Lance

Terms & Conditions

Effective date: [DATE — TO BE CONFIRMED]

Please read these Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) carefully before using the Lance platform. By creating an account or using Lance, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.

Definitions

In these Terms, the following words have the meanings set out below:

  • “Lance” / “Platform” — the online marketplace operated by We Are Lance Limited at lance.design
  • “We Are Lance Limited” — the company registered in England and Wales (company number 17252127) at [REGISTERED ADDRESS — TO BE CONFIRMED]
  • “Brand” — a business or organisation that creates an account to find and engage freelance creatives via Lance
  • “Freelancer” — an individual creative professional who registers on Lance to offer their services
  • “User” — any person with a Lance account (Brand or Freelancer)
  • “Project” — a specific brief or scope of work posted by a Brand and accepted by a Freelancer
  • “Credits” — the pre-purchase currency used by Brands to fund projects on Lance
  • “Fees” — the platform service fee charged by Lance on completed projects, as notified to you at the time of booking
  • “Deliverables” — the creative work product produced by a Freelancer under a Project
  • “Intellectual Property” / “IP” — all rights in creative works including copyright, design rights, trade marks, and similar rights

Clause 1 — Platform Role

Lance is an intermediary marketplace. We connect Brands with Freelancers and provide tools for project management, communication, payments, and billing. We are not a party to any contract for services between a Brand and a Freelancer, nor do we employ Freelancers. Freelancers are independent contractors.

Lance is not responsible for the quality, safety, legality, or suitability of any services or Deliverables provided by Freelancers, nor for a Brand’s ability to pay.

Clause 2 — Eligibility and Account Registration

You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to enter into contracts in your jurisdiction to use Lance. By registering, you confirm this.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for all activity under your account. Do not share your login credentials.

Lance accounts are by invitation only. We reserve the right to refuse or revoke access at our sole discretion.

Clause 3 — Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Use Lance for any unlawful purpose or in breach of any applicable law or regulation
  • Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information in your profile or project briefs
  • Harass, abuse, or threaten other Users
  • Upload content that infringes third-party intellectual property rights
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or exploit the platform
  • Circumvent the platform to engage directly with Users found through Lance (see Clause 7)

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules without notice.

Clause 4 — Credits and Payments

Brands purchase Credits in advance. Credits are denominated in GBP and held on account until applied to a Project. Credits are non-refundable except as required by law or as set out in our refund policy.

When a Project is agreed, the relevant Credit amount is ring-fenced. Credits are released to the Freelancer upon project completion or at agreed milestones, minus the applicable Lance platform fee.

Invoices for Credit purchases are issued by We Are Lance Limited and include UK VAT where applicable.

Clause 5 — Freelancer Payments and Withdrawals

Freelancers are paid via Stripe Connect. To receive payments you must complete Stripe’s identity verification and connect a UK bank account. Lance is not responsible for delays caused by Stripe’s verification process.

Earned funds appear in your Lance wallet once a Project milestone or completion is approved. You may withdraw available funds at any time subject to a minimum withdrawal threshold. Stripe’s standard payout timelines apply (typically 2–4 business days to a UK bank account).

Lance deducts the applicable platform fee from earnings before crediting your wallet. Freelancers are solely responsible for their own tax obligations, including self-assessment and VAT registration where applicable.

Clause 6 — Engagement Terms

When a Brand books a Freelancer through Lance, both parties enter into a direct service agreement governed by the Project brief and any separately agreed terms. Lance is not a party to this agreement.

Brands and Freelancers must comply with all applicable employment, tax, and IR35 legislation. It is the Brand’s responsibility to carry out any IR35 status determination required by law.

Clause 7 — Non-Circumvention

This clause is critical. Please read it carefully.

You agree not to solicit, engage, contract with, or pay any User you first discovered through Lance outside of the Lance platform for a period of 24 monthsfrom the date of first introduction, without Lance’s prior written consent.

“First discovered through Lance” means any User whose profile you viewed, messaged, or engaged with via the platform, regardless of whether a Project was completed.

If you circumvent this clause, you agree to pay Lance a fee equal to the greater of:

  • £5,000 as liquidated damages (representing a genuine pre-estimate of loss); or
  • the platform fees that would have applied to all engagements between you and the relevant User during the restricted period.

This obligation survives termination of your Lance account.

Clause 8 — Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise agreed in writing between Brand and Freelancer in a Project brief:

  • All IP in Deliverables is assigned to the Brand upon full payment of the agreed Project value. This assignment is subject to the Freelancer retaining the right to display the work in their portfolio.
  • The Freelancer warrants that Deliverables are original, do not infringe third-party rights, and do not contain unlicensed AI-generated content without prior Brand consent.
  • Lance retains no ownership in Deliverables.

You grant Lance a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display your name, logo, and portfolio items for the purpose of operating and promoting the platform.

Clause 9 — Confidentiality

Both Brands and Freelancers may receive confidential information in connection with a Project (including briefs, strategies, financial data, and unreleased creative work). You agree to:

  • Keep all confidential information strictly confidential
  • Use it only for the purpose of the relevant Project
  • Not disclose it to any third party without the other party’s written consent
  • Return or destroy it upon request

These obligations survive the completion or termination of any Project and the termination of your Lance account.

Clause 10 — Content and Portfolio

You are responsible for all content you upload to Lance (including portfolio items, project briefs, and messages). You warrant that your content does not infringe any third-party rights and complies with all applicable laws.

Lance may remove any content that breaches these Terms or is otherwise objectionable, at our sole discretion and without notice.

Clause 11 — Disputes Between Users

Disputes between Brands and Freelancers are between those parties. Lance will use reasonable efforts to facilitate resolution but is under no obligation to do so and is not liable for the outcome of any dispute.

If a formal dispute arises, both parties agree to attempt mediation via a mutually agreed accredited mediator in England before commencing legal proceedings.

Clause 12 — Platform Availability

We aim to make Lance available 24/7 but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. Scheduled maintenance will be notified in advance where possible. We are not liable for losses caused by downtime, provided we act reasonably.

Clause 13 — Fees and Changes

Lance reserves the right to change its fee structure on 30 days’ written notice to existing Users. Continued use of the platform after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the new fees. New fees will not apply to Credits already purchased.

Clause 14 — Termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting legal@lance.design. Any unused Credits will be refunded within 30 days, less any platform fees already incurred. Non-circumvention obligations (Clause 7) and confidentiality obligations (Clause 9) survive termination.

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you breach these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or behave in a way that harms other Users or Lance.

Clause 15 — Limitation of Liability

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

Subject to the above, our total aggregate liability to you arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of Lance is limited to the lesser of:

  • The total Credits you have purchased in the 6 months preceding the claim; or
  • £10,000.

We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, or loss of profit, business, revenue, goodwill, or anticipated savings, even if advised of the possibility of such losses.

Clause 16 — Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless We Are Lance Limited, its officers, employees, and agents from any claim, loss, or expense (including legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your breach of these Terms, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

Clause 17 — Privacy and Data

Our collection and use of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, which form part of these Terms.

Clause 18 — General

Governing law: These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Any dispute that cannot be resolved by mediation will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Lance for use of the platform.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

Waiver: A failure to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not be construed as a waiver of that provision.

Assignment: We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms to a successor entity. You may not assign your rights without our prior written consent.

Contact: For legal queries, write to legal@lance.design or by post to We Are Lance Limited Limited, [REGISTERED ADDRESS — TO BE CONFIRMED].

We Are Lance Limited — Company No. 17252127 — [REGISTERED ADDRESS — TO BE CONFIRMED]