Terms of Service

BakeLink is a marketplace that connects independent bakers with customers and cafes. We are not a bakery. We do not make, handle, inspect, or deliver any food. Bakers are independent businesses, not our employees or agents.

BakeLink is operated by BakeLink, based in New York, United States. BakeLink is currently offered only to bakers and buyers located in the United States. Please do not use it to buy or sell from outside the United States.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use BakeLink, and BakeLink is not directed to children. Bakers must be legally permitted to make and sell the food they list where they operate.

Bakers on BakeLink are independent businesses responsible for their own food safety, licensing, and allergen handling. BakeLink does not prepare, inspect, or certify any food. Confirm allergen and dietary needs directly with your baker before ordering.

Each baker is solely responsible for complying with the food safety, hygiene, labelling and cottage food laws that apply where they operate, and for accurately describing allergens in what they sell.

If you have a food allergy or intolerance, speak to the baker directly before ordering. Dietary tags on a profile are self-declared by the baker and are not verified by BakeLink. A shared kitchen may carry cross-contamination risk even where a tag is present.

Bakers may display a cottage food status of not verified, self-attested, or verified. “Verified” means only that a baker supplied licensing details that we reviewed for plausibility. It is not a certification, an inspection, or a guarantee of compliance, and it may become out of date.

Submitting a request is not a binding order. A contract forms between you and the baker when you pay an accepted quote. That contract is between the two of you, BakeLink is not a party to it.

Bakers set their own prices, lead times and cancellation terms. Agree these in the order thread before paying.

Payments are processed by Stripe, and by using BakeLink you also agree to Stripe's terms. BakeLink retains a commission of 10.0% of the order total, and the remainder is transferred to the baker. The commission rate applying to an order is fixed when the quote is sent, and later changes do not affect it.

Refunds, cancellations and disputes are arranged and settled directly between the customer and the baker. BakeLink is a venue that connects the two of you and is not a party to your transaction. We do not issue, hold, or guarantee refunds, and we do not decide who is right in a dispute. If you want a refund or to cancel, raise it with the other party in the order's message thread, or open a dispute on the order; a baker who agrees to a refund issues it from their own payment account. We will provide order and payment records to help you resolve things between yourselves.

Reversing a legitimate payment through your bank (a chargeback) instead of resolving it with the baker may lead to your account being suspended.

Each baker is responsible for determining, collecting and paying any taxes due on their sales, and for their own income taxes. BakeLink is not a tax advisor. Where the law requires BakeLink to collect and remit sales tax on a baker's behalf (for example, as a marketplace facilitator once certain thresholds are met), we will do so and tell you.

Cafes and businesses buying for resale are responsible for confirming that a baker's licensing, insurance and food safety practices permit commercial resale in their jurisdiction. Cottage food laws frequently prohibit or restrict wholesale.

Keep your password secure and give accurate information. We may suspend or close accounts that break these terms, misrepresent food safety or allergens, or harm other users.

Do not use BakeLink to break the law, sell anything you are not licensed to sell, misdescribe what you are selling, harass anyone, arrange payment outside BakeLink to avoid our commission, or interfere with how the platform works.

You keep ownership of the photos and text you upload, and grant us a licence to display them on BakeLink. Do not upload anything you do not have the right to use.

BakeLink provides the platform “as is”. To the fullest extent the law allows, we are not liable for the quality, safety, legality or delivery of any food ordered through it. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our own negligence.

You agree to cover BakeLink's reasonable losses and legal costs if they arise from your use of the platform, the food you sell or buy, or your breach of these terms, to the extent the law allows.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute that is not resolved between the people involved will be handled by the state and federal courts located in New York, and you agree to that venue.

We will post any changes to these terms on this page and update the date above. Questions go to bakelinknetwork@gmail.com.