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The Industries with the Longest Terms and Conditions
The internet is accessed by 4.66 billion active users and with that, the world has seen a huge digital shift in industries moving online. Online companies can protect themselves with terms of service (TOS), also known as terms and conditions and terms of use (TOU). This serves as an agreement between the website and its users.
It is of common knowledge and admission that terms and conditions are most likely skimmed past or not read at all. As a website’s terms can change without notice, online users should be wary of them. But how long would it take to read the terms of websites we use every day? And given the population’s average reading age of below eleven, how likely are we to understand it?
Using a combination of tools, the digital PR experts at Reboot investigated how long it takes to read a website’s terms and conditions and also analysed their reading age.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Dating
- Fashion
- Social Networking
- Job Sites
- Children's Education
- Banking
- Home/Car Insurance
Which Terms and Conditions take the longest to read?
DATING
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
The dating industry has the longest terms and conditions with an average of 7,569 words - the equivalent of a 58-minute read.
We can reveal that Grindr not only has the longest terms and conditions within the dating industry, but it is also among the longest of all the other websites analysed in our study. It would take the average reader 1 hour and 51 minutes to read their terms and conditions, which is 14,462 words long, and if read every day that’s a massive 676 hours (28 days and four hours per year)!
On the other hand, Badoo’s terms and conditions have 4,818 words - nearly three times shorter than Grindr. Considering Badoo users spend an average of 90 minutes per day on the app, a 37-minute read of their terms and conditions isn’t too long.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
The Ts and Cs of the dating industry were calculated to be grade level 13, which means that the terms of use’s complexity can be understood by 18 to 19-year-olds - the same as their minimum joining age requirement.
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grindr |
18-19 |
13 |
14,462 |
1 hr 51 minutes |
676 hrs 28 minutes |
|
Bumble |
19-20 |
14 |
8,242 |
1 hr 3 minutes |
385 hrs 41 minutes |
|
OkCupid |
19-20 |
14 |
7,759 |
1 hr |
363 hrs 11 minutes |
|
Her |
18-19 |
13 |
6,733 |
52 minutes |
315 hrs 7 minutes |
|
Eharmony |
16-17 |
11 |
6,693 |
52 minutes |
313 hrs 18 minutes |
|
Match |
18-19 |
13 |
6,368 |
49 minutes |
298 hrs 5 minutes |
|
Tinder |
18-19 |
13 |
5,473 |
42 minutes |
256 hrs 7 minutes |
|
Badoo |
18-19 |
13 |
4,818 |
37 minutes |
225 hrs 42 minutes |
|
Average |
18-19 |
13 |
7,569 |
58 minutes |
354 hrs 12 minutes |
FASHION
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
With 5,036 words in terms and conditions on average, fashion websites rank as the second longest to read - typically 39 minutes. It is reported that by 2025, fashion e-commerce will be worth $1003.5 billion! So, with a trending online shift, consumers will be spending more time visiting their favourite apparel websites rather than in-store. Reboot can reveal it would take the average reader nine days and 20 hours per year if they read the terms and conditions of these websites every day.
Arcadia’s Zara has the longest terms of use of all fashion websites in our study, taking an average of 1 hour and 3 minutes to read the 8,223-word long document. In comparison to Grindr’s 28 days, it would take readers only 16 days if they read the terms every day of the year.
Popular with the likes of Kylie Jenner, Fashion Nova’s terms and conditions take the least amount of time to read, taking just 18 minutes to read the 2,397-word Ts and Cs from start to finish - 3.4 times shorter than Zara.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
The average reading age for fashion websites stands at 17 to 18 years old, which is grade level 12. Despite the fact that people of all ages are influenced by fashion, it seems the complexity of words used doesn’t take the younger generation into consideration - especially retailers like Fashion Nova (reading age of 22 to 23), and Forever 21 and Pretty Little Thing (reading age of 19 to 20).
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zara |
17-18 |
12 |
8,223 |
1 hr 3 minutes |
385 hrs 5 minutes |
|
Forever21 |
19-20 |
14 |
6,979 |
54 minutes |
326 hrs 41 minutes |
|
Depop |
15-16 |
10 |
6,197 |
48 minutes |
290 hrs 11 minutes |
|
Boohoo |
16-17 |
11 |
6,029 |
46 minutes |
282 hrs 16 minutes |
|
ASOS |
14-15 |
9 |
3,875 |
30 minutes |
181 hrs 17 minutes |
|
Pretty Little Thing |
19-20 |
14 |
3,700 |
29 minutes |
173 hrs 23 minutes |
|
H&M |
15-16 |
10 |
2,890 |
22 minutes |
135 hrs 3 minutes |
|
Fashion Nova |
22-23 |
17 |
2,397 |
18 minutes |
111 hrs 56 minutes |
|
Average |
17-18 |
12 |
5,036 |
39 minutes |
235 hrs 44 minutes |
SOCIAL NETWORKING
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
Following closely in third, the terms and conditions for social networking websites average 4,754 words in length, and have an average reading time of 37 minutes. This equates to nearly nine days a year if read every day.
