Terms & Conditions

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Terms & Conditions

Last updated 7 September 2026

These Terms govern your use of McKitchens (in full, "My Cloud Kitchens – by our HomeChefs"; "the Platform", "we", "us"), operated by Stripe Systems Pvt. Ltd., India. McKitchens is a brand of Stripe Systems Pvt. Ltd. By signing in or placing an order you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy.

1. What the Platform is

The Platform is a neighbourhood marketplace that connects residents of a defined service area (the housing society or locality shown in the app when you sign up) with independent home chefs ("HomeChefs") who cook from their own homes. We coordinate orders, collect payment on behalf of HomeChefs and settle with them. The food is prepared by the HomeChef, not by us. Each HomeChef is an independent seller responsible for the preparation, quality and safety of what they cook.

2. Who can use it

  • You must be 18 or older and a resident of, or staying in, the service area. Delivery is only made within the service area to an address you provide.
  • You sign in with a Google account. Keep it secure; orders placed from your account are treated as placed by you.
  • One account per person. We may suspend accounts used for abuse, fraud, repeated no-shows or attempts to identify HomeChefs (see section 8).
  • One Google account, both roles. You may use the Platform as a resident (to order) and as a HomeChef (to cook) with the same Google account. Closing a kitchen leaves your resident account, orders and referral rewards intact; deleting the account is a separate, explicit action. A HomeChef may not order from their own kitchen.
  • Adding a role. A resident may apply to cook from their profile at any time; a HomeChef who closes their kitchen continues as a resident. A HomeChef who deletes their account forfeits the onboarding charge (section H1) and the deposit is settled under section H6.

3. Menus, availability and prices

  • Menus are published for today and tomorrow and may change. Items can run out; quantity limits apply per day and per order.
  • Prices are shown in Indian Rupees and include the HomeChef's price. Delivery and platform charges, if any, are shown separately before you place the order.
  • Special orders (cakes, festive sweets, bhandara and party menus) require a date and time and a minimum notice period shown on the item. They may be declined if the notice is too short.

4. Orders and acceptance

  • Placing an order is a request. The order is confirmed only when the HomeChef accepts it in their portal. You will see the status on My orders and, if enabled, receive a notification.
  • A HomeChef may decline an order (for example, out of ingredients). Declined items are not charged.
  • Orders from several kitchens are handled kitchen by kitchen; one kitchen accepting does not oblige another.
  • Cut-off times apply to each meal slot. Orders after cut-off are for the next available day.

5. Payment

  • Payment is by UPI, requested after the HomeChef accepts, to the QR shown on your order page. Depending on the day's collections it is either McKitchens' QR or the kitchen's own QR, which McKitchens has verified. Pay only to the QR shown and only the amount shown; we never ask for payment by phone or WhatsApp to any other account. Cash on delivery is not currently offered and may be introduced later.
  • When you pay by UPI, enter the UTR or tap "I have paid". We verify the payment against our UPI account before marking the order paid.
  • Where cash on delivery is offered in future, cash is collected at delivery or pickup against the amount shown on the order.
  • Payments are collected by us on behalf of the HomeChef. GST or other taxes, where applicable, are shown at checkout.

6. Cancellations and refunds

  • Today's and tomorrow's meals can be cancelled from the order page until 4 hours before dispatch (the start of the delivery window). The cart and the order page show the exact time.
  • Party, bhandara, bulk and other scheduled orders can be cancelled until 24 hours before the scheduled time.
  • After the window closes, cancellation is at the kitchen's discretion: message us on WhatsApp and we will ask the HomeChef.
  • Advance payment. Party, bhandara and bulk orders, and any order above ₹2,000, are paid in advance by UPI once the kitchen accepts; cash on delivery is not offered for them.
  • If a HomeChef declines, is unable to deliver, or we cancel, any amount paid for those items is refunded to the UPI account it came from within 2 working days.
  • Refunds for quality issues are decided case by case after a grievance is raised (section 9). Partial refunds may be given.
  • Delivery and platform charges are refunded when the whole order is cancelled by us or by the HomeChef.

