Terms & Conditions

By registering, accessing, or using MasterFees ("the Platform", "we", "us", or "our"), you ("School", "User") agree to these Terms and Conditions in full. These terms apply to all users, including school administrators, staff members, and any other authorised users.

We reserve the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

MasterFees is a school fee management platform designed for South African independent and government-aided schools. The platform provides:

• Automated monthly invoice generation and distribution
• Fee payment tracking and reconciliation
• Bank statement import and automated reconciliation
• Overdue fee reminders via email, SMS, and WhatsApp
• WhatsApp Business chatbot for parent self-service enquiries
• Academic reports and grade management tools
• Role-based staff access and user management
• Financial reporting and analytics dashboards
• School events and trip payment tracking

Our platform integrates with the WhatsApp Business API (provided by Meta Platforms, Inc.) to send automated notifications to parents and guardians. By enabling the WhatsApp features, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

Types of WhatsApp messages sent include:

• Fee balance and payment status notifications
• Monthly invoice and statement summaries
• Overdue payment reminders
• Student registration status updates
• School announcements and event notifications
• Academic report availability notices

Opt-Out: Recipients may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any WhatsApp message. Upon receipt of STOP, all notifications to that number are immediately ceased. Schools and the platform will honour all opt-out requests without delay.

Message Frequency: Message frequency varies based on school activity (typically 2–8 messages per month per parent). Data rates may apply based on the recipient's mobile plan.

The school (as data controller) is responsible for ensuring that all parents and guardians whose numbers are uploaded to the platform have given valid consent to be contacted via WhatsApp.

All WhatsApp messaging is conducted in accordance with Meta's WhatsApp Business Policy and Commerce Policy.

Access to MasterFees is provided on a subscription basis. The following terms apply:

• Free Trial: New schools receive a 14-day free trial with full platform access. No credit card is required during the trial period.
• Subscription Plans: After the trial, continued access requires an active paid subscription. Pricing is displayed on our Pricing page.
• Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually depending on the selected plan. Payments are processed securely via PayFast or Stripe.
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time. Access continues until the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused periods.
• Price Changes: We reserve the right to adjust pricing with 30 days' written notice. Continued use after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

We take your privacy and the privacy of school stakeholders seriously. Our data practices comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) No. 4 of 2013.

• All personal data is stored securely and processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
• Data collected is limited to what is necessary for the service.
• Schools retain ownership of their data. We do not sell or share data with third parties for marketing purposes.
• Data is retained for the duration of the subscription and for a reasonable period thereafter as required by law.
• Schools may request deletion of their data upon termination of the subscription.

See our full Privacy Policy for complete details.

As a registered school, you agree to:

• Provide accurate registration information and keep it up to date.
• Ensure that all staff with access to the platform are authorised and trained appropriately.
• Not share login credentials with unauthorised parties.
• Obtain valid consent from parents and guardians before uploading their contact details.
• Use the platform only for lawful school fee management purposes.
• Not attempt to reverse-engineer, copy, or redistribute any part of the platform.
• Report any suspected security breaches to us immediately at Support@Masterfees.com.

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law:

• MasterFees is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of the platform.
• Our total liability to you shall not exceed the subscription fees paid in the three months preceding the claim.
• We are not responsible for disruptions caused by third-party services (WhatsApp, PayFast, SMS providers, internet outages).
• Schools remain solely responsible for the accuracy of financial data entered into the platform.

All content, software, branding, and technology forming part of the MasterFees platform is our exclusive intellectual property or that of our licensors. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, or distribute any part of the platform without written permission.

School-specific content (logos, student data, fee structures) remains the intellectual property of the respective school.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:

• Subscription payments are not received after the grace period.
• These Terms are materially breached.
• The platform is used for fraudulent, illegal, or harmful purposes.

Upon termination, you may export your data within 30 days. After that period, data may be permanently deleted.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts.

For any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us: