Merchant Agreement & Zero-Custody Policy
This Agreement outlines the terms under which merchants utilize Zilla's un-gated order capture engine and maintain 100% direct ownership of customer payments.
1. Purpose & Scope of Merchant Agreement
This Merchant Agreement ("Agreement") applies to all vendors, retail sellers, creators, and business entities that open and operate a storefront on the Zilla platform (`zilla.ng`).
By creating a storefront on Zilla, you enter into this operational contract with Zilla Technologies Limited to utilize our catalog publishing and order capture software.
2. Zero-Custody Guarantee & Direct Settlements
Unlike traditional e-commerce platforms and delivery aggregator apps, Zilla never acts as a financial escrow or custodian of your merchant revenue.
- Direct Customer Transfers: Buyers transfer order amounts directly from their bank app to your verified Nigerian bank account (NUBAN).
- Zero Payout Delays: Because Zilla does not hold your funds, you experience zero settlement delays, zero gateway reserves, and zero payout withholdings.
3. Merchant Obligations & Product Authenticity
As an authorized Zilla merchant, you covenant and agree to:
- Accurate Product Listings: Provide clear, truthful descriptions, high-resolution product imagery, accurate sizing, and realistic color representations.
- Real-Time Stock Accuracy: Maintain accurate inventory counts in your dashboard to leverage Zilla's real-time atomic inventory locking and prevent customer disappointment.
- Authenticity Guarantee: Ensure that all branded products, fabrics, perfumes, jewelry, and electronics sold are genuine and lawfully sourced.
- Fair Business Practices: Promptly respond to customer WhatsApp inquiries resulting from order capture notifications.
4. Pricing, Discounts & WhatsApp Bargaining
Zilla embraces the culture of Nigerian social commerce. While your storefront displays fixed base prices and compare-at anchor prices, merchants retain complete autonomy to negotiate final settlement amounts:
- Merchants may apply custom discounts, bundle deals, or negotiated concessions directly inside WhatsApp DMs.
- The merchant dashboard includes a Price Bargaining & Settlement Tracker allowing you to record negotiated final amounts and bargain notes for accurate revenue accounting.
5. Delivery Logistics & Courier Responsibility
Merchants are solely responsible for coordinating delivery fulfillment, dispatch riders, interstate haulage, or local pick-up with the customer:
- Delivery Fee Configuration: You may configure your standard flat delivery fee and a free-delivery cart threshold (e.g. Free Delivery on orders over ₦50,000) in your store settings.
- Delivery Timelines: Clearly communicate expected dispatch timelines (e.g., same-day Lagos dispatch, 2-3 days interstate) to buyers upon DM contact.
- Courier Partners: Zilla does not employ dispatch riders or hold liability for courier package delays, loss in transit, or transit damages.
6. Customer Service & Dispute Resolution
Because all transactions and funds flow directly between the buyer and your bank account, you are responsible for handling customer refund requests, exchange negotiations, and warranty claims in accordance with your published store policies and Nigerian consumer protection regulations (FCCPC).
7. Software Subscription Fees (₦1,000/mo)
In exchange for hosting your storefront, providing atomic stock locks, CDN media compression, and WhatsApp order capture tools, you agree to pay the standard Zilla SaaS subscription fee:
- First 30 Days: 100% Free with all features unlocked.
- Ongoing Rate: ₦1,000 per month (or discounted quarterly/annual billing options) processed securely via Paystack or Monnify.
- Subscriptions are non-refundable once billed for the active period.
8. Catalog Slots & Variant Economics
Each standard merchant subscription includes 20 active product slots with unlimited variants (sizes, colors, and isotope styles) per product listing. Additional slots can be added at ₦100 for 1 slot that lasts for 1 month to scale with your inventory growth.
9. Merchant Indemnification & Liability
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Zilla Technologies Limited, its directors, officers, and employees from any claims, consumer losses, regulatory fines, or damages arising out of your products, delivery failures, trademark infringements, or misrepresentations to buyers.
10. Amendments to Merchant Agreement
Zilla may update this Agreement periodically. We will notify merchants of material adjustments via their dashboard notification center or WhatsApp broadcast at least 14 days before changes take effect.
For merchant partnership or compliance inquiries, contact our Merchant Success Team at merchants@zilla.ng.