General Questions

❓ What is icarU?

icarU is a community ride-sharing app for friends, family, and school parents.
It helps people give rides and carpool safely while automatically tracking trips, miles, and estimated costs—so sharing stays fair over time.

❓ Is icarU the same as Uber or Lyft?

No.
icarU is not a paid ride service.

It’s designed for private communities—people helping people they already know

❓ Who is icarU for?

icarU is designed for people who already trust each other, including:

• Friends and family

• School parents coordinating kids’ transportation

• Small, recurring carpool groups

• Business owners want to log business miles for tax purpose.

❓ What’s the difference between a Ride and a Carpool?

icarU treats them differently because the effort is different.

• Ride
  A dedicated ride given for someone’s else’s need (for example giving an airport drop-off). The driver is credited for the full round-trip miles or cost

• Carpool
  When you join someone who is already going that way.
  Miles or cost are shared, since no one is making a special trip.

icarU recognizes this difference and tracks each fairly.

❓ Why does icarU track miles and cost?

Driving has real costs—fuel, wear-and-tear, insurance, and time.
Over time, it’s easy to forget who drove more or covered more distance.

icarU tracks trips and miles automatically so fairness and reciprocity happen naturally—without awkward conversations or mental accounting.

❓ Do I have to plan rides in advance?

No.
icarU works for both planned and spontaneous rides.

If a ride or carpool happens on the spot, the app can automatically capture the trip and let you tag it later.

❓ How is the value of a ride calculated?

By default, icarU uses the IRS 2026 Business Mileage Rate ($0.725/mile)as a benchmark. This rate represents the total cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation. We use this standard to ensure that a driver is fairly reimbursed for their vehicle's wear-and-tear without making a profit.

❓ How does automatic trip tracking work?

When enabled, icarU detects trips in the background and records:

• Trip distance

• Vehicle miles

• Estimated operating cost

You don’t have to do anything during the ride.

❓ What if I forget to mark a trip as a Ride or Carpool?

No problem. icarU detects trips automatically provided all permissions are given.
At your free time you can simply tag it as:

• Ride, or

• Carpool

icarU will then calculate miles and cost correctly based on that choice..

❓ Do I have to exchange money in the app?

No.
icarU does not process payments.

The app provides transparency—your group decides whether to:

• Credit miles for fairness, or

• Settle costs outside the app if needed.

❓ How does icarU help school parents?

icarU lets parents connect with other parents from the same school to form a trusted circle for kids’ transportation.

Once connected, parents can:

• Coordinate carpools

• Track shared driving fairly

• Reduce confusion and imbalance over time

❓ Is my data shared publicly?

No.
Your trip data is visible only within your trusted circle.
icarU does not sell data or expose trips publicly.

❓ Does icarU send 1099 tax forms?

A: No. icarU is not a payment processor and does not facilitate financial transactions.

❓ Is my data safe?

A: Yes. icarU stores minimal data required for operation and does not sell or share user information.

❓ Who is responsible if something goes wrong during a ride/carpool?

A: All aarpools and rides are private agreements between individuals in a trusted circle. icarU is a communication tool and does not provide insurance or mediation for disputes. We encourage users to only coordinate with people they truly trust.

Disclaimer and Legal Notice

Non-Commercial Use: icarU is for private, non-commercial use. Drivers must not use the app to generate profit.

No Financial Services - icarU is not a money transmitter, bank, or financial institution.

No Tax or Legal Advice - icarU does not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Users must determine any tax obligations themselves.

Fairness and Responsibility - All interactions on icarU are between users who voluntarily join trusted circles. icarU does not mediate disputes or guarantee payments.

Business Use and Reimbursement - Reimbursement eligibility for business rides depends on employer policies. icarU provides records for reference only.

Compliance - By using icarU, you agree to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. icarU is intended for private, non-commercial use among trusted circles.

Assumption of Risk: Users assume all liability for rides and favors shared on the platform