Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“Operator”, “you”, or “your”) and AutoStays (Pty) Ltd (“AutoStays”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) governing your use of the AutoStays platform at www.autostays.co.za, including all related services, features, and applications.

By creating an account or using AutoStays, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.

2. Definitions

• Platform — The AutoStays web application, APIs, Telegram bot, WhatsApp integrations, and all related services.
• Operator — A hospitality business or individual that registers for and uses AutoStays.
• User — Any person with an account on AutoStays, including Owners, Managers, Accountants, and Staff.
• Guest Data — Personal information of guests processed through AutoStays on behalf of the Operator.
• Organisation — The business entity created on AutoStays, to which Users and Properties belong.

3. Eligibility

To use AutoStays, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal authority to bind your business to these Terms
• Provide accurate and complete registration information
• Be a South African registered business or operate a hospitality property in South Africa

4. Account Registration & Security

When you create an account:

• You must provide a valid email address and verify it within 72 hours
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password
• You must not share your account credentials with unauthorised persons
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account
• The Owner role has full administrative access and can invite team members with specific roles (Manager, Accountant, Staff)

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or pose a security risk.

5. Subscription Plans & Pricing

5.1 Plans

AutoStays offers the following subscription plans:

• Starter (Free) — 1 property, manual bookings, basic reporting
• Pro (R299/month) — Unlimited properties, OTA reconciliation, WhatsApp booking intake, daily digest, payroll, KPIs, full reporting

5.2 Free Trial

New accounts receive a 3-month free trial of the Pro plan. No credit card is required to start. After the trial period, your account will revert to the Starter plan unless you subscribe.

5.3 Billing

• Subscription fees are billed monthly in South African Rand (ZAR)
• All prices are inclusive of VAT where applicable
• We reserve the right to change pricing with 30 days' written notice
• No refunds are provided for partial months of service

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use AutoStays for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws
• Upload malicious code, viruses, or harmful content
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other users' accounts or data
• Use the platform to store or transmit content that infringes intellectual property rights
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of AutoStays
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the platform without our written consent
• Resell or redistribute access to AutoStays without authorisation
• Process personal information in violation of POPIA or any applicable data protection law

7. Data Ownership & Responsibility

7.1 Your Data

You retain all ownership rights to the data you upload, enter, or generate through AutoStays, including financial records, booking data, employee information, and guest data.

7.2 Guest Data Responsibility

7.3 Data Export

You may export your data at any time using the CSV export functionality available throughout the platform. Upon account termination, we will make your data available for export for 30 days.

7.4 Our Use of Your Data

We will only access your data to provide and improve the platform, respond to support requests, or as required by law. We will never sell your data to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

8. Financial Data & Accuracy

• You are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all financial data, reports, and calculations
• PAYE calculations are based on SARS 2025/2026 tax tables and may require manual verification
• UIF calculations follow current SARS guidelines but should be confirmed with your accountant
• Bank statement imports and OTA reconciliation are automated tools — always verify matched transactions
• AutoStays is not a substitute for professional accounting or tax advice

9. Payroll & Employment

AutoStays provides payroll processing tools including PAYE, UIF, and payslip generation. As the employer, you remain responsible for:

• Compliance with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA)
• Accurate employee records and employment contracts
• Timely payment of SARS obligations (PAYE, UIF, SDL)
• Issuing IRP5 certificates (not currently generated by AutoStays)
• Minimum wage compliance per the National Minimum Wage Act

10. Stokvel Management

AutoStays provides tools for managing employee stokvels (savings groups). As the stokvel administrator:

• You are responsible for ensuring stokvel rules are communicated to members
• Auto-deduction from payroll requires member awareness (contributions are visible on payslips)
• AutoStays does not hold stokvel funds — balance tracking is informational only
• Payout decisions and distribution are the responsibility of the stokvel administrator

11. WhatsApp & Telegram Integration

• WhatsApp messaging operates through the Meta WhatsApp Business API and is subject to Meta's terms
• Telegram messaging operates through the Telegram Bot API and is subject to Telegram's terms
• Message delivery is best-effort — we do not guarantee delivery of messages
• AI-powered booking extraction uses OpenAI and is subject to OpenAI's usage policies
• You are responsible for the content of messages sent from your AutoStays-connected accounts

12. Intellectual Property

AutoStays, including its code, design, logos, documentation, and branding, is the intellectual property of AutoStays (Pty) Ltd. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any part of the platform without our written consent.

White-labelled emails (booking confirmations, payslips) sent on your behalf may include a “Powered by AutoStays” attribution.

13. Service Availability & Support

• We aim for 99.9% uptime but do not guarantee uninterrupted service
• Scheduled maintenance will be communicated in advance where possible
• Support is provided via email at support@autostays.co.za
• We are not liable for downtime caused by third-party providers (Vercel, Neon, Meta, Telegram, Resend)

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law:

• AutoStays is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the fees paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim
• We are not liable for losses arising from inaccurate financial data, incorrect tax calculations, or missed deadlines
• We are not liable for data loss caused by your actions or third-party service failures

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless AutoStays (Pty) Ltd, its directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the platform in violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any applicable law, including POPIA
• Any claim by a third party (including guests or employees) related to data you processed through AutoStays

16. Termination

16.1 By You

You may stop using AutoStays at any time. To close your account, contact us at support@autostays.co.za. Your data will be available for export for 30 days after account closure.

16.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms
• Your account poses a security risk
• You fail to pay subscription fees after the trial period (with 14 days' notice)
• Required by law or court order

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or in-app notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of AutoStays after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of South Africa, with jurisdiction in the Gauteng Division of the High Court.

Before initiating legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation for a period of 30 days.

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

20. Contact

For questions about these Terms: