Zaruni Terms Of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you") and Zaruni Ltd. ("Zaruni", "we", "our", "us"), a company registered in the Republic of Kenya, governing your access to and use of the Zaruni mobile application, website, and all associated service modules (collectively, the "Platform").

By creating an account or using any feature on the Platform, you represent and warrant that you:

• Are at least 18 years of age;
• Are currently resident in or operating your business within Kenya;
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract; and
• Have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

2. Platform Overview

Zaruni is a modular super-app that coordinates local commerce, work, transit, and payments through a trust-enforced system. Core modules include:

3. Account Registration

3.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to create a Zaruni account. If you register on behalf of a business, you represent that you have the authority to bind that business entity to these Terms.

3.2 Account Creation

To register, you must provide your active phone number. An SMS One-Time Password (OTP) will be sent to complete authentication. You agree that the phone number belongs to you and is E.164 compliant (e.g. starting with +254).

3.3 Roles

During onboarding and setup, you may select one or more roles (Buyer, Worker, Employer, Shop Owner, Service Provider, Commuter). You can switch roles or request role upgrades. Upgrading to sensitive roles (e.g. Courier or Service Provider) requires government ID verification (Silver tier).

3.4 Account Accuracy & Security

You agree to provide true, accurate, and complete information and keep it updated. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must not share your OTP or register multiple fake accounts. If you suspect your account has been compromised, notify us immediately at [email protected].

We use device fingerprinting to detect account sharing and spoofing. Unauthorized account access or credential sharing may lead to immediate account suspension.

4. Zaruni Trust Score & Identity Tiers

4.1 Trust Score (0–1000)

The Platform automatically calculates a Trust Score for every user. This score evaluates your government verification status, rating feedback from transactions, reliability percentage, cancellation rates, no-show history, and active disputes. Your Trust Score determines:

• Access to high-value gig jobs or service postings;
• Your daily ledger payout limits;
• Whether your delivery orders require a verification hub transition; and
• Search visibility of your listings.

4.2 Identity Tiers

• Bronze (Phone Verified): Basic access, standard buyer limit of KES 150,000 daily.
• Silver (ID Verified): Government ID verified. Required to create shops, post services, or apply as a worker. Daily limit increases to KES 300,000.
• Gold (Vouched): ID verified + positive community vouches. Maximum daily limit of KES 500,000.

4.3 Low Score Restraints

If your Trust Score falls below 200, the Risk Engine may automatically restrict your account from applying for jobs, posting services, creating high-value deliveries, or claiming payouts beyond basic limits.

5. Zaruni Digital Ledger & Transaction Lock States

5.1 Ledger Operation

Every account includes a Zaruni Ledger Balance denominated in Kenya Shillings (KES). The Ledger Balance is a digital transactional record and is not a deposit-taking bank account or payment service provider custodian. Zaruni is not a bank, payment service provider (PSP), or financial institution. The Zaruni Ledger Balance is a digital transactional record that tracks transaction states and does not hold, custody, or manage deposit funds. All actual funds are processed and held by licensed payment services partners and mobile money operators (such as Safaricom M-Pesa). No interest is paid on balances.

5.2 Top-ups & Payout Settlements

You may coordinate top-up requests using Safaricom M-Pesa STK Push. Payouts are facilitated to your registered M-Pesa number through our licensed payment partners. Payouts are subject to daily limits based on your Identity Tier (KES 150,000 / 300,000 / 500,000). We transmit request parameters to our partners immediately, but actual settlement depends on Safaricom and payment partner processing.

5.3 Transaction Lock-First Rule

To protect both parties, all marketplace orders, gig jobs, and service bookings on Zaruni utilize a transaction lock system:

1. When a transaction is accepted, the payer's ledger is debited, and funds are held in provisional lock.
2. Neither party can access or release the locked funds while the transaction is active.
3. Funds are released to the payee only upon confirmation of completion via QR proof scan or mutual in-app confirmation.
4. In the event of a dispute, funds remain locked in provisional lock until the dispute is resolved by our moderation team.

This lock-first mechanism cannot be bypassed. You agree not to request or accept off-platform payments (cash or direct M-Pesa) for transactions coordinated through Zaruni.

5.4 Platform Fees

We charge transactional service fees to support the platform:

• Marketplace orders (B2C, C2C): 3–5% of the transaction value.
• Gig jobs and Fix-It services: 5–8% of the agreed wage/quote.
• Deliveries: As calculated during courier booking.

Fees are automatically deducted from the transaction balance upon release. All fees are displayed before confirming transactions.

5.5 Ledger Freezes

We reserve the right to temporarily freeze your digital transactional ledger access or request a hold from our licensed payment partners if we suspect fraudulent activity, mock location spoofing, identity theft, or if required to comply with a court order or regulatory directive.

6. Marketplace Rules

6.1 Shop Owners

As a shop owner, you must list items truthfully, maintain accurate stock quantities, fulfill orders within the designated SLA window, and adhere to our banned items list. Failures or delays in order dispatch will trigger automatic reversals to the buyer and penalize your Trust Score.

6.2 C2C (Person-to-Person) Sales

For sales of used or individual items, handover must occur using the in-app QR code verification. An ownership transfer receipt is auto-generated upon the QR scan. You agree that Zaruni is not responsible for the underlying condition of used items.

6.3 Dropshipping

Resellers may list products from verified suppliers. Suppliers must dispatch items within 24 hours of notification. Resellers must verify that supplier catalogs match actual specifications.

7. Jobs & Work Coordination

7.1 Employers

Employers must secure the transaction budget in a locked state before work is assigned. You agree to inspect completed work and release the lock promptly. Withholding payments for completed tasks without initiating a formal dispute is a violation of these Terms.

7.2 Workers

Workers must check in at the job site using the app's GPS location. To claim payment, workers must upload honest work evidence (photos/text). Uploading fraudulent evidence or fake completions will lead to immediate ban escalation.

8. Zaruni Deliver (Logistics)

8.1 Courier Verification

Couriers must achieve Silver-tier ID verification and undergo device registration. Mock location services are strictly blocked. GPS coordinates are collected during active deliveries to track packages.

8.2 Cell-Based Logistics

Couriers are grouped into regional Logistics Cells. If a cell member commits theft or delivery fraud, the entire cell is monitored, and cell-wide restrictions may apply. This enforces community trust and peer accountability.

8.3 Handoff Proof

Every delivery requires a time-bound and geo-bound QR code scan at the handoff address. The scan is validated only if the courier is within 50 meters of the coordinate. No cash handovers are permitted.

9. Fix-It (Services)

Service providers (fundis) must provide binding quotes. Booking funds must be locked by the requestor before work begins. Upon completion of service, before/after evidence photos must be uploaded. Providers agree not to solicit off-platform bookings from clients met via Zaruni for 12 months.

10. Trust, Safety & Automated Enforcement

To keep the platform secure, the Risk Engine utilizes automated, rule-based checks. Enforcement actions are graduated and based on violations (Warning → Suspension → Permanent Ban). Serious violations (e.g. M-Pesa fraud, identity document forgery, physical theft) result in immediate permanent bans and referral to Kenyan law enforcement.

If your account is suspended, you may file an appeal to our team at [email protected] within 14 days of the enforcement action.

11. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to use Zaruni to:

• Register multiple fake profiles or spoof GPS locations;
• Initiate off-platform cash bypasses to avoid service fees;
• List weapons, drugs, counterfeit items, or illegal goods;
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, or overload our servers;
• Intimidate, harass, or threaten other users or Zaruni moderators.

12. Intellectual Property

All source code, designs, branding, logos, trademarks, and algorithms are the exclusive property of Zaruni Ltd. You retain ownership of content you upload (shop catalogs, Moments posts, work evidence), but grant Zaruni a royalty-free license to display and host that content to operate the Platform.

13. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. Zaruni acts solely as a transaction coordinator, software platform, and database registrar. We are not a payment service provider, bank, or financial institution. We do not hold or custody user funds; all financial custody and payment services are provided by our regulated payment partners. We are not a party to the transactions and do not guarantee the performance, quality, or safety of transacted work or goods.

To the maximum extent permitted by Kenyan law, our aggregate liability to you for any claims shall not exceed the total fees you paid to Zaruni in the three months preceding the claim, or KES 10,000, whichever is higher.

14. Disputes & Resolution Center

If a dispute arises, you agree to submit it to the in-app Resolution Center. Our moderation team will review GPS history, chat transcripts, QR logs, and evidence uploads. Moderator decisions are final for amounts up to KES 100,000. Disputes exceeding KES 100,000 may be referred to Kenyan courts or private mediation.

15. Account Termination

You can deactivate or delete your account in settings at any time, provided you have no active transaction locks or pending ledger balances. Zaruni may terminate your access immediately for breach of terms. Upon termination, any remaining ledger balances will be disbursed to your registered M-Pesa account by our payment partners within 30 days, subject to fee offsets.

16. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya. Any unresolved legal disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Kenya, with primary venue in Nairobi.

17. Contact Details

For support, legal, or dispute inquiries, contact us:

• General Support: [email protected]
• Legal & Privacy: [email protected]
• Payment Concerns: [email protected]
• Enforcement Appeals: [email protected]

Zaruni Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya.