Legal Definitions - Promisee

A promisee is the individual or entity to whom a promise is made. In any agreement, whether formal or informal, the promisee is the party who receives a commitment from another party (the promisor) and expects that commitment to be fulfilled.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a homeowner, Ms. Chen, hires a landscaping company to design and install a new garden. The landscaping company promises to complete the project within six weeks and use specific types of plants. In this scenario, Ms. Chen is the promisee.

  This illustrates the term because Ms. Chen is the person to whom the landscaping company's promise (to complete the garden within a specific timeframe using particular plants) is directed. She is the one who stands to benefit from the fulfillment of that promise.

• Consider a student, Alex, who applies for a scholarship. The scholarship committee sends Alex a letter stating, "We promise to award you $5,000 for your tuition next semester if you maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher." Here, Alex is the promisee.

  Alex is the promisee because the scholarship committee's promise of financial aid is made directly to him. He is the recipient of their commitment, contingent on meeting the specified academic condition.

• Suppose a car manufacturer issues a recall for a specific model due to a safety defect and promises to repair the defect free of charge for all affected vehicle owners. If Mr. Henderson owns one of these recalled vehicles, Mr. Henderson is the promisee.

  Mr. Henderson is the promisee because the manufacturer's promise to repair the defect at no cost is made to him and all other owners of the affected car model. He is the party who has the right to receive the promised repair service.