house rules
Effective October 15, 2026
These terms are an agreement between you and Amit Rand, who operates RateMyCafe ("we", "us"). By creating an account or using the RateMyCafe app or website, you agree to them. If you don't agree, please don't use RateMyCafe.
You must be at least 13 years old (or older if the law where you live requires it), and you must be able to form a binding agreement with us. You're responsible for your account and everything done with it, so keep your sign-in secure.
You own the reviews, notes, photos, lists and other content you post. By posting content you mark as public, you give us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, display and share it within RateMyCafe (for example, on cafe pages, your profile, your followers' feeds and shared lists) so the service can work. This license ends when you delete the content or your account, except for copies other people have already saved or shared.
Only post content you have the right to post. Reviews should reflect your own honest experience. You are responsible for what you post. We don't pre-screen content. RateMyCafe is an online platform: reviews, photos and other content are created by users, not by us, and we don't endorse them. We may (but aren't required to) remove content that breaks these terms or the law, and doing so doesn't make us responsible for content we leave up.
RateMyCafe has no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users. You may not post content or behave in a way that:
We filter objectionable words, and anyone can report content or users and block people. We review reports promptly, usually within 24 hours, and remove content that breaks these rules. Users who post it may be suspended or permanently banned, and their content removed.
Tap the … on any review, post, list or profile to report it or block the person. You can also email support@ratemycafe.app.
RateMyCafe includes Google Maps features and content (cafe names, addresses, locations, hours and photos). Your use of that Google Maps content is subject to the then-current Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy. Photos from Google show their authors' names where available, and you can open them on Google Maps from the photo viewer.
Ratings and reviews are the opinions of RateMyCafe users, not ours. We don't guarantee that cafe information is accurate or current. Cafe names and logos belong to their owners. RateMyCafe isn't affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any cafe or brand, and uses names only to identify places.
RateMyCafe is a place for opinions, not advice. Reviews and notes about ingredients, allergens, dietary needs (like "gluten-free" or "nut-free"), cleanliness or health are one person's experience and may be wrong or out of date. Menus change. Never rely on RateMyCafe for allergy, medical or dietary safety; ask the cafe directly before you order. Location and distance are approximate, so use common sense and follow traffic and safety rules when you travel to a cafe.
Cafe owners and others: if you think a review contains a false statement of fact (not just an opinion you disagree with), email support@ratemycafe.app with the review link, what you say is false and why, and how to reach you. We review requests and may remove content that breaks these terms. We don't remove reviews just because they are negative, and we don't take sides in disputes. If a court orders removal of specific content, send us the order.
Don't misuse RateMyCafe: don't try to break, overload or reverse-engineer it, scrape it, access other people's accounts, or get around its limits. We may change, suspend or stop any part of the service, and we may suspend or end your account if you break these terms.
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the RateMyCafe app on Apple-branded products that you own or control, for your personal, non-commercial use, as permitted by the Usage Rules in the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions. Other accounts connected to yours through Family Sharing or volume purchasing may also use the app as those rules allow. We (and our licensors) keep all rights in the app, its design, drawings and software, and in the RateMyCafe name and logo. You may not copy, modify, sell, sublicense or reverse-engineer them except where the law allows. Third-party services in the app (such as Google and Apple) are covered by their own terms, and you must follow any third-party terms that apply when you use the app (for example, your wireless carrier's data agreement). You also agree to follow the laws that apply to your use of the app. You represent and warrant that you are not located in a country under a U.S. government embargo or that the U.S. government has designated a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not on any U.S. government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
We respect creators' rights. If you believe content on RateMyCafe (for example a photo) infringes your copyright, email our designated agent at support@ratemycafe.app with: your name and contact details; a description of the copyrighted work; where the content is in RateMyCafe (a link or username and cafe); a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use isn't authorized by the owner, its agent or the law; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner; and your physical or electronic signature. We may remove the content and tell the person who posted it. Sending a false notice can make you liable for damages.
If your content was removed, you can send us a counter-notice. It must include: your name, address and phone number; a description of the removed content and where it appeared; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief it was removed by mistake or misidentification; your consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court for the district where your address is (or, if you're outside the U.S., any district where we can be found), and that you will accept service from the person who sent the notice; and your physical or electronic signature. If we get a valid counter-notice, we will send it to the person who filed the notice and, unless they tell us within 10 business days that they have filed a court action, we will restore the content between 10 and 14 business days after receiving it.
Repeat infringer policy: if a user is the subject of two or more valid copyright takedown notices that are not successfully counter-noticed, we will terminate their account. We keep a record of notices and the accounts they relate to.
Designated agent for notices of claimed infringement (17 U.S.C. 512(c)(2)): Copyright Agent, RateMyCafe (operated by Amit Rand). Address: address available on request at support@ratemycafe.app, USA. Email: support@ratemycafe.app. Notices sent to other addresses may not be handled.
You can delete your account at any time in the app (Profile → Settings → Delete my account). This permanently deletes your account and content, as described in our Privacy Policy.
You can stop using RateMyCafe and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or end your access if you break these terms or the law, or to protect other users. Sections that by their nature should survive (such as content licenses already granted, disclaimers, limits of liability and indemnity) survive ending these terms.
RATEMYCAFE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DON'T PROMISE THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT CAFE INFORMATION, HOURS OR USER REVIEWS ARE ACCURATE. YOU USE THE APP AND VISIT CAFES AT YOUR OWN RISK.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS, WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA, OR FOR CONTENT POSTED BY OTHER USERS, THE CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS, OR THE CONDUCT, FOOD, DRINKS OR PREMISES OF ANY CAFE, OR FOR ILLNESS, INJURY OR ALLERGIC REACTIONS CONNECTED TO A CAFE OR TO ANYTHING YOU READ ON RATEMYCAFE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATING TO RATEMYCAFE IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF US$100 OR WHAT YOU PAID US IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (WHICH FOR A FREE APP IS ZERO).
Some places don't allow some of these limits, so they may not apply to you. Nothing in these terms limits liability for fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct, for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that can't be limited by law.
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless RateMyCafe and Amit Rand (and, if we form one, our company, owners and contractors) from claims, losses and reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, that come from content you post, your use of RateMyCafe, or your breaking these terms or the law, to the extent the law allows. We'll tell you promptly about any claim so you can help, and we may take over the defense at your cost.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing a claim, please email us and give us 30 days to try to work it out. Subject to the next two sentences, any dispute we can't resolve will be brought in the state or federal courts located in the State of New York, and you and we consent to those courts. Either of us may bring a claim in small-claims court if it qualifies. To the extent the law allows, you and we each agree to bring claims only on an individual basis, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class or representative action. If you are a consumer, you also keep any rights you have under the mandatory consumer laws of where you live.
If you got RateMyCafe from the Apple App Store, these terms are between you and us only, not Apple. We, not Apple, are solely responsible for RateMyCafe and its content. We, not Apple, are responsible for any maintenance and support (contact us as shown in "Contact"), and Apple has no obligation at all to provide maintenance or support. If RateMyCafe fails to meet an applicable warranty, you may tell Apple and Apple will refund the purchase price (if any) to you. To the maximum extent the law allows, Apple has no other warranty obligation for the app, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses caused by a failure to meet a warranty are our responsibility. We, not Apple, are responsible for any claims by you or anyone else about the app or your use of it, including product liability claims, claims that the app does not meet a legal or regulatory requirement, and claims under consumer-protection or similar laws. If anyone claims that the app or your use of it infringes their intellectual property, we, not Apple, are solely responsible for investigating, defending, settling and resolving that claim. Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms and, once you accept them, Apple has the right to enforce them against you.
We may update these terms. If we make significant changes, we'll let you know in the app or by email before they take effect, and update the effective date above. Continuing to use RateMyCafe after changes take effect means you accept them.
These terms (with our Privacy Policy) are the whole agreement between you and us about RateMyCafe. If any part is found unenforceable, the rest still applies. If we don't enforce a term, that doesn't waive it. You may not transfer your rights under these terms; we may transfer ours.
Amit Rand (operating RateMyCafe), mailing address available on request by email. Email: support@ratemycafe.app. Please send questions, complaints or claims about RateMyCafe here.