Terms of Service

1. Introduction

Welcome to Pest Central, an online marketplace connecting customers with licensed pest control providers and offering pest maintenance products in Texas.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use Pest Central. Providers must maintain all required Texas licenses, insurance, and continuing education credits (CEUs).

3. Account Registration

All users and providers must provide complete and accurate information to register. Providers will be vetted through license review, CEU confirmation, and interviews covering prior service history.

4. Services Provided

• Instant booking for general pest control
• Custom quotes for specialized jobs or large properties
• Access to the Pest Central Shop for maintenance products
• Access to affiliated shops for additional pest control tools and supplies for use between services

"General pest control" means inspection and treatment for the common household pest types on the platform's current instant-booking coverage list — for example ants, cockroaches, common house spiders, silverfish, crickets, flies, wasps, hornets, mosquitoes, moths, and pantry pests. The full, current list is displayed during booking and governs over any summary. Specialized pests — including termites, bed bugs, fleas, ticks, rodents, wildlife, and venomous spiders — are excluded from general pest control and are handled through custom quotes. The specific methods, coverage, and any warranty for a visit are set by the provider's own service description.

5. Payments & Charges

• A payment hold is authorized before service but is not charged until services are rendered
• Payments are processed securely via Stripe or another approved payment provider
• Payment is required to secure the booking; the authorized payment is finalized after services are completed
• All financial transactions are subject to this Terms of Service

Pricing and platform fees. The price a customer sees and pays is the provider's quoted or listed price. Pest Central does not add fees on top of that price.

Provider commission. Pest Central may retain a commission, calculated as a percentage of the service price, from the amount paid out to the provider. The commission is deducted from the provider's share; it is never charged to the customer in addition to the quoted price.

Referral fee. Pest Central may charge a provider a separate, fixed referral fee when a customer selects that provider for a new service request. The referral fee is charged to the provider, not the customer.

Fee settings. Whether the commission and referral fee apply, and at what rate, is set by Pest Central on a platform-wide basis and may be adjusted for individual providers. Pest Central may set either fee to zero for some or all providers, including while the platform is being established, and may change fee settings prospectively with notice to affected providers. Providers can see the fee settings that apply to them in their provider account.

Provider payouts. Payouts to providers are made through Stripe (Stripe Connect) to the bank account the provider has on file with Stripe, net of any applicable commission. Pest Central never receives or stores providers' bank details. Payouts are generally processed on a weekly schedule after a service is completed and confirmed; recurring-service visits may be paid out per visit.

6. Bookings, Cancellations & Refunds

• Rescheduling. Customers may reschedule a booked service up to 12 hours before the scheduled start time. Within 12 hours, contact the provider directly.
• Customer cancellation. Customers may cancel a booked service up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Any payment authorization is released (or refunded, if already captured) and no cancellation fee is charged. Within 24 hours of the start time, cancellations must be arranged with the provider.
• Recurring services. A recurring service plan may be cancelled at any time; a cancellation made less than 12 hours before the next scheduled visit takes effect after that visit.
• Provider cancellation. A provider may cancel a booked service at any time. If a provider cancels, the customer is not charged, the customer's request is reopened so other providers can respond, and the cancellation is recorded on the provider's account.
• Refunds. Refunds for completed services are issued only where Pest Central's review finds the service was not completed or was unacceptably poor. All refund decisions are subject to admin review.
• There are no cancellation fees.

7. Provider Requirements & Vetting

Providers must undergo license verification, continuing education confirmation, and review of previous service performance.

8. Reviews & User Content

Customers may leave reviews and upload photos. Inappropriate or fraudulent content will be removed at the discretion of Pest Central administrators.

9. Text Messages

Pest Central texts are about your own requests and bookings: new messages, quotes, booking changes and visit reminders. You choose whether to receive them, and consent is not a condition of using Pest Central. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel at any time or HELP for help, email team@thepestcentral.com, or change your choice in Settings. Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

10. Prohibited Activities

Users must not fraudulently book, provide false information, abuse services, circumvent payment, or engage in spam or harassment.

11. Intellectual Property

All branding, content, and platform features are the property of Pest Central unless otherwise indicated.

12. Limitation of Liability

Pest Central is not liable for direct service outcome disputes. Resolution is primarily between the customer and provider, with platform mediation and admin review as needed.

13. Dispute Resolution

Disputes or complaints should be submitted through our “Contact Us” channels. Pest Central will review submissions and issue decisions at admin discretion. All disputes are governed by Texas law.

14. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after updates indicates acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Contact

Questions? Contact us at team@thepestcentral.com.