Summary

A binding, written record of a promised exchange of value between a service provider and a customer. (See also “customer.”)

Service agreements can be fully negotiable, partially negotiable, or non-negotiable, and they can be drafted either by the service provider, the customer, or both, depending on the situation.

A “promised exchange of value” means a joint recognition and acceptance of what each party will provide to the other to satisfy the agreement. Typically, the customer provides payment in return for delivered services, but other arrangements are possible.

A “written” record need not be contained in a single document or other artifact. Alternatively, it may be extremely brief for some types of services (e.g., a receipt that identifies a service, its price, its recipient).