Merchant Terms & Conditions

🤝Platform Relationship

Smart Laundry Connect operates as a technology marketplace that connects your laundry business with customers who need laundry services. We are not your employer, franchiser, or silent partner — we are a platform that generates customer demand and provides the infrastructure for online booking, payment processing, and delivery logistics.

You operate as an independent business. Nothing in this agreement makes you an employee, agent, or representative of Smart Laundry Connect, and you may not represent yourself as such.

📋Eligibility & Registration Requirements

To register a store on Smart Laundry Connect, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• ✓
  Be at least 18 years of age
• ✓
  Operate a genuine, active laundry business — dry cleaning, wash & fold, ironing, or related services
• ✓
  Have a fixed business premises in one of our active cities in Nigeria
• ✓
  Hold valid owner/director ID — NIN, Driver's Licence, or International Passport
• ✓
  Hold a valid Nigerian business bank account for receiving payouts
• ✓
  Be able to fulfil the minimum service standards outlined in Section 5
• ✓
  Provide accurate business information including address, hours, services, and pricing

✅Approval Process

After submitting your store application, our team will review your business details, owner ID, bank account, and service listing within 24 hours on business days. You will be notified by SMS, email, and in-app notification of the outcome.

We assess store applications based on: identity verification, legitimacy of the business, accuracy of the service listing, geographic coverage gaps in your area, and our assessment of service quality capability. We give preference to stores that offer a broad range of services and demonstrate commitment to quality.

Upon approval, your store profile becomes visible to customers in your city immediately. We will create a Paystack subaccount on your behalf to handle payment splitting — you will receive your net earnings automatically without manual invoicing.

Smart Laundry Connect reserves the right to refuse any store application at its sole discretion without obligation to provide a reason. Refusal does not preclude re-application after 30 days with updated information.

🏪Store Listing Requirements

Your store listing must at all times contain accurate and up-to-date information including:

• Business name, address, and contact details
• All services offered and their current prices
• Correct opening hours and days of operation
• Realistic turnaround times for each service type
• Minimum order value (if applicable)
• Any services temporarily unavailable

Prices displayed on your listing are the prices customers will be charged. You may not charge customers more than your listed price after an order has been placed. You may update your pricing at any time through the dashboard — changes take effect for new bookings immediately.

You are responsible for keeping your store's availability accurate. If your store is closed, undergoing maintenance, or temporarily unable to accept orders, you must update your status in the dashboard immediately. Repeatedly failing to fulfil accepted orders due to inaccurate availability is grounds for suspension.

You may upload photos of your premises and work to your store profile. All photos must be genuine images of your actual store and services. Stock photos or images of other businesses are prohibited. By uploading images, you confirm you own the copyright or have the right to use them, and you grant Smart Laundry Connect a licence to display them on the platform.

⭐Service Standards

Maintaining high service standards is essential to both your success on the platform and to the reputation of Smart Laundry Connect. By listing on the platform, you commit to the following minimum standards:

📦Orders & Fulfilment

When a customer places an order with your store, you will receive an immediate in-app notification and SMS alert. You must confirm or reject the order within 30 minutes during your stated operating hours. Orders not responded to within 30 minutes may be automatically reassigned to another available store.

For weight-based services (e.g. Wash & Fold), the final price is calculated at the time of collection based on the actual weight. The price per kg displayed on your listing is the binding rate. You must notify the customer via the app if the actual cost differs significantly from the booking estimate before proceeding with the order.

You are required to update the order status in your dashboard at each stage of processing:

1. Confirm order → status: Confirmed
2. When laundry arrives at your store → At Store
3. When cleaning begins → Washing
4. When cleaning is complete → Ready for Delivery

You may only cancel an accepted order in exceptional circumstances — equipment failure, facility emergency, or force majeure. You must notify the customer immediately via the platform and contact our support team. Repeated store cancellations (more than 2 in a rolling 30-day period without valid reason) are grounds for suspension.

You may set a minimum order value for your store. This must be clearly stated on your listing. You may not reject an order that meets your stated minimum on the basis of order size.

💳Commission & Pricing

Smart Laundry Connect charges a commission of 10% of the order value (excluding the delivery fee, which is separate) on each successfully completed and settled order. Commission is automatically deducted from your earnings before payout — you never need to make a separate payment.

High-volume stores or stores in underserved cities may be eligible for a negotiated commission rate. Custom rates must be agreed in writing with the Smart Laundry Connect merchant team and supersede the standard 10% rate for the agreed period.

Smart Laundry Connect reserves the right to adjust the standard commission rate with 30 days' written notice to all active merchants. You may terminate your account if you do not agree to the new rate — see Section 14.

* Paystack processing fees are subject to Paystack's current published rates. Delivery fee goes directly to the rider pool and is not part of your order value.

🏦Payouts & Settlements

Net earnings are automatically transferred to your registered business bank account every Friday via Paystack bank transfer. The payout covers all orders that were marked as delivered and settled during the preceding 7-day period (Monday to Sunday).

Upon store approval, Smart Laundry Connect creates a Paystack subaccount linked to your bank account. This enables automatic payment splitting — your share of each payment is routed to your account without any manual action required on your part.

You are responsible for providing accurate bank account details and notifying us promptly of any changes. Smart Laundry Connect is not liable for failed or misdirected payouts caused by incorrect bank details. To update your bank details, contact [email protected] — changes require re-verification before taking effect.

Smart Laundry Connect may withhold or delay a payout in the following circumstances:

• An active fraud investigation involving your account
• An unresolved customer dispute where your store may be liable
• A chargeback or payment reversal by a customer's bank
• Failure to verify updated bank account details

You will be notified in writing of any withheld payout and the reason for it. Withheld amounts are released upon resolution of the relevant issue.

If a customer successfully disputes a payment with their bank (chargeback), the amount charged back will be deducted from your next payout. You will be given an opportunity to provide evidence to contest the chargeback before a final decision is made.

👗Garment Liability

All garments are your responsibility from the moment they are received at your store until they are handed to the rider for return delivery. You must treat all customer garments as if they were your own property.

If you receive a garment that is already damaged, stained, or has pre-existing wear, you must immediately document this via the platform (photo and note) before beginning any cleaning. Failure to document pre-existing damage may result in you being held responsible for it.

You are responsible for:

• Reading and following all care labels on garments
• Using appropriate cleaning methods for each fabric type
• Notifying the customer before applying any non-standard cleaning treatment to a garment
• Refusing to clean a garment if you believe it cannot be safely cleaned to the standard the customer expects

In the event that a garment is lost or damaged while in your care, your maximum liability is assessed as follows:

Liability decisions are made through our dispute resolution process (Section 13). Agreed compensation is deducted from your next payout.

⭐Reviews & Ratings

Customers may rate your store out of 5 stars and leave written reviews after each delivered order. Reviews are visible on your public store profile and affect your ranking in search results. Smart Laundry Connect does not edit or filter reviews except where they violate our community guidelines.

You may respond to any customer review through your dashboard. Responses must be professional, factual, and constructive. Threatening, abusive, or defamatory responses will be removed and may result in account penalties.

You may not, directly or indirectly:

• Offer customers incentives (discounts, free services) in exchange for positive reviews
• Ask friends, family, or staff to leave fake reviews
• Attempt to have negative reviews removed by pressuring customers
• Submit reviews for your own store or competitor stores

Stores with an average rating below 3.5 stars over a rolling 30-day period will receive a performance warning and reduced visibility. Stores failing to improve to 3.5 stars or above within a 14-day improvement period may be suspended.

🚫Prohibited Conduct

The following actions are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate suspension or permanent termination of your merchant account:

• Off-platform transactions: Accepting direct payment from customers to avoid platform commission, or soliciting customers to place future orders outside the platform
• Price manipulation: Charging customers more than the price displayed on your listing at the time of booking
• False listings: Listing services you cannot provide, fabricating turnaround times, or misrepresenting your store location
• Review manipulation: Incentivising, fabricating, or suppressing customer reviews (see Section 10.3)
• Multiple accounts: Operating more than one active store account for the same business premises without prior written approval
• Identity fraud: Registering a store using another person's identity or bank account
• Garment retention: Refusing to return a customer's garments or holding them as leverage in a dispute
• Competitor disparagement: Using the platform to defame or unfairly criticise competitor stores
• Platform circumvention: Any attempt to undermine, reverse-engineer, or replicate the Smart Laundry Connect platform

©Intellectual Property

The Smart Laundry Connect name, logo, platform design, and all associated materials are the intellectual property of Smart Laundry Connect Ltd. You may not use our brand, logo, or name in your own marketing materials, signage, or communications without our prior written consent — except as explicitly permitted in writing as part of a co-marketing arrangement.

You may describe your business as a "Partner Store on Smart Laundry Connect" and direct customers to your profile page. This is the extent of permitted brand use without additional written approval.

By uploading photos, service descriptions, or other content to the platform, you grant Smart Laundry Connect a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, display, and promote that content in connection with the platform — including on social media, marketing materials, and the platform website.

🤝Dispute Resolution

When a customer raises a complaint about your store — regarding service quality, damaged garments, delays, or conduct — our support team will:

1. Notify you of the complaint within 24 hours
2. Give you 48 hours to respond with your account of events and any evidence
3. Review all available evidence including order logs, photos, and communications
4. Issue a decision within 5 business days

If you disagree with a dispute outcome, you may appeal by emailing [email protected] within 7 days of the decision. Appeals are reviewed by a senior team member not involved in the original decision.

Where a dispute is found in the customer's favour and compensation is due, the agreed amount is deducted from your next scheduled payout. You will receive a written breakdown of any deductions.

Unresolved disputes may be escalated to the Consumer Protection Council of Nigeria (CPC) or the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). Commercial disputes exceeding ₦500,000 are subject to arbitration under the Lagos Court of Arbitration Rules (see General Terms, Section 12.3).

🚪Suspension & Termination

Smart Laundry Connect may suspend your store listing — making it invisible to new customers and preventing new order placements — while a complaint, investigation, or performance review is ongoing. Pending payouts are held during any active fraud or misconduct investigation.

We may permanently terminate your merchant account:

• Immediately for serious violations including off-platform transactions, fraud, garment theft, or multiple serious breaches
• With 30 days' written notice for persistent underperformance, repeated minor violations, or commercial reasons
• Immediately if we are required to do so by a court order or regulatory direction

You may close your merchant account at any time by contacting [email protected] with 14 days' notice. All pending orders at the time of termination notice must be fulfilled before the account can be closed. Outstanding earnings will be paid on the next scheduled Friday payout date after all pending orders are complete.

Upon termination, your store listing is removed from the platform, your Paystack subaccount is closed, and access to the merchant dashboard is revoked. You retain your own customer relationships and business independently. Smart Laundry Connect will not solicit your former customers on your behalf after termination.

🇳🇬Tax & Legal Compliance

As an independent business operating on the Smart Laundry Connect platform, you are solely responsible for:

• Business registration — obtaining any required registration, permits, or licences from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) or relevant local government authority
• Tax obligations — paying all applicable federal and state taxes on your earnings, including Companies Income Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) where applicable, and any withholding tax obligations
• VAT registration — if your annual turnover exceeds the threshold set by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), you are responsible for registering for VAT and remitting it appropriately
• Employment law — complying with all applicable Nigerian labour laws for any staff you employ
• Consumer protection — complying with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 and any applicable state consumer protection regulations
• Data protection — complying with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 in respect of any customer data you handle

🔒Data & Privacy

Smart Laundry Connect collects and processes your business and personal data — including owner name, phone, email, business address, bank details, and ID documents — to operate the merchant programme. This data is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA).

By registering as a merchant, you consent to:

• Your store name, address, services, pricing, photos, and ratings being publicly visible on the platform
• Your bank account details being shared with Paystack for subaccount creation and payout processing
• Your order volume and performance data being used to determine search ranking and platform visibility
• Your contact details being shared with assigned riders for coordination purposes
• Anonymised aggregate data about your store being used in platform analytics and marketing

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. You may request a copy of your data or its deletion by emailing [email protected]. Note that deletion of your account does not automatically delete data we are required to retain for legal or tax compliance purposes.

🔄Changes to These Terms

Smart Laundry Connect may update these Merchant Terms from time to time. When material changes are made, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Send an in-app notification to all active merchants
• Send an email to your registered business email address
• Provide 30 days' notice for changes to commission rates or payout terms

Your continued use of the platform and acceptance of orders after the updated effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not agree to updated terms, you must notify us and close your merchant account in accordance with Section 14.3.

📬Contact

For all merchant-related queries, support, and escalations: