When clients interact with your forms and opt-in to your Terms and Conditions, it's essential to know how and where these opt-ins are documented. Here's a detailed breakdown of how Tern handles these opt-ins and the proof of consent.
Where can a client opt-in to your Terms & Conditions:
Terms & Conditions form block: By using the Terms & Conditions block in a form, your client can opt-in to your Terms and Conditions in a way that is easy for them, and compliant for you!
Credit Card Authorization:: When your client authorizes a payment, there is a required area that they must check and sign. This paragraph will always have a link to the Terms & Conditions that you have created in your User Settings.
Storage of Opt-In Information
Currently, when a client opts in to your Terms and Conditions using the opt-in block in a form, we store the following details:
Timestamp of the Opt-In: Each opt-in is timestamped, which is recorded in the form's submission data.
Client's Activity Tab: The opt-in activity is also logged in the client's activity tab within their contact profile. This provides a clear record of when and how the client agreed to the Terms and Conditions.
Proof of Opt-In
While we do not currently generate a PDF record specifically for the Terms & Conditions opt-in, we have worked closely with our legal team to ensure that the recorded timestamp and the required checkbox for the Terms and Conditions are legally robust. This setup ensures that:
The required checkbox with the linked Terms and Conditions is as legally binding as a traditional signature.
The timestamp and activity log provide a reliable audit trail of the client's consent.
When is a PDF of proof created and where is it stored?
For further proof of consent, particularly concerning payments and authorizations, we offer additional documentation in the form of a PDF document of the authorization, which is stored in the Documents section of the trip.
Credit Card Authorizations: When a client authorizes a payment for an activity within the trip, a PDF record of that authorization is generated and stored in your trip documents.
Insurance Options: Similarly, when a client chooses and authorizes an insurance option, the authorization is documented as a PDF.
Summary:
Using the Terms & Conditions form block, you can easily let your clients opt-in to your terms in a way that is simple for them and compliant for you. You can find opt-in records in the activity tab, on the form response itself, and in the credit card authorization PDF automatically generated in your trip Documents.
Helpful articles:
Don't forget to check out our article on Collecting Terms and Conditions Opt ins, covering how to set up your T&Cs and share them with your clients.