Unlike a privacy policy — which is legally required in most jurisdictions — terms and conditions (also called terms of service or terms of use) are not mandated by law in most countries. However, that doesn't mean you should go without them.
What terms and conditions actually do
Terms and conditions are a contract between you and your website visitors or customers. They set the rules of the relationship: how your service can be used, what you're responsible for, what you're not responsible for, and what happens when things go wrong. Without them, you're relying entirely on general contract law — which may not protect you the way you assume.
When they're strongly recommended
eCommerce sites: If you sell products or services online, you need terms covering payment, delivery, returns, cancellations, and dispute resolution. In the EU and UK, consumer protection law actually requires you to provide certain information before a sale is completed — terms are the standard way to do this.
SaaS and subscription services: Terms define what your service provides, uptime expectations, what happens if you change or discontinue it, and how subscriptions can be cancelled.
Community and user-generated content: If users can post content on your site, terms let you moderate, remove, or ban users. Without terms, taking action against a user is legally risky.
Free tools or resources: If you offer free tools, templates, or resources, terms can restrict commercial use and protect your intellectual property.
What terms and conditions typically cover
- Acceptable use — what users can and cannot do on your site
- Intellectual property — who owns the content
- Limitation of liability — what you're not responsible for
- Disclaimers — especially important for advice-giving sites (legal, financial, health)
- Governing law — which country's law applies to disputes
- How disputes are resolved — courts, arbitration, or mediation
- How you can change the terms — notice requirements
Terms and conditions vs privacy policy
These are two different documents serving different purposes. A privacy policy explains what personal data you collect and how you use it — it's legally required. Terms and conditions set the rules of the relationship between you and users — they're recommended but not universally required. Both should be on your website.
EU consumer rights requirements
If you sell to EU consumers, the Consumer Rights Directive requires you to provide specific pre-contract information including a description of the goods or services, total price, delivery information, cancellation rights, and your contact details. Terms and conditions are the practical place to put all of this.
Getting terms and conditions
Trust Center hosts and maintains your terms and conditions alongside your other legal documents, served from your own subdomain. They're kept current as consumer law evolves, without you needing to track changes yourself.