These Terms of Use apply to your use of the Linko ZA website and app (the "Platform"). By creating an account, placing an order or selling on the Platform you agree to them. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.
1. Who we are
Linko ZA ("we", "us") runs an online marketplace in South Africa where independent sellers list items and customers buy them. Unless an item says otherwise, the seller named on the item is the person you are buying from. You can contact us at shop@linkoza.co.za.
2. Accounts
- You must be 18 or older, or have a parent or guardian's permission, to create an account.
- Give accurate details and keep your password private. You are responsible for activity on your account.
- One person, one account. Tell us at once if you think someone else is using yours.
- We may lock or close an account, or lock only a seller's business, if these Terms are broken, if we suspect fraud or abuse, or to protect other users. A locked business cannot sell or use its seller tools while its customer account may keep working.
3. Buying on the Platform
- Prices are shown in South African Rand (ZAR). Product descriptions, images and stock levels are provided by sellers and we try to keep them accurate.
- When you place an order you are offering to buy. The order is confirmed once payment has been received and confirmed.
- Payments are processed by PayFast (except purchases from sellers outside South Africa, see section 10). We do not see or store your card details. Customer payments are received into the Linko ZA PayFast account. After we confirm your payment, the seller is alerted and prepares, ships or hands over your order.
- Delivery or collection options, costs and timeframes depend on the seller and are shown at checkout or agreed in the order.
- Your rights under South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, such as rights relating to faulty, unsafe or misdescribed goods and to cancel certain online purchases, are not limited by these Terms. Contact us or the seller if there is a problem with an order.
4. Selling on the Platform
- To sell you must create a business profile. Two plans are offered: a Starter account (sell as yourself) and a Pro account (sell under a business name with a logo). You can switch between Starter and Pro once every 60 days (the store admin can change an account type at any time). Switching changes your fees, commission and product limit as shown in the plan details.
- There is no registration fee. Starter accounts have no monthly fee, a limit of 15 active products, and an optional Verified Badge add-on at R39 per month. Pro accounts include a 30-day free trial during launch (with the Verified Badge, subject to verification), then cost R129 per month with the Verified Badge included. Pro sellers are never charged the separate Verified Badge fee. The prices shown in the app apply. Fees already paid for services that have been provided are not refundable unless the law requires it.
- You may only list items you are legally allowed to sell and that you own or are authorised to sell. Do not list illegal, stolen, counterfeit, dangerous or misleading items, or items that infringe someone else's rights.
- Business details, descriptions, prices, images and stock must be accurate. Sellers must fulfil paid orders with reasonable care and on time, keep customers informed, and are responsible for their own taxes, licences and legal compliance.
- Commission (sellers in South Africa; sellers in other countries pay a subscription instead, see section 10): Linko ZA deducts commission from every successful sale automatically after delivery and pays the seller the balance. Starter (individual) accounts pay 10% commission. Pro accounts pay 8% commission on every sale, during and after their free trial, in addition to the monthly subscription, and customer payments for Pro accounts are collected through Linko ZA. On Pro accounts the commission is capped at R500 per sale for high-value categories (Cars, Laptops and Electronics over R5000).
- Sellers choose how they are paid out. Payment options and any amounts paid out by Linko ZA depend on the option chosen and the payment details the seller provides, which must be correct and belong to the seller.
5. Chat, messages and reviews
- The Platform lets customers chat with Business sellers and with the Linko ZA team. Be respectful. No harassment, threats, hate speech, spam, scams or requests to pay outside the Platform.
- Seller chats are private between the customer and the seller. We may review messages where needed to investigate abuse, fraud or a complaint, to enforce these Terms or to comply with the law.
- Ratings and reviews must be honest and based on your own experience.
6. What you must not do
- Break the law, or use the Platform to commit fraud.
- Attempt to hack, disrupt, scrape or overload the Platform, or access accounts or data that are not yours.
- Upload viruses, harmful code or content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene or infringes copyright or other rights.
- Pretend to be someone else or misuse another person's business details.
7. Content you upload
You keep ownership of the content you upload (such as logos, product images, descriptions and messages). You give us a non-exclusive licence to host, display and use it on the Platform, and in related promotion of the Platform, for as long as it is on the Platform. You confirm you have the right to upload it.
8. Our content
The Linko ZA name, logo, design and software are ours or our licensors'. You may not copy or reuse them without our written permission.