7. Delivery and pickup

  • Delivery is to the address on your profile, within the delivery window of the slot. Timing can vary; we will notify you of delays where we can.
  • Self-pickup is from the neutral pickup point you choose, never from a HomeChef's home.
  • Parcels are handed over at the gate or building reception where a society or building has parcel rules. You must check that your parcel is complete at the gate itself; once you take it from the gate it is treated as delivered in full, and any shortfall must be reported immediately from the order page.
  • Parcels are never left unattended at your door, with security or elsewhere unless you have asked for that in the order instructions. Otherwise a parcel is handed to a person or it is treated under the no-show rule below.
  • You may nominate another resident or a family member to receive the parcel by writing their name, address and mobile number in the order instructions. At handover the delivery person calls you to reconfirm delivery of the parcel.
  • If nobody collects the parcel at the gate, the order is treated as delivered and is not refundable, provided the HomeChef or delivery person records the attempt with a gate photo showing the address within 30 minutes. If no such record exists, the order is treated as not delivered and any payment is refunded.

8. HomeChef anonymity and conduct

HomeChefs cook under a kitchen alias. You agree not to attempt to identify, locate, contact or visit a HomeChef, including through delivery staff, reviews, grievances or social media. HomeChefs, in turn, are prohibited from contacting you outside the Platform except to coordinate a delivery you have placed. Breach of this section is grounds for immediate suspension.

9. Food safety, allergens and complaints

  • HomeChefs undergo a basic hygiene check before listing and agree to our kitchen standards. Home kitchens are not commercial kitchens; dishes may contain or come into contact with nuts, dairy, gluten, eggs and other allergens. Add allergies to your profile and read item descriptions, but do not rely on them if you have a severe allergy.
  • Consume food within the time stated, or within 2 hours of delivery for hot meals.
  • Raise any problem through Help & issues within 24 hours of delivery, with a photo if possible. We investigate with the HomeChef and respond within 2 working days.

10. Reviews, messages and content

Anything you write on the Platform must be honest, lawful and free of personal details of others. We may remove content that is abusive, misleading or that could identify a HomeChef.

11. Our responsibility

We provide the Platform on a reasonable-efforts basis. To the extent permitted by Indian law, our total liability for any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order. We are not liable for indirect losses. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

12. Suspension and termination

You can stop using the Platform at any time and ask us to delete your profile (see Privacy Policy). We may suspend or close accounts that breach these Terms.

13. Changes

We may update these Terms. The date at the top shows the current version; material changes are announced on the Platform. Continued use after a change means you accept it.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Courts at Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to any consumer forum rights you have.

15. Contact

Stripe Systems Pvt. Ltd. · WhatsApp: +91 92667 75254 · Email: support@mckitchens.in

HomeChef Terms

These terms apply to home chefs who sell on the Platform, in addition to sections 1–15 above. By accepting onboarding you agree to them.

H1. Onboarding

  • Onboarding starts with your application in the app, followed by an in-person meeting and a basic hygiene check of your kitchen.
  • A non-refundable onboarding charge of ₹500 is payable before your kitchen is listed. It covers verification, set-up of your kitchen alias and portal, and menu photography support.
  • A refundable security deposit of ₹5,000 is payable before listing. It is held for the duration of your listing and returned on a clean exit as described in section H6, less any amounts owed to us or to customers under these terms.
  • Both amounts are shown together, before you apply and again before you pay. They are payable together to the Platform's UPI ID before listing; we do not collect the onboarding charge first and ask for the deposit later.
  • Deleting your account after listing forfeits the onboarding charge. The deposit is refunded under section H6 once your kitchen is closed in good standing.

H2. Your identity

  • You cook under a kitchen alias. We keep your name, phone and address in an access-controlled record and never show them to customers.
  • You must not contact customers directly, except to coordinate a delivery you have accepted, using the phone number shown to you for that order and only for that purpose. You must not message, call, visit or add customers on social media, share your personal number, or invite customers to order outside the Platform.
  • You must not disclose publicly that you are behind a kitchen alias, whether on society groups, social media or in person, and must not put your name, number or flat on packaging, labels or notes.
  • If we find that you have contacted customers directly or disclosed your identity in a way that links you to your kitchen alias, we may delist your kitchen immediately and forfeit the full security deposit as liquidated damages, in addition to any other remedy. Our decision, made after giving you a chance to respond, is final.

