionals may not offer anything in exchange for reviews or ask for reviews to be changed or removed.

Check-in and result photos are required for every appointment. A result photo is shared to a Professional's portfolio only when the Student chooses Yes. If you're in a photo you want removed, contact us.

You may not post content that is illegal, false, misleading, defamatory, harassing, hateful, sexually explicit, or that infringes someone else's rights, or that includes another person's personal information without permission. We may remove content and take action on accounts at our discretion.

12. Messages and notices

Booking messages are for arranging and completing the booking. For safety, Nearest may review messages in connection with reports, disputes or suspected violations. Message threads close 90 days after the appointment.

You agree that we may send you service messages (such as verification codes, booking confirmations, reminders, receipts, and account notices) by email and in the app. These are part of the Service and can't be turned off while your account is active.

13. Things you may not do

• Break any law or anyone else's rights, or use Nearest for anything unsafe or illegal.
• Create fake accounts, impersonate anyone, or submit false verification information or someone else's ID.
• Harass, threaten, discriminate against or abuse anyone.
• Share contact details to take bookings off Nearest, or pay or ask for payment outside Nearest for a Nearest booking.
• Manipulate reviews, ratings, check-in or location data.
• Scrape, copy, reverse engineer, overload or interfere with the Service, or access it by automated means without our permission.
• Use Nearest for any commercial purpose other than as a Student or Professional as described here.

14. Safety

Nearest does not conduct criminal background checks and does not supervise appointments. Use good judgment: review profiles and reviews, keep communication in the app, tell someone where you are going, and leave if you feel unsafe. In an emergency, call 911. Report any safety concern to us at hello@usenearest.com.

15. Location

Check-in and problem reports use your device's location at that moment. Near Me uses your device's location to show distances. You can turn location access off in your device settings, but check-in and on-site problem reports won't work without it.

16. Nearest's rights

The Service, including its software, design, logos and trademarks, belongs to Nearest and its licensors. We give you a limited, personal, revocable, non-transferable license to use the Service as allowed by these Terms. If you send us feedback or ideas, we may use them without any obligation to you.

17. Third-party services

The Service relies on third parties, including Stripe (payments and payouts), Clerk (sign-in), and hosting and email providers, and may link to other websites (for example a Professional's Instagram, TikTok or website). We're not responsible for third-party services or websites, and your use of them is subject to their terms.

Nearest Partner pages. Approved Professionals may publish a partner page (usenearest.com/link/…) with their services, videos and links to their own shops, products, courses or other websites. Anything bought or used through those links is offered by the Professional or a third party, not Nearest, and is between you and that seller. Partners are responsible for what they post and link to, must have the right to share it, and may not use their page for anything these Terms prohibit; Nearest may pause or remove a partner page. Appointments booked from a partner page are Nearest bookings and follow these Terms.

Partner shop. Partners may sell digital downloads (such as workbooks, guides or templates) and physical products (such as hair care, tools or lash kits) from their partner page. You don't need a Nearest account to buy. Nearest processes the payment; the partner is the seller and is responsible for the product, its description, its quality and safety, and any claims about it. Digital downloads are delivered right after payment through a download link that works a limited number of times for a limited period (shown at checkout and in your receipt) and are final sale unless the seller says otherwise. Physical products ship from the seller to the shipping address you enter; shipping, delivery, returns and exchanges are between you and the seller. If a seller can't ship an order, Nearest may refund it before the seller is paid. Sellers may not sell anything illegal, unsafe, counterfeit, recalled, prescription-only, or anything these Terms prohibit, and Nearest may remove products or pause a shop. Sellers are responsible for any taxes and permits that apply to their sales. Card processing, and any Nearest order fee shown to the seller in their shop, come out of the seller's payout.

18. Ending your account

You can ask us to close your account at any time. You can't close an account with upcoming appointments or unpaid amounts; cancel or complete those first. We may suspend or close your account as described in Sections 3, 9 and 13. Sections that by their nature should survive (including payments owed, credits, content licenses, disclaimers, limits on liability, indemnity and disputes) survive after your account ends.

19. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent allowed by law, Nearest disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. Nearest does not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, timing or results of any service provided by a Professional, the accuracy of any listing, review or user content, or that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. Professionals are solely responsible for the services they provide.

20. Limits on liability

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Nearest and its owners, employees and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data or goodwill, or for any injury, loss or damage arising from services provided by Professionals or from interactions between users, even if we were told they were possible.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Nearest's total liability for all claims relating to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the amounts you paid to Nearest in the 12 months before the claim arose, or (b) $100. Some laws don't allow certain limitations, so some of these may not apply to you.

Indemnity: to the extent allowed by law, you agree to defend and hold Nearest harmless from claims, losses and costs (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your content, your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms or the law, or — for Professionals — the services you provide.

21. Disputes and governing law

Talk to us first. Most concerns can be resolved quickly. Before filing any claim, contact us at hello@usenearest.com with a description and what you'd like us to do, and give us 30 days to try to resolve it.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute that isn't resolved informally will be brought only in the state or federal courts located in Collin County, Texas, and you and Nearest consent to those courts' jurisdiction — except that either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies.

Disputes between Students and Professionals about a service are between them. Nearest may help through Report a problem and our review process, but is not obligated to resolve private disputes.

22. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. If a change is material, we'll notify you by email or in the app before it takes effect. Continuing to use the Service after the effective date means you accept the updated Terms. Changes won't apply retroactively to bookings already made.

23. Other terms

These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Nearest about the Service. If any part is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision isn't a waiver. You may not transfer these Terms; we may transfer them in connection with a merger, acquisition or sale of assets.

24. Contact

Nearest, LLC (Nearest) • 5729 Lebanon Rd #144605, Frisco, Texas 75034 • hello@usenearest.com