9. Availability and liability
We work to keep the Platform available but do not promise it will always be uninterrupted or error-free. We are a marketplace and are not the maker of items sold by sellers. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for a seller's acts or omissions. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for our own gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing and your rights under consumer protection law.
10. International users
- Who this covers: the Platform can be used from other countries, but it is run from South Africa and all amounts charged by Linko ZA are in South African Rand (ZAR).
- Currency conversion: prices shown in your local currency are approximate conversions for your convenience, made with exchange rates from a third-party service. The amount actually charged is the Rand amount shown. Your bank or card provider may add its own exchange and foreign-transaction fees.
- Sellers outside South Africa: Linko ZA charges no commission on sales made by sellers outside South Africa. These sellers pay a monthly subscription (Individual or Business plan) instead, shown in Rand in the app and paid by card through PayFast. The subscription renews every month until cancelled. You may cancel at any time and keep access until the end of the period already paid for. If a payment is missed, you have a short grace period, after which access to your selling tools may be limited or suspended until payment is made.
- Payments for purchases from sellers outside South Africa: you pay the seller directly, for example by bank transfer, using the details shown at checkout. Linko ZA does not collect, hold, refund or pay out these payments, is not a party to the payment, and cannot recover money paid to a seller. Check the seller's details carefully and keep your proof of payment.
- Delivery: sellers outside South Africa arrange delivery or collection themselves, within their own country. Linko ZA does not provide cross-border shipping, and the PAXI, PostNet and Runner options are available in South Africa only.
- Taxes and duties: every seller is responsible for the taxes (such as VAT, GST or income tax), licences and legal requirements that apply to their sales in their own country. Linko ZA does not collect or pay over sales taxes on sales between buyers and sellers. Subscription fees may be subject to tax where the law requires.
- Local laws: you must follow the laws of your own country when using the Platform and must not list or buy anything that is illegal there. Consumer protections that apply to you by law in your own country are not taken away by these Terms.
11. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The "last updated" date above shows the current version. If you keep using the Platform after a change, you accept the updated Terms. We will take reasonable steps to tell you about important changes.
12. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Please contact us first so we can try to resolve any dispute. You may also approach the National Consumer Commission, the relevant consumer tribunal or ombud, or a South African court.
13. Contact
Questions about these Terms: shop@linkoza.co.za.
These Runner Terms apply if you apply to become, or work as, a delivery runner (a "Runner") for Linko ZA. They sit alongside the general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
1. Applying and verification
- Anyone aged 18 or over may apply through their Linko ZA account. New applications start as Pending Verification.
- Registration fee: a once-off R29 registration fee applies to every runner application. It is payable through PayFast when you submit your application.
- An administrator reviews each application manually and may ask for more information. Statuses are: Pending Verification, Under Review, Approved, Rejected and Suspended.
- Required documents: to apply you must upload four documents: a copy of your ID, an Affidavit or Police clearance, a Bank statement and a clear Half picture of yourself. The name and details on every document must match your ID copy. An application with missing documents, or documents that do not match the ID copy, will be rejected.
- You may only accept and carry out deliveries once you are Approved. Approval can be withdrawn (Suspended) at any time, with a reason recorded.
2. Deliveries
- Deliveries are assigned to you by an administrator. You can accept or decline an assignment, and must accept before collecting it.
- You must update the delivery honestly and in order: Picked Up, In Transit, Delivered. You may only update deliveries assigned to you.
- A delivery is only complete when the customer's delivery code is entered. Never ask for, guess or share a code on someone's behalf.
- Handle goods with care, keep customer details confidential and use them only to complete the delivery.
3. Delivery fees and earnings
- Commission: Linko ZA deducts a 10% platform commission on every successfully completed delivery before the money is paid out to you.
- The delivery fee, your earnings, the platform commission and who pays the fee are shown to you before you accept each delivery.
- Earnings are an estimate until the delivery is completed and the administrator confirms it. They count as paid only when the administrator records the payout as paid.
- Payouts are recorded and reconciled by the administrator. There is no automatic payment, escrow or bonus system at this stage.
4. Ratings, disputes and conduct
- Customers may rate a completed delivery from 1 to 5 stars with optional feedback. Abusive or disputed feedback can be reviewed and hidden by an administrator.
- Deliveries can be disputed. The administrator investigates and records the outcome, which is final for payout purposes.
- Prime Runner status, rewards or priority dispatch are not offered yet. A completed-delivery count alone does not earn them.
