Vendor Terms and Conditions

1. Vendor Eligibility and Onboarding

To operate as a vendor on SwiftCart you must:

• Be a legal resident or registered business in Nigeria
• Operate a legitimate physical or home-based business
• Pass SwiftCart's vendor verification process
• Agree to and comply with these Vendor Terms

2. Vendor Verification

Vendors are required to complete identity and store verification before going live. This includes:

• Valid government-issued ID of the account owner
• Store name, address, and physical location verification
• Phone number OTP verification
• Bank account verification (for earnings payouts)
• Product category approval (certain categories require additional documentation)

SwiftCart reserves the right to reject any vendor application without providing a reason.

3. Product Listings

Vendors are solely responsible for:

• Accuracy of product names, descriptions, and photographs
• Accuracy of pricing (prices must match what is charged in-store)
• Maintaining up-to-date availability status
• Ensuring listed products are legal under Nigerian law
• Not listing counterfeit, stolen, expired, or prohibited goods

4. Order Acceptance and Fulfillment

4.1 Acceptance Obligation

Once an order is placed by a customer, you must accept or reject it promptly (within the time window specified in the app, typically 5–10 minutes). Repeated failure to respond to orders will result in account review.

4.2 Fulfillment Responsibility

After accepting an order, you are responsible for preparing and packaging the order to the expected standard and within the estimated preparation time you have set.

4.3 Order Rejection

You may reject an order if an item is unavailable. You must update your menu to reflect accurate availability to minimize customer-facing rejections.

4.4 Order Modification

You may not substitute items without customer consent communicated through the app. Unauthorized substitutions may result in refund liability.

5. Commission and Fees

5.1 Platform Commission

SwiftCart charges a commission on each completed order. The current commission rate is disclosed in your vendor dashboard at the time of registration. This rate may be updated with 14 days' notice.

5.2 No Hidden Fees

There are no listing fees or monthly subscription fees for standard vendor accounts during the MVP phase.

5.3 Commission Deduction

Commission is automatically deducted before earnings are credited to your Available Earnings balance.

6. Earnings and Payouts

6.1 Earnings Balance

Your Available Earnings balance represents money owed to you for completed, confirmed orders after platform commission has been deducted. This is NOT a bank account, savings account, or stored-value wallet. It is a record of earnings pending disbursement.

6.2 Payout Schedule

Payouts are processed on a regular schedule (as published in your vendor dashboard) to your registered bank account via Paystack. A minimum payout threshold applies.

6.3 Payout Hold Period

Earnings from an order are held for 24–48 hours after delivery confirmation to allow for dispute resolution before being released for payout.

6.4 Payout Failure

If a payout fails due to incorrect bank details, you are responsible for providing corrected information. SwiftCart is not liable for delays caused by bank errors or incorrect account information provided by the vendor.

6.5 Payout Adjustments

SwiftCart may deduct from your earnings to cover:

• Refunds issued due to vendor fault
• Penalties for policy violations
• Chargeback recoveries

7. Prohibited Vendor Activities

Vendors must NOT:

• Solicit customers to place orders off-platform to avoid commission
• Accept payment directly from customers for SwiftCart orders
• List illegal, counterfeit, or prohibited items
• Fabricate order completion or delivery confirmation
• Operate multiple accounts to circumvent suspension
• List products in categories they are not approved for
• Bribe, threaten, or manipulate riders or customers
• Attempt to manipulate ratings or reviews

8. Fake Orders and Fraud

8.1 Fake Order Policy

If SwiftCart determines a vendor has placed, accepted, or coordinated fake orders to fraudulently inflate payout balances, the vendor will be:

• Immediately suspended
• Subject to full earnings forfeiture for the affected period
• Reported to relevant authorities where applicable

8.2 Off-Platform Transactions

Coordinating with customers to complete transactions outside SwiftCart after initial contact through the platform is a serious violation.

• First offense: Formal warning
• Second offense: Permanent suspension

9. Customer Relations

Vendors are expected to:

• Respond professionally to customer inquiries
• Package orders securely and hygienically
• Honor stated preparation times
• Not engage in discriminatory practices

Vendors who consistently receive low ratings, fail to fulfill orders, or generate frequent customer complaints will be subject to performance review and potential suspension.

10. Liability

Vendors are solely liable for:

• The quality, safety, and legality of products sold
• Food safety and hygiene standards (for food vendors)
• Any personal injury or property damage caused by defective products
• Tax obligations on earnings received through SwiftCart

SwiftCart facilitates the transaction and is not responsible for product liability claims. Vendors indemnify SwiftCart against any claims arising from their products.

11. Suspension and Termination

SwiftCart may suspend or terminate a vendor account if the vendor:

• Violates these Vendor Terms or the General Terms of Service
• Receives sustained low ratings below the minimum threshold
• Engages in fraudulent activity
• Fails to meet order fulfillment standards
• Receives verified misconduct reports from customers or riders

Upon termination, any unpaid earnings will be processed after a 30-day review period, subject to outstanding liabilities.

12. Changes to Vendor Terms

SwiftCart reserves the right to update these terms with 14 days' notice via email or in-app notification. Continued use of the vendor platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.