Terms of Service

Cognify Tutors introduces parents to private tutors in Singapore. We are an introduction service: tutors are independent, not our employees or agents, and lessons are arranged and taught directly between the tutor and the parent.

By using this website, our Telegram bot, or by contacting us on WhatsApp, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree with them, please don't use the service.

To be confirmed: Your registered business name and UEN, which should appear here so it is clear which legal entity these terms are with.

You must be at least 18 to submit a request, apply as a tutor, or create an account. If you are between 13 and 18 you may only use the service with a parent or guardian's permission, and they take responsibility for the arrangement.

Requests are made by a parent or guardian on a child's behalf. Children do not hold accounts with us.

Keep your password to yourself. You're responsible for what happens under your account, so tell us straight away if you think someone else has got into it.

Everything you tell us — your subjects, availability, rate, qualifications — needs to be accurate, and kept up to date if it changes. Matching only works if what we're matching on is true.

Requesting a tutor is free, and sending a request doesn't oblige you to book anyone. We rank tutors by how well they fit what you've told us, but we can't guarantee a match — that depends on who has joined and who is free when you are.

Please close your request once you no longer need a tutor, so we stop showing it to people.

Satisfying yourself that a tutor is right for your child is your decision, not ours. Meet them, ask questions, and ask to see qualifications before lessons begin.

By applying you confirm that your qualifications, results and experience are stated truthfully. Overstating them is grounds for removal, and we may tell affected parents if we have already introduced you.

A verified badge means we have checked your credentials. It is not an endorsement of your teaching, and we may remove it at any time.

To be confirmed: What verification actually requires — which documents you check (NRIC sighting, degree or transcript, MOE letter), and what disqualifies an applicant. Write this down before issuing the first badge, so it means the same thing every time.

You may not register as a tutor, or accept or continue any assignment through Cognify, if you have been charged with, convicted of, or are under investigation for any offence involving a minor, sexual misconduct, abuse, violence, exploitation or dishonesty — or if you are subject to any order, ban or restriction that bears on working with children.

By registering, you confirm that none of this applies to you, and you agree to tell us in writing immediately if it ever does. This is an ongoing obligation, not a one-time declaration at sign-up.

If any of it does apply, or we reasonably believe it might, we may suspend or remove you without notice, cancel or reassign your assignments, and pass on what is reasonably necessary to parents you've been introduced to, or to the authorities. A false declaration makes you liable to us for any loss that results from it.

Tutors set their own rates, and the final rate is whatever the parent and tutor agree. Any figures shown on this site are guidelines drawn from what tutors are currently asking, not prices we set.

Our commission is 50% of the first month's tuition fees, charged once per introduction. The first month means the first four consecutive weeks of lessons, counted from the first lesson. After that first month we take nothing further — every lesson from week five onwards is entirely between you and the tutor.

The tutor collects the first month's fees from the parent in the normal way, and pays our share to us. If the arrangement ends before the four weeks are up, commission is charged only on the lessons actually taught.

To be confirmed: We've assumed the tutor collects and remits, which is the simplest arrangement and needs no payment infrastructure. The alternative is that Cognify invoices the parent for the first month directly and pays the tutor their share — more control over getting paid, more admin, and you'd be holding client money. Pick one.

We'll send an invoice by email once the first lesson is confirmed, payable within 7 days of the date on it. All amounts are in Singapore dollars. You're responsible for any taxes that apply to what you earn or pay.

If an invoice goes unpaid we'll chase it by message and email. If it's still outstanding 14 days after the due date we'll send a formal notice, and after that we may refer it for recovery. Where we have to do that, the reasonable costs of recovery are payable by whoever owes the money.

Unless you agree otherwise between yourselves, both sides should expect the arrangement to run for at least three months. That's an expectation to plan around, not a lock-in.

Cancelling before the first lesson: if a parent confirms a tutor and then calls it off before teaching starts, an administrative fee equal to one lesson's fee is payable. The tutor will usually have turned down other work by then.

Replacements: a parent may ask for a different tutor at any time. Lessons already taught still have to be paid for. If you ask within the first month, we'll find a replacement without charging a second commission.

Missed lessons: give at least 24 hours' notice to postpone or cancel a lesson. With less notice than that, 50% of the lesson fee is payable to the tutor for the time held and the travel already committed, paid directly to them. Rescheduling doesn't change what commission is due.

Once we introduce a parent and a tutor, both of you agree not to arrange tuition between yourselves outside these terms in order to avoid our commission — for 12 months from the date of the introduction. This applies to the same tutor teaching another child in the household too.

If it happens, the commission that would have been due becomes payable to us, and we may remove the accounts involved.

We charge once and then step out of the way. This clause exists so that being introduced through Cognify is worth doing, not to keep you tied to us.

To be confirmed: The 12-month period and the consequence of breaching it are the two clauses most worth a Singapore lawyer's eyes before launch. A restraint that reaches too far can be struck down entirely, which would leave you with nothing rather than something shorter.

If there's a disagreement about fees or lessons, tell us and we'll help sort it out as best we reasonably can. But the agreement to teach is between the parent and the tutor, and we aren't legally responsible for the money that passes between you.

We won't hand over anyone's personal details in a dispute unless the law requires it.

We may suspend or remove an account that breaches these terms, gives us false information, treats another user badly, or uses the service to reach people for something other than tuition. Where it's reasonable to do so we'll tell you why, but on safety matters we may act first.

You can close your own account at any time from your dashboard. Money already owed stays owed.

We introduce people; we don't supervise lessons. We're not responsible for the conduct of tutors or parents, for the quality of teaching, or for academic results. Nothing we say about a match is a promise about how it will go.

The service is provided as it is. We try to keep it running and accurate, but we don't guarantee it will always be available, that every listing is current, or that you'll receive every notification. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited under Singapore law.

We may change the service, or these terms, as the business develops. When we change the terms we'll update the date at the top of this page, and material changes will be flagged to account holders by email. Continuing to use Cognify after that means you accept the new version.

How we handle personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy.

These terms are governed by the laws of Singapore, and the Singapore courts have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them.

Questions about any of this? Message us on WhatsApp at 6058 0267.