Official Legal Terms · South Africa & Global

Terms of Service

Effective Date: October 2026 · Governing Whatshop WhatsApp Automation & Standalone Web Storefronts

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you (whether personally or on behalf of an entity, "Merchant", "User", or "you") and Whatshop (operated under Maluti Technology Group, "Whatshop", "we", "us", or "our"), governing your access to and use of the Whatshop platform, the Whatshop management console, the WhatsApp automation infrastructure, and the external standalone web storefront microservices hosted at https://{slug}.whatshop.site (collectively, the "Service").

By registering an account, scanning a WhatsApp QR pairing code, accessing theWhatshop dashboard, or publishing an external web storefront, you expressly acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Acceptable Use Policy.

2. External Web Storefronts (whatshop-storefront)

Whatshop provides merchants with hosted, standalone e-commerce storefronts accessible at https://{slug}.whatshop.site or via merchant-configured custom domains.

Independent Merchant Responsibilities: You maintain sole and exclusive responsibility for all goods, services, descriptions, pricing, inventory accuracy, warranties, and delivery fulfillment offered through your storefront. Whatshop is not the seller of record, broker, or guarantor of any merchant transaction.

11 Pre-Built Templates: Merchants can choose from 11 vertical business templates (Real Estate, Medical Practice, Bakery, Hair Salon, Boutique, Restaurant, Electronics, Health, Auto, Consulting, Supermarket). You warrant that all uploaded content and logos do not violate third-party intellectual property rights.
Dual Checkout System: Storefronts offer 1-Click WhatsApp Instant Checkout (which forwards structured order messages into customer chats) and Web Order Checkout. Merchants are solely responsible for processing and fulfilling orders received through both channels.
Consumer Protection Act (CPA): In accordance with the South African Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and international consumer laws, merchants must display accurate pricing in ZAR, disclose refund and return policies, and honor goods sold to consumers.

3. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) & 0% Platform Fee Policy

Whatshop operates on a strict non-custodial, zero-commission model for core commerce:

0% Transaction Cut: Whatshop charges zero percent (0%) middleman commission on sales generated through your WhatsApp automations or external web storefronts.
Direct Gateway Payouts: You integrate your own merchant accounts with third-party payment gateways (Paystack, Yoco, Ozow Instant EFT) using your own API keys. 100% of customer payments settle directly into your bank account.
Non-Custodial Escrow: Whatshop never holds, stores, or touches customer transaction funds. Whatshop is not liable for chargebacks, merchant-customer disputes, gateway settlement delays, or bank transfer errors.

4. WhatsApp & Meta Platform Compliance

CRITICAL: WhatsApp Account Ban Risk

Whatshop uses the WhatsApp Web protocol (open-wa), which is an unofficial connection method that violates WhatsApp's Terms of Service. Meta/WhatsApp explicitly prohibits automated use of personal WhatsApp accounts.

Sending bulk broadcasts, automated messages, or high-volume campaigns through your personal WhatsApp number carries a HIGH RISK of permanent account suspension and phone number ban. Once banned, you will lose access to your WhatsApp account and may be unable to use that phone number with WhatsApp again.

Whatshop cannot prevent, reverse, or appeal WhatsApp bans. By using this service, you acknowledge and accept full responsibility for potential account loss.

Your use of WhatsApp connectivity through Whatshop is subject to WhatsApp's Terms of Service, WhatsApp Business Policy, WhatsApp Commerce Policy, and Meta Platform Terms.

Registered Meta Application: watshop.site

Meta App ID: 3991818844310251

Developer & Compliance Contact: [email protected] · [email protected]

Meta Platform Terms & Prohibited Commerce Standards:

Meta Platform Terms Agreement: By accessing Whatshop services, you agree to comply with the Meta Platform Terms and Developer Policies.
Verifiable Opt-In Required: Merchants warrant that all customer communication is conducted solely with users who have affirmatively opted in to receive messages. Outbound broadcasts must honor customer opt-out requests within 24 hours.
Prohibited Goods: In compliance with WhatsApp Commerce Policy, merchants are strictly prohibited from selling weapons, ammunition, fireworks, tobacco, alcohol without statutory permits, prescription pharmaceuticals, adult services, pirated IP, or deceptive financial products. Violations trigger immediate revocation of WhatsApp connections.
Disclaimer of Meta Liability: Meta Platforms, Inc. is not a party to transactions conducted through merchant storefronts or WhatsApp chats and assumes no liability for merchant offerings or customer disputes.
User Data Deletion: Users and merchants may request immediate account erasure and data purge at any time via our public portal at https://dash.whatshop.site/delete-my-data.

Safer Alternative for Broadcast-Heavy Merchants: If you plan to send high volumes of broadcasts, promotional messages, or automated campaigns, we strongly recommend using the Meta Cloud API (Official WhatsApp Business API), which is fully compliant with WhatsApp's policies and designed for business messaging at scale.

Anti-Spam Requirements: Merchants must strictly follow opt-in messaging rules, respect user opt-out requests within 24 hours, and avoid cold spam campaigns. Whatshop incorporates automated throttling, human-like typing delays, and warm-up queues to reduce detection risk; however, these features do not eliminate ban risk and Whatshop cannot guarantee immunity against Meta-initiated account suspensions.

By scanning the WhatsApp QR code and connecting your number to Whatshop, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this ban risk disclosure and accept full liability for potential account loss.

5. Contact Information

For legal notices, queries, or partnership clarifications:

Whatshop Legal Team · Maluti Technology Group
Email: [email protected] · [email protected]
Developer Direct: [email protected]
Website: https://whatshop.site