What are Online Course Terms and Conditions?
Online Course Terms and Conditions are the terms you set for customers who purchase an online course on your website.
If you’re an educator or industry professional and make an online course for students to purchase and learn from you, this contract is for you!
You want to ensure all the hard work you’ve put into your online course isn’t stolen out from under you. You also want to ensure your business practices on refund requests, payment schedule, intellectual property etc., are explained to your students before they purchase.
Who is this template for?
- Course creators
- Coaches
- Creatives
- Can be used on any platform (Kajabi, Teachable, Kartra, Thinkific etc.)
- Suitable for all Australian states and territories
Other names for Online Course Terms and Conditions
- Online Course Agreement
- Agreement for Purchasing Online Courses
- Agreement for Selling Online Courses
- Internet Course Contract
- Online Course Agreement for Students
- Online Course Terms of Use
What does this Online Course Terms and Conditions template cover?
Our Online Course Terms and Conditions template includes everything you need:
- Payment – payment schedule, payment methods you accept etc
- Licence – Licence which allows customers to access course materials while you retain ownership
- Discounts – your policy for discounts and coupon codes
- Access – how students can log in and access the course
- Conduct – rules for participation in the course
- Events Beyond Control – to cover events beyond your control (e.g. COVID19, natural disasters)
- Advice and Information – important legal disclaimer
- Linked Websites – explaining you aren’t responsible for content on 3rd party websites
- Australian Consumer Law (ACL) – important legal clause covering consumer rights
- Limitation of Liability – important legal term to protect you
- Cancellation Policy – your policy on cancellations
- Refund Policy – your policy on refunds
- Intellectual Property – to protect your intellectual property rights and ownership of course materials
- Confidentiality – both parties agree to keep confidential information private
- Dispute Resolution – process to deal with disputes if a customer has a complaint or is unhappy
- General – standard contract clauses such as Assignment, Severance, Entire Agreement, Waiver and Governing Law
Australian Consumer Law – what’s required?
Australian Consumer Law requires you to include the following details in your Terms and Conditions:
- A statement that you comply with Australian Consumer Law
- How you will provide a refund, repair or replacement of faulty products
- Details of your guarantee
- Details of any warranty (if you provide one, which is not obligatory)
Remember, you cannot have a blanket “no refunds” policy in your T&Cs. You are required by law to guarantee your goods and services against faults or if they do not perform as advertised.
Where should I publish my Online Course Terms and Conditions?
It is standard practice to display a tickbox linking to your T&Cs in the shopping cart or checkout. Customers must click on the “OK“, “I Agree“, or “I Accept” button before they complete an order. This is known as a clickwrap agreement.
You can also publish your T&Cs on your website as a new page and place a link in the menu or footer together with your Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Use.
Can I have a separate Refund Policy page on my website?
Yes, you can have a separate Refund Policy page on your website. However, it should mirror the terms you include in your Online Course Terms and Conditions. In other words, you should copy what is in your T&Cs and make sure the same information is reflected in your Refund Policy.
If you only had a Refund Policy on your website, a customer could argue that they did not accept the refund policy and are therefore not bound by it.
What if I sell to Australia AND overseas customers?
No worries, you can still cover this in one document. Just make sure you update any relevant sections on payment etc., to include international customers.
Generally, you want the governing law for your legal agreements to be where you are based so that if a dispute arises, you are covered by local laws.
If you sell or market to customers in Europe, you will also need a GDPR Privacy Policy to comply with EU privacy laws.
Is this Online Course Terms and Conditions template legally binding?
Absolutely!
All of our templates have been drafted by qualified Australian lawyers who hold an Australian legal practicing certificate.
We are affiliated with a commercial law firm based in Sydney.
