PREAMBLE
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern access to and use of the Epargix platform ("the Platform", "the Service") published by Epargix SAS ("the Provider", "we"), accessible at https://www.epargix.com and through its associated application.
By creating an account or using the Platform, the user ("you", "the Member") acknowledges having read, understood and accepted without reservation these Terms as well as the Privacy Policy.
ARTICLE 1 — PURPOSE AND CAPACITY OF THE PROVIDER
1.1 Epargix is a technology platform facilitating the digital management of tontines, mutual aid associations, and community savings groups ("the Groups" or "Tenants").
1.2 The Provider is a technology supplier and is NOT a financial, banking, payment or insurance institution. The Platform does not collect, hold or manage user funds in its own name. Payment flows transit through partner Mobile Money operators and banks.
1.3 The Provider cannot be held liable for the insolvency of a Member, for the loss of funds resulting from decisions made within a Group, nor for any financial dispute between Members.
ARTICLE 2 — ACCOUNT CREATION AND KYC PROCEDURE
2.1 Account creation is reserved for adult individuals (aged 18 or over) residing in the CEMAC zone or holding a valid payment instrument within that zone.
2.2 The user undertakes to provide accurate, current and complete information at registration, and to update this information in case of change.
2.3 Identity verification (KYC) may be required before access to certain services (credit, large withdrawals). The Provider reserves the right to refuse registration or to suspend an account in case of failure or document fraud.
2.4 Only one account per individual is permitted. Detection of a duplicate account may lead to the closure of both accounts.
ARTICLE 3 — DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
3.1 The Platform offers the following features:
- Management of savings Groups (tontines, Njangui);
- Monthly contributions, internal loans, welfare (solidarity);
- Cascade Waterfall: automatic application of payment priority rules defined by each Group;
- Trust Score: behavioural trust score 0–1000, portable across Groups;
- Smart Collateral: use of the Member's savings as guarantee before calling on the guarantor;
- Digital governance (votes, resolutions, transparency of decisions).
3.2 Available features may evolve over time. The Provider strives to notify Members of significant changes.
ARTICLE 4 — OBLIGATIONS OF THE MEMBER
4.1 The Member undertakes to use the Platform in accordance with its purpose, in compliance with their Group's rules and these Terms.
4.2 The Member specifically undertakes to:
- honour their financial commitments (contributions, loans);
- participate in good faith in the governance of their Group;
- not attempt to access data or accounts they are not entitled to;
- not disrupt the operation of the Platform.
4.3 Any abusive, fraudulent or unlawful use will result in immediate suspension of the account and, where applicable, legal action.
ARTICLE 5 — DEBIT MANDATE AND AUTOMATIC EXECUTION
5.1 The Member irrevocably authorises the Platform to execute the priority rules (Cascade Waterfall), the seizures on guarantee (Smart Collateral), and the offsetting of debts defined by their Group's internal regulations.
5.2 The automatic debit from the Member's savings, their wallet (DDW), or the guarantor's account is a direct consequence of the contractual commitments made between Members of the Group. The Provider merely applies the rules configured by the Group's board (president, treasurer).
5.3 Any transaction executed by the system is traceable, immutable and viewable by the Member in their history. The Member may dispute a transaction within 30 days following its execution by referring the matter to their Group's board.
ARTICLE 6 — TRUST SCORE AND RATING
6.1 The Member accepts that their payment behaviour is analysed and translated into a trust score (Trust Score, 0–1000) shared between the various Groups they belong to.
6.2 The Trust Score is an internal decision-support tool and does NOT constitute a banking credit file or a score regulated by financial authorities.
6.3 The Member waives any legal action related to the impact of this score on their eligibility for internal services (credit, welfare, governance roles).
6.4 The score is calculated transparently. The contributing factors (punctuality, seniority, possible defaults) are viewable by the Member. The score may be improved through regular payment behaviour ("redemption").
ARTICLE 7 — SECURITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREDENTIALS
7.1 The Member is solely responsible for the confidentiality of their access credentials (password, PIN, authentication tokens, 2FA codes).
7.2 Any transaction performed with the Member's credentials is deemed to have been ordered by them, unless proven otherwise by the Member.
7.3 In the event of loss, theft or compromise of credentials, the Member must immediately contact support (support@epargix.com) to block their account.
7.4 The Provider strongly recommends activating two-factor authentication (2FA). It is mandatory for Group administrators.
