Customer Booking Terms & Conditions

All bookings require valid credit or debit card details to be held on file at the time of booking. Payment is processed securely through our payment provider (Stripe). Your card is saved but not charged when you book — A$0 is taken at that point. The fare is only charged once an operator accepts your job. For pickups more than three (3) days away, the accepted fare is captured three (3) days before your scheduled pickup. If no operator accepts your job, no payment is ever taken and there is nothing to refund.

A$0 verification hold. At the time of booking we ask your bank to authorise a temporary A$0 hold on the card. This is a card-validity check only — it confirms the card exists, is active and is chargeable so a skipper is not held for a booking that cannot be paid for. No funds are taken, no balance is reduced, and the authorisation clears on your bank's normal schedule. Some banks briefly display it as a pending A$0 or A$1 line item; this is not a charge and is never settled.

You must keep funds available on the card. Because the A$0 hold is only a validity check and not a reservation of funds, you are responsible for making sure the card can be charged the full fare when an operator accepts your job — which can happen within minutes of booking. If you are paying with a debit card, the money must be in the account at the time of booking and must stay there until the fare is captured. Insufficient funds are the most common reason a booking fails after an operator has already accepted it.

If the scheduled capture fails (declined card, insufficient funds, etc.) we will email you and retry daily. If the card is still not chargeable by the time of pickup, the booking will be cancelled and the skipper released.

By completing a booking you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge the nominated card for the quoted fare and for any additional fees that accrue under these terms — including waiting time, additional passengers, on-the-day amendments, cancellation fees, or damage to a vessel.

Fares quoted by our online booking calculator are based on the pickup and drop-off locations, the scheduled time, and the number of passengers booked. Fares assume travel inside our standard operating hours of 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM AEST/AEDT.

• Extra passengers: bookings for more than four (4) passengers attract an additional charge of $25 per extra passenger on top of the base fare (and per leg for return trips).
• After-hours surcharge: a flat after-hours surcharge of $120 applies to any trip that departs after 9:00 PM.
• Card processing: a card processing fee of 3% + $0.30 is added at checkout to cover payment gateway costs.
• Public holidays & special events: different fares apply on New Year's Eve, Boxing Day, Australia Day and other public holidays or major events. Contact us for a custom quote on these days.

Fares are calculated on the number of passengers the booking is made and confirmed for, or the number of passengers who actually travel — whichever is greater.

We offer a 15-minute grace period at your scheduled pickup time. Beyond that grace period, a waiting fee of $5.00 per minute applies and is automatically charged to the card you used at booking.

By proceeding with a booking you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge your card for any waiting time fees that accrue, as reported by the skipper and (where applicable) reviewed by our team. You will receive an email receipt for any waiting time charge.

We cannot guarantee that the vessel will be able to wait if you are running late. If a customer fails to show up within 15 minutes of the confirmed pickup time, the booking may be treated as a no-show and 100% of the quoted fare will be charged.

Every passenger travels free with one standard suitcase plus one cabin or hand bag. Anything beyond that allowance is treated as excess luggage, because oversized items occupy passenger seats and deck space on a water taxi.

Excess luggage means: a large checked suitcase (over 23kg or longer than 75cm), surfboard, golf bag, bicycle, pram, dive gear, esky, or any item that occupies a passenger seat or the aft deck.

Excess luggage is charged at A$25 per oversized item, quoted up front in the booking engine and included in the total you pay at checkout. The fee is passed through to the operator in full. Declare your luggage when booking — if you arrive with undeclared oversized items, the skipper may charge the fee at the wharf or, where the vessel's capacity or safe loading limits do not allow, decline to carry the items.

Dangerous goods, hazardous materials and any load that compromises safe operation of the vessel will not be carried under any circumstances.

Your fare covers the number of passengers named on your booking. If more people arrive at the wharf than you booked and paid for, the skipper will record the additional passengers on the boarding screen when scanning your QR ticket, subject to the vessel's licensed capacity and the skipper's discretion.

By completing a booking you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge your nominated card off-session, at the time of boarding, for each additional passenger at the published extra-passenger rate for that vessel (shown on the skipper's boarding screen before the charge is made). You will receive an email receipt for any extra-passenger charge.

If the card is declined (or your bank requires you to approve the payment, which cannot be done off-session at the wharf), the skipper's screen shows a "Card declined" notice and they will ask you to settle the extra passengers on the spot — either cash or a card payment on the operator's own terminal. Whichever you choose is recorded against your booking. If you do not pay for the extras, only the passengers you have already paid for will be carried and the remaining passengers must make a separate booking. Any amount left unpaid remains payable and our team will contact you to settle it.

