1) Scope & Relationship
These Payments Service Terms (“Payments Terms”) supplement the Terms of Service and govern your use of payment features offered in Schoolbooks Accounting (the “Payments Service”).
Schoolbooks is a software provider, not a bank, money remittance business, or licensed payment service provider.
Payment processing is provided by third-party processors and/or acquirers (e.g., card acquirers and mobile money providers), and you must accept their applicable terms.
These terms reflect Kenyan law, including the National Payment System Act, 2011 and Regulations, 2014, the Data Protection Act, 2019, and anti-money laundering obligations.
2) Eligibility & Business Use
- You may use the Payments Service only for legitimate school operations (for example, fees and levies, uniforms, books, transport, or other school-approved activities).
- You represent that you are an educational institution or an authorized service provider acting for such an institution and that you comply with applicable Kenyan laws and internal requirements.
- Personal/household use, prohibited high-risk activity, or use under the Acceptable Use Policy is not allowed.
3) Processor Terms & Priority
You must accept and comply with applicable Processor Terms shown during activation (e.g., card acquirer, mobile money provider, or gateway terms). Those terms are a contract between you and the Processor.
If there is a conflict: payment processing mechanics are governed by Processor Terms; platform usage is governed by these Payment Terms and our Terms of Service.
4) Onboarding, Verification & Compliance
- You consent to provide accurate KYC/KYB information (e.g., school registration, KRA PIN, physical address, responsible officer IDs), and to provide updates.
- We and the Processor may use verification providers and sanctions/PEP screening in line with AML/CFT obligations.
- Failure to provide or update this information may result in delays, holds, or account suspension.
5) Collections, Payouts & Settlement
- Supported rails may include M-PESA (Paybill/Till, STK Push), card payments, and bank rails as enabled by your Processor.
- You must nominate a payout account and authorise the Processor to settle funds to it.
- Settlement timelines are determined by the Processor, method, and risk profile (for example, T+1 to T+5 business days).
- Schoolbooks can generate electronic receipts/statements; statutory receipt requirements remain your responsibility.
- Reversals and chargebacks follow provider network rules.
6) Fees & Taxes
- Processing fees are set by the Processor; platform fees are set by Schoolbooks.
- Fees are typically netted from settlements, or charged to the payment method on file.
- You are responsible for determining, charging, and remitting applicable taxes (including VAT, WHT) to KRA and maintaining compliant tax records.
7) Data, Security & Privacy
- For school billing, the school is typically the data controller and Schoolbooks acts as processor under the DPA 2019.
- For Schoolbooks billing and platform analytics, Schoolbooks may be controller.
- We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, but no system is fully secure; you must protect accounts using RBAC, MFA, and strict access control.
- The Privacy Policy applies, and processor privacy/PCI obligations also apply.
8) Disputes, Chargebacks, Reversals & Negative Balances
- You are responsible for disputed, reversed, or refunded transactions and the associated network or processor costs.
- You must provide evidence promptly when contesting disputes.
- We or the Processor may hold reserves, delay payouts, or offset settlements for risk management.
- Any negative balance is a debt to Schoolbooks and/or the Processor, and you authorise debits to payment methods on file.
9) Restricted & Prohibited Activities
- You must not act as an unlicensed money remitter, aggregator, or payment intermediary.
- You must not process transactions that are illegal, sanctioned, high-risk, unrelated to approved school activities, or structured to manipulate volumes.
- Self-payments or circular transactions to manufacture volume are prohibited.
10) Authorisations
- You authorise Schoolbooks and the Processor to collect, store, and share payment-related information to operate payments and comply with legal/AML obligations.
- You authorise debits to payment methods on file to recover fees, disputes, fines, or negative balances.
11) Risk Monitoring, Holds & Suspension
- We may pause transactions, delay settlements, or suspend access if there is fraud, unauthorised activity, non-compliance, dispute risk, or lawful directions from authorities.
- We may share information with law enforcement, the Processor, the Central Bank of Kenya, or competent authorities where required.
12) Term & Termination
- These Payment Terms take effect when you activate the Payments Service and continue until terminated.
- We may suspend or terminate the Payments Service (or your access) with or without cause, including at the request of a Processor or authority, or for breach of these Terms.
- Termination does not remove obligations accrued before termination (including fees, chargebacks, fines, negative balances).
13) Support
Schoolbooks provides platform support related to use of our software. The Processor is responsible for payment processing and settlement; we will reasonably assist in coordination.
14) Governing Law
These Payment Terms are governed by the laws of Kenya. Disputes are handled under our Terms of Service dispute resolution process.
15) Changes to these Payment Terms
We may amend these Payment Terms to reflect legal, processor, or service changes, including pricing updates. We will post updates with an updated “Last Updated” date. Continued use constitutes acceptance.
16) Contact
Questions about these Payments Terms: payments@schoolbooks.co.ke