ARTICLE 8 — PROHIBITED USES
8.1 The following are strictly prohibited, without this list being exhaustive:
- use of the Platform for money laundering or the financing of illicit activities;
- creation of multiple accounts or false identities;
- any attempt at reverse engineering, data extraction, or circumvention of security measures;
- unauthorised resale or sublicensing of services;
- distribution of malicious software or unlawful content;
- automated data collection (scraping) without prior written authorisation.
8.2 Any violation will result in immediate suspension and, where applicable, reporting to the competent authorities (ANIF, COBAC, judicial police).
ARTICLE 9 — INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
9.1 The Platform, its source code, its interfaces, its trademark, its logo, and all editorial content it publishes are the exclusive property of the Provider or its rightful owners.
9.2 No licence or assignment of rights is granted to the Member beyond the personal, non-exclusive and non-transferable right to use the Platform in accordance with these Terms.
9.3 The Member's personal and financial data remains the property of the Member. The Provider is merely the technical custodian, under the conditions of the Privacy Policy.
ARTICLE 10 — FEES AND BILLING
10.1 Registration and basic use of the Platform may be free or subject to subscription, depending on the Provider's current commercial offering.
10.2 Any fees are communicated to the Member before subscription and remain transparently accessible from their account at any time.
10.3 Mobile Money operator and banking fees are borne by the Member, in accordance with those operators' price lists.
10.4 Group membership fees ("lifetime" or "renewable" modes) are set by the board of each Group and NOT by the Provider.
ARTICLE 11 — LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
11.1 The Provider does not guarantee uninterrupted operation of the Platform. Interruptions for maintenance, updates, mobile network outages or unavailability of Mobile Money operators do not constitute fault on the part of the Provider.
11.2 The Provider cannot be held liable for payment delays caused by third-party operators (MTN, Orange, Wave, M-Pesa, banks).
11.3 Except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence, the Provider's total liability is limited to the amount of service fees actually collected from the Member during the 12 months preceding the disputed event.
11.4 None of the above limitations applies to the mandatory obligations provided for by Cameroonian consumer protection and data protection law.
ARTICLE 12 — ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE (AML/CFT)
12.1 The Member certifies that the funds passing through the Platform do not come from illicit activities.
12.2 The Provider reserves the right to report any suspicious activity to the competent authorities (ANIF, COBAC, BEAC) in accordance with the CEMAC regulations in force.
12.3 The Member agrees to provide any proof of identity or income requested as part of KYC verification, including during the contractual relationship.
ARTICLE 13 — PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA
The Member's personal data is processed in accordance with the Epargix Privacy Policy, available at https://www.epargix.com/legal/privacy, which forms an integral part of these Terms.
ARTICLE 14 — SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION
14.1 The Provider reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account in the event of proven fraud, money laundering, breach of these Terms, or behaviour harmful to the community, without notice or compensation.
14.2 Suspension or termination does not extinguish the Member's debts towards their Group or towards the Platform.
14.3 The Member may close their account at any time from their settings, subject to full repayment of their commitments and the conclusion of ongoing savings cycles.
ARTICLE 15 — FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK (FOREX)
15.1 Transactions in foreign currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.) are converted into XAF at the market rate at the time of the transaction, less applicable exchange fees.
15.2 The Provider is not responsible for losses linked to fluctuations in exchange rates.
ARTICLE 16 — GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
16.1 These Terms are governed by Cameroonian law and the applicable OHADA Uniform Acts.
16.2 Any dispute shall be subject to prior mediation within the Group (internal Digital Tribunal). In the event of failure, the competent court of Douala shall have jurisdiction.
16.3 The electronic signature of these Terms has the same legal value as a handwritten signature, in accordance with the OHADA Uniform Acts and the Cameroonian law on electronic commerce.
ARTICLE 17 — AMENDMENT OF THE TERMS
17.1 The Provider may amend these Terms at any time. Members will be notified of any substantial modification by email and in-app notification at least 30 days before it takes effect.
17.2 Continued use of the Platform after notification constitutes acceptance of the new conditions.
17.3 In the event of refusal, the Member has 30 days to close their account free of charge.
ARTICLE 18 — CONTACT
For any question relating to these Terms: support@epargix.com
For any question relating to data protection: privacy@epargix.com
Postal address: Douala, Cameroon (exact address to be published)