Fewer passengers travelling than booked does not reduce the fare and no refund is payable for unused seats. Boarding may be refused where extra passengers would exceed the vessel's licensed capacity or safety requirements.

You can cancel a booking from the booking confirmation page or from your Trips page. When a refund applies, you can choose to receive it as instant Water Taxis Australia wallet credit (cash out to your card any time from the Wallet page) or as a Stripe refund back to your original card (3–5 business days).

• 2 or more days before pickup: full refund.
• Day before pickup: 50% of the quoted fare is charged; 50% refunded.
• Same day as pickup: 100% of the quoted fare is charged — no refund.
• Once a skipper is en route or dispatched: 100% of the quoted fare is charged.
• No-shows: 100% of the quoted fare is charged.
• New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Boxing Day & NSW public holidays: cancellations within 30 days of these confirmed bookings are charged at 100% of the quoted fare. Refunds are not available for no-shows.

All cancellations are effective only once you receive a cancellation confirmation from our system or our team.

If you need to change the departure time of a confirmed booking, contact us at least 45 minutes before the scheduled pickup. Late notification may attract waiting time fees of $5.00 per minute.

We will do our best to accommodate changes to pickup or drop-off locations, but amendments are subject to the existing schedule and the availability of operators. If a requested change cannot be accommodated and the booking is cancelled, the cancellation policy above applies.

If we need to cancel a service because of dangerous weather conditions or a vessel breakdown, a full refund will be issued and Water Taxis Australia will not be liable for any losses incurred by the customer. Where possible we will arrange a replacement vessel.

Smoking is not permitted on any vessel at any time. Passengers who are intoxicated, unruly or under the influence of illicit drugs may be refused passage and, where necessary, referred to police. Any trip cut short or cancelled due to such conduct, or any safety issue not caused by Water Taxis Australia, will be charged at 100% of the quoted fare.

All decisions regarding safety — including vessel speed, course, wharf selection, vessel-to-vessel transfers and passenger numbers — are at the skipper's sole discretion and are final.

Our vessels are designed primarily to carry passengers. Each passenger may bring the equivalent of one small backpack. Additional or oversized items may attract an extra charge and must be discussed before booking. Items such as large suitcases, construction equipment, ladders, furniture or other large objects may not be suitable for transfer and may be refused at the skipper's discretion.

Not all wharves in our service areas are suitable for every passenger. Our vessels do not have boarding ramps, and the step between wharf and vessel can range from 30 cm to 100 cm. If you or any guest has mobility restrictions, please let us know before confirming the booking so we can recommend a suitable pickup point.

Any damage to a vessel or its equipment caused by a passenger will be charged to the booking holder's nominated credit card.

Bookings for transfers to or from another vessel are accepted on the understanding that a firm quote cannot be offered in advance. Final pricing depends on the location of the other vessel at the time of pickup or drop-off. Waiting time fees apply if the other vessel or the passenger causes the transfer to be delayed.

To the extent permitted by law, Water Taxis Australia is not liable for any death, loss, damage or injury to any person or property that occurs and is attributable to or associated with:

• failure to follow a reasonable direction given by the skipper or crew;
• failure to comply with these terms or with any posted warning signs;
• unreasonable or unsafe behaviour;
• wilful misuse of vessel equipment or facilities;
• intoxication or use of prohibited drugs.

Where consumer law and other laws permit us to exclude liability, we will not be liable for loss or damage to luggage, property or personal belongings. The passenger releases Water Taxis Australia, its operators, crew and personnel from any claim and liability so incurred, except in the case of wilful misconduct or reckless disregard.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right or remedy that you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Water Taxis Australia lists independent waterfront restaurants, pubs, hotels and clubs ("venues") that a licensed water taxi can reach, and lets you request a table at those venues. We are a booking channel only. We do not own, operate, cater for or control any venue, and we are not a party to the dining contract between you and the venue. Your meal, drinks, service and everything that happens at the table is provided by the venue on the venue's own terms.

A table request is a request, not a confirmed reservation. When you submit a table request we send it to the venue for acceptance. Your table exists only once the venue confirms it and we send you a written confirmation by email and/or SMS. Venue confirmation is subject to availability and is at the venue's sole discretion.

No charge for the table request. We do not charge you, and we do not take any deposit, for requesting or confirming a table. Where a venue requires a deposit, a card pre-authorisation, a signed function form or a prepayment (commonly for larger groups, private dining, exclusive hire or peak dates), that arrangement is made directly between you and the venue and is held and refunded by the venue, not by us.

If you ask us to arrange a water taxi with your table request, the two bookings are linked. The water taxi job is held and not dispatched to operators until the venue confirms your table. Once the table is confirmed, the job is released and normal booking terms above apply — including that your card is only charged once an operator accepts.

If the venue declines or does not respond in time, we will notify you by email and SMS, the linked water taxi booking will not proceed, and no amount is charged for either the table or the boat. You are free to request another time, date or venue.

Arrival timing is estimated so that you are dropped off before your seating time. Water transport is weather-, tide- and traffic-dependent and arrival times are not guaranteed. We are not liable for a missed, shortened or forfeited table, or for any venue late-arrival or no-show fee, where a vessel is delayed for reasons outside our control. If you are running late, contact the venue on the number in your confirmation.

We only publish venues where a licensed operator services the relevant waterway. Some venues are accessible by water during daylight hours only and have published service windows (for example 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM). Requests outside a venue's water-access service window cannot be accepted.

Each venue sets its own booking conditions and they vary by venue, day, time and group size. The venue's terms prevail in respect of your table. The conditions below are standard across the waterfront venues we list and you should assume they apply unless the venue tells you otherwise:

• Seating times: most reservations are a two (2) hour seating from your booked time, and lunch or dinner services have fixed finish times under the venue's liquor licence.
• Grace period: tables are typically held for about fifteen (15) minutes. Many venues will not seat a party until all guests are present, and packages or set services are not extended for late arrivals.
• Group bookings: groups (often seven or more, sometimes ten or more) are usually required to dine from a set, banquet or pre-selected menu, and may be subject to a minimum spend that depends on the date, time and area booked.
• Final numbers: venues generally require final guest numbers 24–72 hours beforehand and charge on the confirmed number or the number who actually attend, whichever is greater.
• Surcharges & service charges: Sunday surcharges (commonly 10–12.5%), public holiday surcharges (commonly 15%), card/merchant surcharges, and discretionary service charges or gratuities on larger groups are added to your bill by the venue.
• Cakeage, BYO and split bills: BYO cake attracts a per-person or per-cake cakeage fee at most venues; most waterfront venues are fully licensed and do not permit BYO alcohol; many venues limit how many ways a bill can be split.
• Dietary requirements & allergies: tell us in your table request and we pass it to the venue. Venues will endeavour to accommodate requirements but cannot guarantee an allergen-free kitchen. Guests with severe allergies must also inform venue staff on the day.
• Children, prams and accessibility: children remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian. Highchairs, prams and accessible seating are limited at many waterfront venues and must be requested when booking.
• Dress code, conduct and refusal of service: smart-casual dress codes are common. Venues may refuse entry or service in accordance with Australian liquor and consumer laws, including to intoxicated or unruly guests. A refusal of entry or service by a venue does not entitle you to a refund of a water taxi fare already charged under the terms above.
• Payment at the venue: all food, beverage, cakeage, surcharge and additional charges are settled directly with the venue on the day. Venues do not invoice after the event unless separately agreed.

To change or cancel a confirmed table, use the link in your confirmation or email support@watertaxisaustralia.com.au. We will pass the change or cancellation to the venue, but the venue's cancellation policy applies to the table.

• Standard tables: venues generally require at least 48 hours' notice. Late cancellations and no-shows may attract a per-person fee charged by the venue to the card it holds (commonly A$20–A$50 per person).
• Group, private dining and function bookings: deposits are usually non-refundable inside the venue's notice period, and cancellation fees typically scale from full deposit refund with more than 14 days' notice, to partial forfeiture at 7–14 days, to 100% forfeiture inside 7 days.
• Exclusive hire: holding fees and pre-authorisations are set by the venue and are commonly forfeited entirely inside 7 days of the event.
• Written notice: most venues only accept cancellations in writing.

Cancelling a table does not automatically cancel your water taxi once the boat has been confirmed. If you no longer need the boat, cancel it separately — the water taxi cancellation and refund terms above will apply to that booking on its own.

Venues may also cancel or move a confirmed table (weather closures on exposed waterfront decks, licence or staffing issues, unforeseen closures). Where that happens we notify you immediately, cancel the linked water taxi at no cost to you, and refund any water taxi fare already charged in full. Beyond that refund, we are not liable for consequential loss.

Menus, prices, opening hours, photographs and specials shown on venue pages are supplied by the venue or taken from the venue's own website, and may change without notice. They are indicative only and do not form an offer. Always confirm current pricing and availability with the venue.

Water Taxis Australia operates a network of independent skippers and operator partners. These terms extend to and bind any partner or sub-contractor delivering a service on our behalf. Listed venues are independent businesses and are not agents, partners or employees of Water Taxis Australia.

Questions about these terms? Email support@watertaxisaustralia.com.au — replies same day.