TikTok’s terms and conditions are 7,605 words long, which takes the average reader nearly one hour to read. As the most downloaded app of 2020, that’s a lot of reading!
On the other hand, Pinterest places last with the least amount of reading time for their Ts and Cs. A total of 2,974 words means readers have an easy 23 minutes of reading.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
Another industry supposedly becoming more child-friendly is social media. Nevertheless, an average reading age of 18 to 19 years states differently.
In fact, despite Tiktok having a minimum joining age of 13, their terms and conditions are one of the most complex of all websites analysed in our study, with a reading age of 20 to 21 years old.
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tiktok |
20-21 |
15 |
7,605 |
59 minutes |
355 hrs 53 minutes |
|
Twitch |
21-22 |
16 |
6,631 |
51 minutes |
310 hrs 15 minutes |
|
|
18-19 |
13 |
5,470 |
42 minutes |
256 hrs 7 minutes |
|
Snapchat |
16-17 |
11 |
4,434 |
34 minutes |
207 hrs 27 minutes |
|
|
17-18 |
12 |
4,094 |
32 minutes |
191 hrs 38 minutes |
|
|
18-19 |
13 |
3,485 |
27 minutes |
163 hrs 2 minutes |
|
|
18-19 |
13 |
3,340 |
26 minutes |
156 hrs 21 minutes |
|
|
17-18 |
12 |
2,974 |
23 minutes |
139 hrs 19 minutes |
|
Average |
18-19 |
13 |
4,754 |
37 minutes |
222 hrs 30 minutes |
JOB WEBSITES
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
Terms and conditions on employment websites take the fourth longest to read, according to our study. The job-searching process can be stressful and time-consuming but, fortunately, the average reading time stands at 34 minutes for the average terms and conditions length of 4,423 words.
If users were to read the terms of service every day for a year, they can expect it to take eight days and 16 minutes!
Monster (7,304 words) and Glassdoor (7,158 words) rank first and second respectively as the job sites with the most amount of words, taking the average reader 56 and 55 minutes to read.
In last place is Reed, with their terms taking 13 minutes to read due to their low word count of 1,684.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
Job websites have an average reading age of 19 to 20 years, which is recognised as a grade 14.
Interestingly, Reed’s terms not only take the least amount of time to read, but their reading age is also the easiest with a grade level of 11 - this means 16 to 17-year-olds are able to understand it easily. Monster is the most complex as its reading age is targeted towards 21 to 22-year-olds with a grade level of 16 - five grades higher than their competitor, Reed!
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monster |
21-22 |
16 |
7,304 |
56 minutes |
341 hrs 53 minutes |
|
Glassdoor |
19-20 |
14 |
7,158 |
55 minutes |
335 hrs 12 minutes |
|
Indeed |
20-21 |
15 |
6,121 |
47 minutes |
286 hrs 32 minutes |
|
CV Library |
18-19 |
13 |
4,865 |
37 minutes |
227 hrs 31 minutes |
|
Total Jobs |
18-19 |
13 |
3,000 |
23 minutes |
140 hrs 32 minutes |
|
JobSite |
18-19 |
13 |
2,942 |
23 minutes |
137 hrs 29 minutes |
|
Apply4U |
20-21 |
15 |
2,309 |
18 minutes |
108 hrs 17 minutes |
|
Reed |
16-17 |
11 |
1,684 |
13 minutes |
79 hrs 5 minutes |
|
Average |
19-20 |
14 |
4,423 |
34 minutes |
207 hrs 4 minutes |
CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
In fifth place are children’s education websites with a reading time of 20 minutes and spanning at an average of 2,558 words. It would take nearly five days a year if read every day.
The School Run’s terms have 5,012 words which would take the average reader 39 minutes to read. By comparison, Topmark (three minutes), Tate Kids (four minutes), and Oxford Owl (eight minutes) impressively have a reading time of under ten minutes, making it short and snappy for users.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
With the lowest reading grade level, children’s education websites consist of a word complexity suited to ages 17 to 18 years (grade level 12) - a stark contrast to elementary and secondary school reading ages.
On the other hand, BBC Bitesize and Tate Kids, both endorsed by the UK government, have the lowest reading grade level and are easily read by 13 to 15 years olds.
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The School Run |
18-19 |
13 |
5,012 |
39 minutes |
234 hrs 49 minutes |
|
BBC Bitesize |
13-14 |
8 |
3,964 |
31 minutes |
185 hrs 33 minutes |
|
Blockly Games |
20-21 |
15 |
3,903 |
30 minutes |
182 hrs 30 minutes |
|
National Geographic Kids |
19-20 |
14 |
2,877 |
22 minutes |
134 hrs 27 minutes |
|
TED-Ed |
17-18 |
12 |
2,764 |
21 minutes |
129 hrs 35 minutes |
|
Oxford Owl eBook Library |
19-20 |
14 |
1,042 |
8 minutes |
48 hrs 40 minutes |
|
Tate Kids |
14-15 |
9 |
524 |
4 minutes |
24 hrs 20 minutes |
|
Topmarks |
17-18 |
12 |
377 |
3 minutes |
17 hrs 39 minutes |
|
Average |
17-18 |
12 |
2,558 |
20 minutes |
119 hrs 41 minutes |
BANKING
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
On average it takes readers 18 minutes to read a banking website’s terms and conditions, consisting of around 2,368 words. We use banking apps and websites daily, so if a user reads the Ts and Cs every day for a year, it would take them a total of four days and 15 hours.
The banking website with the longest terms and conditions is Natwest with 3,442 words (27 minutes). However, Tesco Bank takes the least amount of time to read with 1,605 words - which takes around 12 minutes to read.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
The banking sector’s reading age averages 19 to 20 years, which isn’t surprising due to the industry’s complex nature. However, it has the same reading age as the fashion industry - where you’re more likely to see younger users.
Lloyds Bank scores a reading grade level of 12 (17 to 18 years), making it the lowest of all the websites analysed and the easiest to understand.
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Natwest |
19-20 |
14 |
3,442 |
27 minutes |
161 hrs 13 minutes |
|
Royal Bank of Scotland |
21-22 |
16 |
2,929 |
23 minutes |
136 hrs 53 minutes |
|
Barclays |
18-19 |
13 |
2,721 |
21 minutes |
127 hrs 9 minutes |
|
JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
20-21 |
15 |
2,574 |
20 minutes |
120 hrs 27 minutes |
|
HSBC |
18-19 |
13 |
2,072 |
16 minutes |
96 hrs 44 minutes |
|
First Direct |
19-20 |
14 |
1,860 |
14 minutes |
87 hrs |
|
Lloyds TSB |
17-18 |
12 |
1,739 |
13 minutes |
81 31 minutes |
|
Tesco Bank |
19-20 |
14 |
1,605 |
12 minutes |
74 hrs 50 minutes |
|
Average |
19-20 |
14 |
2,368 |
18 minutes |
110 hrs 43 minutes |
HOME/CAR INSURANCE
How long it takes to read the terms and conditions:
In last place is home and car insurance companies, with their terms and conditions taking the least amount of time to read. The industry averages a low 13 minutes to read (1,682 words) - that's nearly five times shorter than the dating industry!
Direct Line (2,259 words) and AXA (2,224 words) have the longest terms and conditions to read, both 17 minutes. By comparison, Aviva (1,136 words), John Lewis (1,152 words), and Age Co (1,183 words) have the lowest reading time of nine minutes.
Reading age required to understand the terms and conditions:
The home and car insurance industry has an average reading grade level of 14, which means it is understood by 19 to 20-year-olds. However, as an incredibly important sector for all home and car users, this means that the average reading population will not be able to understand well.
Website |
Reading Age(Years) |
Grade level |
Total words |
Time to read |
Time to read per year (read every day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Direct Line |
18-19 |
13 |
2,250 |
17 minutes |
105 hrs 15 minutes |
|
AXA |
17-18 |
12 |
2,224 |
17 minutes |
104 hours 2 minutes |
|
Churchill |
18-20 |
13 |
2,005 |
15 minutes |
93 hours 41 minutes |
|
Admiral |
19-20 |
14 |
1,897 |
15 minutes |
88 hrs 49 minutes |
|
Tesco Bank |
19-20 |
14 |
1,605 |
12 minutes |
74 hrs 50 minutes |
|
Age Co |
19-20 |
14 |
1,183 |
9 minutes |
55 hrs 22 minutes |
|
John Lewis Finance |
19-20 |
14 |
1,152 |
9 minutes |
54 hours 9 minutes |
|
Aviva |
21-22 |
16 |
1,136 |
9 minutes |
52 hours 56 minutes |
|
Average |
19-20 |
14 |
1,682 |
13 minutes |
78 hrs 38 minutes |
Methodology:
- Firstly, Rebootonline.com decided to investigate different industries we utilise in our daily lives and researched popular websites within them.
- They then looked at each website’s terms and conditions (including similar variations such as terms & conditions and terms of use) and copied the words into WordsToTime.com. This calculated how long it would take the average reader to study the terms and conditions.
- Averages (minutes) of each industry were inserted into UnitConverter.io to analyse and rank which sector’s terms and conditions take the longest to read.
- Subsequently, to determine the reading age group and grade level of each website’s terms and conditions, Reboot used WebFX.com’s readability test tool. Once the grade levels had been averaged, the reading age group of each industry was totalled.
- Reading ages and grade levels were measured by the Flesch Kincaid test.
