Refund Policy

This Refund Policy explains when and how you can obtain a refund for payments made to IDEAI (Pty) Ltd ("IDEAI", "we", "us" or "our"). All payments are processed in South African Rand (ZAR) through PayStack, and approved refunds are returned to your original payment method via PayStack.

1. General principles

Because we offer several different kinds of service, the right to a refund depends on what you paid for. The sections below set out how refunds work for each. In all cases, this policy does not limit any rights you have under the Consumer Protection Act or the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, which apply where relevant.

2. Custom software and project fees

Custom development is performed specifically for you, so refunds are tied to the work done:

• Before work begins — if you cancel before we have started work on a project, any deposit is refundable less any third-party costs already committed on your behalf.
• Once work has commenced — deposits and milestone payments become non-refundable to the extent they cover work already performed, time already spent or costs already incurred. Any unearned balance for work not yet started is refundable.
• Fees for completed and delivered milestones or projects are non-refundable.

3. Recurring subscriptions

Subscription and hosted-service fees are billed in advance for each billing period. You may cancel at any time, with cancellation effective at the end of the current paid period — you keep access until then.

• We do not provide pro-rata refunds for the unused part of a billing period, unless the law requires it.
• If we cancel a paid subscription on our side without cause, we will refund the unused portion of that period.
• Where a free trial is offered, you will not be charged if you cancel before the trial ends.

4. One-off digital products

For fixed-price digital products bought online, where the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act applies you may have a 7-day cooling-off period to cancel and receive a refund. However, in line with that Act, this right does not apply to digital content once delivery, download or access has begun with your consent. Where a product has not yet been delivered or accessed, you can request a full refund.

5. Support and retainers

Support and retainer fees are paid in advance for a defined period or block of hours. Once a period has begun or work has been carried out, those fees are non-refundable. Unused, prepaid periods that have not yet started can be cancelled for a refund of the amount not yet used.

6. How to request a refund

Email hello@ideai.co.za with your name, the payment reference or invoice number, the date of payment, and the reason for your request. We will acknowledge and assess your request, normally within 5 business days. Approved refunds are processed back to your original PayStack payment method; depending on your bank or card provider, it may take a further few business days for the funds to appear.

7. Chargebacks

If you believe a charge is incorrect, please contact us first — we can usually resolve it faster than a formal dispute. Raising a chargeback without contacting us may delay resolution while we provide your bank with the transaction records.

8. Contact us

Questions about a payment or refund? Email us at hello@ideai.co.za.