Refund Cancellation

REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY

School Connect (Pty) Ltd
Last updated: 20 November 2025

1. Introduction & scope

1.1 This Refund & Cancellation Policy (“Policy”) explains how School Connect (Pty) Ltd (“School Connect”, “we”, “us”, “our”) handles cancellations, refunds and wallet-related reversals in relation to payments made through the School Connect website, web portal and mobile applications (collectively, the “Platform”).

1.2 This Policy must be read together with:

  • our Terms & Conditions;
  • our Privacy Policy (and role-specific privacy notices); and
  • any applicable School policies (including school-specific fee, refund or cancellation rules).

1.3 By using the Platform and submitting payments through it, you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not make payments via the Platform and contact your School directly to discuss alternative arrangements.

1.4 Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit or exclude any rights you may have under South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA), where these apply.

2. Relationship between School Connect, Schools and payers

2.1 School Connect operates a technology platform that allows:

  • Schools to generate and manage fees, invoices, statements and wallet transactions; and
  • Parents/Guardians and other payers to view and pay school charges electronically.

2.2 Unless expressly stated otherwise:

  • the School remains the supplier of educational services and related charges; and
  • School Connect acts as a technology and payment facilitator, not as the payer or payee.

2.3 This means that:

  • the nature, amount and timing of fees (including tuition, transport, extracurricular activities, etc.) are determined by the School;
  • School Connect does not control the School’s fee policies, academic decisions, or eligibility for refunds;
  • disputes regarding fee levels, fee exemptions, fee disputes, or academic matters are between you and the School.

2.4 However, because payments are made via the Platform, this Policy explains how cancellations and refunds are processed technically through School Connect and our payment providers.

3. Types of transactions covered

This Policy applies to payments processed via the Platform, including (where enabled by your School):

  • School fees and charges (tuition, transport, activities, uniforms, etc.);
  • Once-off payments for events, trips, exams or other services;
  • Wallet top-ups or pre-funded balances managed within the Platform;
  • Any other payments processed via our integrated payment providers.

It does not apply to:

  • cash payments made directly to the School;
  • EFT payments made outside the Platform directly into School bank accounts;
  • payments made through third-party systems not integrated with School Connect.

4. Statutory cooling-off rights (CPA & ECTA)

4.1 Under certain circumstances, South African law may give consumers cooling-off rights to cancel transactions within a limited period, such as:

  • Section 16 of the CPA – a 5-business-day cooling-off period for certain direct marketing transactions;
  • Section 44 of the ECTA – a 7-day cooling-off period for eligible electronic transactions, allowing a consumer to cancel within 7 days of conclusion (or receiving the service/goods), with a full refund (less direct return costs where applicable).

4.2 These statutory rights are subject to important conditions and exceptions (for example, they may not apply where services have already been fully performed with the consumer’s consent, or in certain education-related contexts).

4.3 Where the CPA or ECTA cooling-off provisions apply to a payment made via the Platform:

  • you may exercise your cooling-off rights by giving written notice of cancellation to the School and/or School Connect within the statutory timeframe;
  • the School is responsible for determining whether a particular transaction qualifies and for authorising any refund;
  • once the School authorises the refund, School Connect will process it via the original payment channel (see section 9 below).

4.4 This Policy does not limit your statutory rights; if there is any conflict, the CPA/ECTA provisions prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.

5. School-driven refund & cancellation rules

5.1 Each School may have its own fee, refund and cancellation policies (for example, regarding withdrawals, notice periods, event cancellations, or partial-year attendance).

5.2 Unless otherwise required by law:

  • School Connect will only process a refund once the School has authorised it in the Platform or provided written instruction;
  • the eligibility, amount and timing of the refund are determined by the School’s policies and its agreement with you.

5.3 Parents/Guardians and other payers should therefore always consult the School’s own policies and agreements first when requesting a refund.

6. Cancellations before payment is processed

6.1 If you change your mind before submitting a payment (e.g. while on the payment screen):

  • you can simply cancel or close the payment screen;
  • no funds will be debited and no charges will be incurred.

6.2 If your bank or payment provider shows a pending or authorised transaction but it is not reflected in the Platform:

  • please contact your bank and the School to confirm the status;
  • in many cases, pending authorisations expire automatically if the transaction is not completed.

7. Parent/Guardian-initiated cancellations after payment

7.1 General principle

7.1.1 Once a payment is successfully processed via the Platform, any request to cancel or refund that payment must be:

  • submitted to the School (for fee-related reasons); or
  • submitted to both the School and School Connect (for clear payment errors, such as duplicates, wrong amounts or wrong learner selection).

7.1.2 School Connect cannot independently approve refunds for School fees or charges.

7.2 Change-of-mind or service-related disputes

7.2.1 Requests such as:

  • “I no longer want to use this service/activity”;
  • “my child has left the School”; or
  • “I dispute the School’s fees or charges”,

are between you and the School.

7.2.2 The School will decide whether a refund, credit or partial adjustment is applicable. If the School approves a refund, it will instruct School Connect to process it.

7.3 Duplicate payments or obvious errors

7.3.1 If you have accidentally:

  • paid twice for the same invoice;
  • paid the wrong amount (e.g. an extra zero); or
  • paid against the wrong learner by clear mistake,

please notify the School and School Connect (via support) as soon as possible, with supporting proof.

7.3.2 If the School confirms that an error was made and authorises a reversal or adjustment:

  • School Connect will process the technical refund or adjustment through the payment provider;
  • any transaction or bank fees that cannot be recovered from the payment provider may be deducted from the refund, unless prohibited by law.

8. Wallet top-ups and wallet refunds

8.1 Where the Platform supports a digital wallet:

  • Wallet top-ups are treated as pre-funded balances to be used for school-related transactions;
  • Wallet balances do not earn interest and do not constitute a bank deposit or savings product (as also described in the Terms & Conditions).

8.2 Refunds of unused wallet balances are subject to:

  • the School’s policy on wallet withdrawals; and
  • applicable legal requirements.

8.3 In general:

  • if your wallet balance is positive and you wish to withdraw it, you must request a withdrawal from the School (or via the wallet interface, where enabled);
  • the School may approve a withdrawal (full or partial), and School Connect will process the payout via the payment provider or another method agreed with the School;
  • where wallet funds were originally funded by card or other electronic methods, the refund may, where possible, be processed back to the original payment method or to another destination agreed with the School.

8.4 If a learner leaves the School:

  • the School may choose to refund any unused wallet balance according to its policy;
  • School Connect will process the technical refund once instructed by the School.

9. How refunds are processed (method & timing)

9.1 Once a refund has been authorised by the School and all required details are provided, School Connect will:

  • initiate the refund via the same payment provider used for the original transaction, where reasonably possible; or
  • arrange an alternative refund mechanism as agreed with the School (e.g. EFT from School).

9.2 Refunds are normally processed:

  • by School Connect to the payment provider within a reasonable period after authorisation (typically within 5–10 business days); and
  • subject to the payment provider and banking system’s own processing times (which may add several more business days).

9.3 Where a refund is processed under ECTA’s cooling-off rules, the law generally requires a full refund within 30 days of cancellation.

9.4 Refunds will ordinarily be made in South African Rand (ZAR) and, unless otherwise agreed:

  • to the original payment method; or
  • to another method agreed with the School (for example, setting off against future fees, or an EFT to the payer).

9.5 School Connect is not responsible for:

  • delays caused by banks, card networks or payment providers;
  • foreign exchange fluctuations or cross-border charges where cards or accounts are in another currency.

10. Transaction fees and non-refundable charges

10.1 In line with our Terms & Conditions, payments processed via the Platform may attract transaction fees charged by School Connect and/or Payment Providers.

10.2 Unless required otherwise by law or agreed with the School:

  • transaction fees already paid to Payment Providers may not be recoverable;
  • School Connect and/or the School may deduct irrecoverable payment processing costs from the refund amount, provided that such deductions are lawful and reasonable.

10.3 Where a refund is made under statutory cooling-off provisions (ECTA/CPA), you may be entitled to a full refund, less only direct return costs where applicable.

11. Cancellations & refunds initiated by the School or School Connect

11.1 The School may cancel or reverse certain transactions (for example, if an event is cancelled or a fee was charged in error). School Connect will process any authorised refunds according to section 9.

11.2 School Connect may, in limited cases, cancel or reverse transactions where:

  • there is clear evidence of fraud, technical error or unauthorised use;
  • required by law, a court order or a Payment Provider; or
  • necessary to protect the integrity and security of the Platform and Users.

11.3 Where we cancel or reverse a transaction, we will:

  • notify the School and, where appropriate, the payer; and
  • process any applicable refund or adjustment as soon as reasonably possible.

12. Chargebacks and disputes with banks/card issuers

12.1 If you dispute a transaction with your bank or card issuer and initiate a chargeback, the bank/card scheme will investigate according to its own rules.

12.2 During a chargeback investigation:

  • the disputed amount may be temporarily reversed or held;
  • School Connect and/or the School may be required to submit evidence (such as proof of payment, proof of service, communications).

12.3 If the chargeback is decided in your favour, the bank/card issuer will process the refund directly to you.

12.4 If the chargeback is rejected and the transaction is upheld:

  • the School may still, at its discretion and subject to its own policies, choose to offer a refund or credit;
  • School Connect will facilitate any agreed refund via the Platform.

12.5 Abuse of chargeback mechanisms (for example, repeatedly raising unfounded disputes) may result in suspension of your ability to use certain payment methods on the Platform.

13. Errors, unauthorised transactions & security incidents

13.1 If you suspect an unauthorised transaction (for example, someone else used your card or login):

  • contact your bank immediately to block your card or account; and
  • inform your School and School Connect as soon as possible.

13.2 We will assist the School and Payment Provider to investigate, but:

  • School Connect cannot guarantee that funds will be recovered;
  • any refunds will depend on the outcome of the investigation and applicable laws and card scheme rules.

13.3 School Connect implements appropriate security safeguards to protect payment data and personal information, as described in our Privacy Policy and in compliance with ECTA and POPIA.

14. No limitation of statutory rights

14.1 This Policy is intended to:

  • clarify the process for cancellations and refunds through the Platform; and
  • allocate responsibilities between School Connect, Schools and payers.

14.2 It does not:

  • reduce or remove any rights you have under the CPA, ECTA or other applicable laws; or
  • limit the School’s legal obligations where those laws apply.

14.3 If there is any inconsistency between this Policy and applicable legislation, the legislation prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.

15. Changes to this Policy

15.1 We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • changes in the Platform or payment methods;
  • changes in law, regulatory guidance or card scheme rules;
  • improvements to our processes or security.

15.2 When we make material changes, we will:

  • publish the updated Policy on the Platform; and
  • update the “Last updated” date at the top of this document.

15.3 Continued use of the Platform to make payments after the updated Policy has been published will constitute your acceptance of the updated Policy.

16. Contact details

16.1 School contact

For questions about:

  • school fee amounts;
  • eligibility for a refund;
  • fee disputes or academic-related issues,

please contact your School directly using the contact details provided in your school documentation or on the School’s website.

16.2 School Connect (Pty) Ltd

For questions about:

  • the technical processing of a payment or refund via the Platform;
  • this Policy; or
  • security incidents related to payments,

you may contact:

School Connect (Pty) Ltd
Email: info@school-connect.co.za
Website: www.school-connect.co.za

Please include:

  • your full name;
  • your child’s name (if applicable);
  • the School name;
  • relevant invoice/reference numbers; and
  • a clear description of your request.