Terms of Use

1. Who We Are

Tupane Payments (“tupane”, “we”, “our”) is a financial technology company operating under the Bank of Zambia Regulatory Sandbox framework (Statutory Instrument No. 79 of 2020). Our registered office is at Chamomile Street, Salama Park, Lusaka, Zambia. We are not a bank and do not hold a banking licence. Credit decisions are made by Tupane Payments.

2. The Service

Tupane offers a Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) service that allows eligible customers to:

• Purchase goods and services from partner merchants;
• Split the total purchase amount into 3 equal installments;
• Repay via MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money.

The first installment is due at the time of purchase. Subsequent installments are due on the same calendar date in the following two months.

3. Eligibility

To use Tupane you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age;
• Be a resident of the Republic of Zambia;
• Hold an active MTN MoMo or Airtel Money account;
• Pass our automated eligibility and affordability assessment at time of purchase;
• Not be subject to any insolvency, debt-administration, or similar proceedings.

Tupane reserves the right to decline or limit credit at its sole discretion without obligation to provide reasons, subject to applicable law.

4. Fees, Interest & Late Payment Penalty

A late payment penalty of 3% of the overdue installment amount is charged as a one-time fixed fee if an installment is not received within 3 calendar days of its due date. This fee is charged once per missed installment — it does not compound or accrue daily.

Example: If your installment is ZMW 400.00 and you pay 5 days late, a one-time penalty of ZMW 12.00 (3% × ZMW 400.00) is added to that installment only.

Continued non-payment may result in:

• Suspension of your Tupane account;
• Reporting to credit reference bureaus as permitted by Zambian law;
• Referral to a debt collection process.

5. Credit Agreement

Each purchase creates a separate consumer credit agreement between you and Tupane. By confirming a purchase, you enter into a binding agreement to repay all three installments. Full terms of each credit agreement are available in our Credit Agreement.

6. Cancellations & Returns

If a merchant agrees to cancel or refund your purchase, you must notify Tupane directly. Upon confirmation of the refund from the merchant, Tupane will cancel any outstanding installments and, where applicable, refund any amounts already collected. Processing may take up to 5 business days.

Disputes with merchants do not automatically suspend your repayment obligations to Tupane. Please contact us immediately if you are in dispute with a merchant.

7. Your Consent & How We Contact You

By registering, you expressly consent to:

• Receiving transactional SMS messages related to your Tupane account (payment reminders, confirmations, alerts);
• Our automated affordability assessment using information you provide;
• Processing of your personal data as described in our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

We will never send unsolicited marketing SMS without your separate opt-in consent. You may withdraw marketing consent at any time by contacting us.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Tupane service to:

• Purchase goods or services that are unlawful under Zambian law;
• Provide false or misleading information during registration or any transaction;
• Attempt to circumvent our fraud detection or eligibility systems;
• Use another person's identity or mobile money account without authorisation.

Any breach of this clause may result in immediate account suspension and potential referral to law enforcement authorities.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Zambian law, Tupane is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss arising from your use of the service. Our total liability for any direct claim shall not exceed the total value of the transaction giving rise to the claim.

10. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Zambia. Any dispute shall first be referred to Tupane's complaints process (contact us at founders@usetupane.com). Unresolved disputes may be escalated to the Bank of Zambia or relevant regulatory authority. You also retain the right to seek recourse through the courts of Zambia.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Where changes are material, we will notify you by SMS or in-app message at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, please contact: