General Service Agreement
A service agreement between two businesses: the services, term, fees in a schedule that adds itself up, acceptance, confidentiality, liability and how to end it, with the points your country adds.
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Country versions
- International
- United States *
- United Kingdom *
- Korea *
- Japan *
- Germany *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
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What it is
A service agreement sets the terms on which one business provides services to another: what is provided, for how long, at what price and when it is paid, who owns the results, what happens if something goes wrong and how either side can end the arrangement. It suits work that goes on over time, such as maintenance, consulting, analytics or marketing, and project work that is delivered in parts and checked by the client.
The form has numbered clauses and a fee schedule after the signatures. In the schedule you list each service with quantity, unit and unit price; the amounts, the subtotal and, if you enter a tax rate, the tax and the total are worked out for you and carried into the payment clause. Two switches change the text. "Kind of service" decides whether the provider owes continuing effort or a result that is delivered and accepted, and "ownership" decides whether the client gets the rights in what is made for it or only a licence.
The country selector adds the points that differ. The US version stays within state common law and says nothing the law does not allow you to limit. The UK version fits the Unfair Contract Terms Act, mentions statutory interest on late payment and excludes third-party rights. The Korean version reflects the difference between a contract for work and a mandate, the Subcontracting Act and the tax invoice. The Japanese version does the same for 請負 and 準委任, the 60-day payment rule, the qualified invoice and the clause on anti-social forces. The German version separates Dienstvertrag from Werkvertrag, words the liability clause to survive the standard-terms law and refers to the data processing agreement.
When to use it
- You provide recurring services to a business customer and want fixed terms in writing.
- You buy services from another company and want the price, the scope and the exit set out.
- A project will be delivered in parts and checked by the customer, and payment follows delivery.
- A handshake deal has grown to the point where a dispute over scope or price could hurt.
How to fill it in
- Choose your country first; the wording on liability, tax and the contract type changes with it.
- Your company details come from your saved details, as the provider. If you are the buyer, type your own details over them and the other side's into the other party.
- Describe the services in short, choose ongoing or result-based, and set the term and renewal.
- List each service in the schedule with quantity, unit and unit price, and enter the tax rate if tax is added.
- Choose how you invoice, the days allowed to pay, the owner of the results, and whether the provider's liability is capped.
- Set the notice period, check the law and courts, sign, and give each side a signed copy.
Common mistakes
- Describing the services so vaguely that no one can say what was agreed.
- Leaving out the price basis, so quantity and unit price are disputed later.
- Not choosing between ongoing services and a delivered result, so acceptance and defects are unclear.
- Copying a liability cap that the law of your country does not allow.
- Forgetting the tax: net or gross, and which rate.
- Having no exit, or a notice period that does not match the real cost of ending.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- United States (US): Written in English – check with local advice
- United Kingdom (GB): Written in English – check with local advice
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
- Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Formal
- Executive
- Classic
- Plain (black and white)
- Minimal
- Ledger
- Modern
- Compact
- Side band
- Warm
- Boxed form
- Banner
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Guides to read next
Questions
- Should I choose ongoing services or a delivered result?
- Choose ongoing services when you buy time and effort, such as monthly maintenance or consulting. Choose a delivered result when you buy a finished thing that the client checks, such as a report or a built system. The choice decides whether acceptance and defect rules apply and, in Korea, Japan and Germany, which type of contract the law sees.
- Do I need the fee schedule?
- Yes, because the payment clause and the total come from it. It is also where disputes about price usually start, so list each service with quantity, unit and unit price. Add rows for further services; unused rows stay blank on paper.
- Can the provider cap its liability?
- Between businesses a cap is common, but the law sets limits: liability for intent, for injury to life, body or health, and in many places for gross negligence cannot be limited, and standard terms are checked for fairness. The form caps liability at a year of fees by default and always keeps the limits the law requires; switch the cap off if you do not want it.
- Can I use it for several projects with the same customer?
- You can use it as the framework and describe each new project in a schedule or a short written order that refers to it. For very large or high-risk projects use a specific contract. Keep the numbers of each project separate so the fees are clear.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. It is a general template. Liability limits, tax, payment terms and the rules on standard terms differ by country, so check them for your case and have an adviser review anything of high value or unusual risk.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 6 country versions: International, United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.
Want it signed online instead? With E-Contracts you fill in the sample contract and send it by secure link for a simple electronic signature. Open the Service agreement sample contract
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.