H3. Hygiene and packaging

  • You will maintain strict kitchen hygiene: clean surfaces and utensils, safe storage temperatures, potable water, hair covered and hands washed during preparation, no smoking in the cooking area, and no cooking while unwell with a communicable illness. We may inspect your kitchen with reasonable notice and may delist a kitchen that fails an inspection.
  • Food must be packed in non-plastic containers where possible (paper, bagasse, aluminium or glass), and otherwise in high-grade, food-safe packaging that seals well and is suitable for hot food. Packaging must carry only the kitchen alias, the order number and the dish name.
  • All packaging, containers and cutlery must be purchased from the Platform (Admin) only, so that every order goes out in the same approved, food-safe, alias-only packaging. Packaging bought elsewhere may not be used, and orders sent in it may be refused at delivery.
  • Every item is listed with its quantity (for example "150 ml dal, 100 g sabzi, 3 rotis" or "500 g / 1 kg cake"). You must fill portions to at least the listed quantity. Under-portioned orders are treated as a quality complaint under H4.
  • Allergen information you provide must be accurate. Tell us about any ingredient change that affects allergens.

H4. Orders, timing and quality

  • Accept or decline every order promptly, and only accept what you can deliver in the slot window.
  • Every order on the portal shows the mode of payment and whether it is paid or pending. Cash is collected at handover only when the order says Cash · to collect. Never accept payment to a personal UPI ID or account. Repeated late or declined orders may lead to delisting.
  • Portion sizes and quality must match the listing. Substitutions require our approval.
  • Spills and damaged parcels: if a parcel arrives spilt, leaked or damaged, you must either re-send a fresh parcel at your cost within the same slot (or a time the customer agrees to), or the Platform will refund the customer and the refunded amount is deducted from your settlement. Where the damage is clearly caused by the delivery runner, we bear the cost instead.
  • Customer complaints about quality are investigated with you; refunds we issue for a complaint upheld against your kitchen are deducted from your settlement.
  • Unattended parcels. You and your delivery person must never leave a parcel unattended at a door, with security or elsewhere. Handover to someone else is permitted only when the resident has nominated them in the order instructions with name, address and mobile number, and only after calling the resident so that both the resident and the receiver confirm on speaker that the parcel was received.
  • No-shows. Where nobody collects a parcel, you or your delivery person must upload a photo of the gate with the address clearly visible to the portal within 30 minutes of the attempt; the order then counts as delivered. Without it, the order counts as not delivered with no attempt made, the resident is refunded, and the parcel amount plus ₹100 or 20% of it, whichever is higher, is deducted from your settlement.

H5. Money

  • Where residents pay. UPI payments go to McKitchens' QR until our share of your day's sales, at the collection rate set for your kitchen, is with us; after that residents are shown your own verified QR. Money paid to your QR is yours to keep and is netted against commission, refunds and penalties in your settlement, which may then show an amount you owe us.

  • Confirming payments. For orders paid to your QR you must confirm on the portal that the money arrived, ideally with your credit screenshot, as soon as it does. Refunds are always made by McKitchens and recovered from you in the settlement.

  • Your UPI ID goes live only after our ₹1 test payment, which you confirm and we approve, with both receipts on record.

  • Customers pay the Platform. We settle with you for delivered orders within 48 hours of delivery, or sooner, net of the agreed commission and any refunds or deductions under these terms, with a statement in your portal.

  • Prices you set are inclusive of your costs. Taxes on your income are your responsibility.

H6. Pausing, holidays and closing your kitchen

  • Pausing. You may close your kitchen for any day, or for a longer holiday, directly from the portal. No approval is needed; we are simply notified so we can plan menus around it. Your listing, deposit and history are untouched while you are away.
  • Closing over accepted orders. Where the dates you close already carry orders you have accepted, we cancel those orders, apologise to the residents on your behalf and refund them in full. A fine of ₹100 or 20% of each affected order's value, whichever is higher, is payable when you raise the closure request (by UPI with the reference and a screenshot, or in cash), and the orders are processed once we confirm receipt. The fine is not refundable.
  • Closing. You may close your kitchen permanently from the portal whenever you wish. We ask only that there are no running orders at the time, so that every customer you have accepted is served. Once closed, your items come off the menu immediately.
  • Deposit refund. Your security deposit is returned within 48 hours of closing your kitchen in good standing, once your final orders are delivered and any open complaints are reconciled, less any amounts owed to us or to customers under these terms. It goes out with your final settlement, to the same UPI.
  • Coming back. You are always welcome to return. Re-onboarding follows the same steps as a first listing, including the ₹500 onboarding charge and a fresh security deposit.
  • Delisting by us. We may delist a kitchen for breach of these terms, for safety concerns, or after 90 days of inactivity. On delisting for breach of H2 the deposit is forfeited; in other cases it is refunded as above.