Ride Cancellation, No-Show and Refund Policy

This policy applies to rides booked using RYDZ; it does not govern bus/minibus tickets. It supplements mandatory consumer protections under Malawi law and the booking-specific information shown in the application. No undisclosed cancellation fee is chargeable. A policy or operator rule cannot take away a non-waivable statutory remedy.

A rider may cancel a pending request while the system is searching, subject to the displayed booking state. A request cancelled before Captain acceptance incurs no RYDZ cancellation fee because no transport provider has accepted the trip. After acceptance, a cancellation fee applies only in the circumstances below, which the app tells you about before you confirm a cancellation. The current settings are:

The fee is paid to the Captain, who has committed time to the trip, and is taken from the rider's RYDZ Wallet. If the wallet balance does not cover the whole fee, only the available balance is taken; the remainder is recorded on the ride and is not collected later. RYDZ does not keep any part of a cancellation fee. Before you confirm a cancellation, the app shows whether cancelling is free, until what time it stays free, or the fee that will apply.

We will not impose a discretionary cancellation fee when a Captain cancels; cannot reasonably reach the pickup; is materially different from the verified driver/vehicle shown; requests unapproved cash or a higher off-app fare; exhibits unsafe conduct; fails to meet required transport documentation; or when a verified platform error created a duplicate or invalid booking. If a fee was charged in one of these situations, contact support and it will be reviewed and reversed where these protections apply. Serious illness, a safety emergency or another exceptional circumstance is reviewed fairly with the available evidence. A Captain cannot charge for a trip not performed merely because the rider asked for a correction or safety assistance.

A Captain can mark a rider as a no-show only after marking arrival at the accepted pickup location in the app and then waiting at least 5 minutes; the app refuses an earlier no-show. A no-show carries the same fee as a late cancellation (currently MWK 1,000), charged from the rider's wallet and paid to the Captain as described in section 2. The platform records the accepted pickup location, the arrival time and the time of the no-show, and takes into account any contact attempt and any mobility/access needs when a no-show is disputed. A rider who cannot find the Captain can dispute GPS inaccuracies or a Captain at the wrong pickup point through support.

If a Captain declines or cancels an accepted booking, RYDZ may offer reassignment to another Captain at the newly displayed conditions. The rider is free to decline a materially different fare, vehicle or arrival estimate and request reversal of unearned payments. RYDZ does not guarantee automatic rebooking or arrival by a particular time.

A completed ride is generally payable at the authorized fare, including justified adjustments. If a journey ends early because of a breakdown, emergency or provider failure, the passenger is entitled to fair review of the actual service and, where applicable, a partial or full refund or other remedy. A false "completed" status does not establish that transport occurred. For overcharges, unintended duplicate payments or materially wrong fare calculations, we correct the ledger and reimburse overpaid amounts. A tip or separate voluntary payment is never mandatory.

Electronic transactions in Malawi can carry statutory withdrawal, review and refund protections under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act (including sections 35–39) and the Consumer Protection Act. Particular rules and exceptions depend on the service and whether performance began with lawful consent. RYDZ will assess these rights rather than imposing a blanket non-refundable term. Where the statute specifies a refund deadline—for example 14 days for an eligible section 35 withdrawal and 7 days after notification of supplier non-performance under section 37—RYDZ will meet that applicable deadline, including where a payment processor must be instructed to reverse a charge.

We will identify which party collected payment, trace the payment reference and refund using a legally compliant method; ordinarily the original payment method where possible (for a wallet payment, a credit back to the RYDZ Wallet), otherwise another method agreed by the parties as law permits. A wallet credit is not the only remedy if a money refund is legally due. For cash transactions, we explain the evidence and agreed mechanism to the claimant. No processing fee can be deducted from a statutory refund unless expressly lawful.

Contact support@rydzmw.com, or call or WhatsApp +265 222 247 247, with booking reference, date, last four digits of the transaction reference if available, issue description and requested remedy. Never send a mobile-money PIN, one-time password or account password. We will investigate trip timestamps, the payment ledger, relevant Captain evidence and GPS records within applicable privacy limits; provide a reasoned decision; and offer escalation under the Complaints Policy.

Before a rider confirms a cancellation, the app shows whether cancelling is free and until when, that the Captain is running late and cancelling is therefore free, or the exact fee and that it is paid to the Captain from the wallet. Each charged fee is recorded on the ride and in the wallet history of both the rider and the Captain. RYDZ will not charge a cancellation or no-show fee other than as described in this policy, and any change to these rules will be published here before it applies.