5. Your information
See the "Delivery runners" section of the Privacy Policy for what we collect, how it is used, shared, kept and deleted.
Questions: shop@linkoza.co.za.
This Privacy Policy explains how Linko ZA ("we", "us") collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information when you use our website and app (the "Platform"). We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).
1. Information we collect
- Account details: your name, surname, email address, cell number and password (stored securely by our authentication provider).
- Orders and delivery: items ordered, order history, payment status, and the delivery or collection details you give at checkout.
- Seller information: if you sell, your business profile (business name, owner name, address, province, contact details, social links, logo and summary), your products, your sales, and the payment or payout details you choose to provide.
- Runner applications: if you apply to be a delivery runner, your name, email, mobile number, service area, profile picture, province, gender, age, PEP number, covered areas and prices, delivery method, vehicle type, experience, your acceptance of the runner terms, and an optional identity document (see "Delivery runners" below).
- Messages: chats with Business sellers and with the Linko ZA team, including the welcome message if you are a Business seller.
- Activity on the Platform: wishlist items, ratings and reviews you post, and basic visit counts such as how many people view a business profile or the store.
- Technical data: information your device or browser sends automatically, which we use to keep the Platform working and secure.
2. Why we use it
- To create and manage your account and let you log in.
- To process orders, confirm payments, and arrange delivery or collection between you and the seller.
- To run seller accounts, subscriptions, locks and payouts.
- To let customers and sellers communicate with each other and with us.
- To provide support, prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our Terms of Use and meet legal duties (such as tax and record keeping).
- To understand and improve how the Platform is used.
We only collect information that is needed for these purposes. If we want to use your information for a new purpose we will ask for your permission or rely on another lawful ground in POPIA.
3. Who we share it with
- Sellers: when you order from a seller, they receive the order and the delivery or collection details needed to fulfil it. When you chat with a seller, they see your name and your messages.
- Customers: a seller's public business profile (such as business name, logo, province and contact details they choose to show) is visible to customers.
- Service providers: PayFast (payments), Supabase (database, authentication and file hosting) and other providers that help us run the Platform. They may only use your information to provide their service to us.
- Authorities: where the law requires, or to protect rights, safety and prevent fraud.
We do not sell your personal information.
4. Card and payment details
Payments are made on PayFast's secure pages. We do not see or store your full card details. Sellers who choose to give bank or payout details do so to be paid, and we keep those details only for that purpose.
5. Who can see your chats
Chats between a customer and a seller are visible to those two people. The Linko ZA administrator can also access them where needed to investigate abuse, fraud or a complaint. Chats with the Linko ZA team are visible to the team.
6. Keeping it safe
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures, including access controls and encrypted connections, to protect your information. No system is completely secure. Please use a strong password and keep it private. If we become aware of a breach affecting your information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.
7. How long we keep it
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above, or as the law requires. For example, we keep order and payment records for as long as tax and accounting rules require. When information is no longer needed we delete or de-identify it.
Delivery runners
- What we collect: only what is needed to register, verify and manage runners and their deliveries: contact and service-area details, a profile picture, province, gender, age, PEP number, the areas you cover and your price for each, an optional identity document, delivery history, ratings, earnings and payout records.
- How we use it: to review applications manually, assign and complete deliveries, handle disputes and record earnings and payouts. We do not use identity documents for anything else.
- Who sees it: identity documents sit in private storage that only you and the Linko ZA administrator can open. A customer whose order you are assigned to sees your name, Verified Runner badge, profile picture, province, gender, age, PEP number (customers use it to send you parcels), the areas you cover with your prices, the date you joined Linko ZA and (while a delivery is active) a way to contact you. Nobody else sees these details. Runners see the pickup and delivery details of their own accepted jobs only.
- Hire requests: when a customer sends a hire request, that runner sees the customer's name, mobile number, chosen area and note. If the runner accepts, the customer sees the runner's mobile number. Customers browsing runners see the first name and surname initial, picture, province, gender, age, areas, prices and ratings of approved runners.
- Keeping and deleting: we keep runner records while you are a runner and for as long as needed for payout, dispute and legal purposes. You can ask us to delete your runner information and documents at shop@linkoza.co.za, subject to records we must keep.
8. Where it is stored
Our service providers may store or process information on servers outside South Africa. Where this happens we take steps to make sure your information is protected to a standard comparable to POPIA.
9. Your rights
Under POPIA you may ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you and get a copy;
- correct or update inaccurate information;
- delete information we no longer have a lawful reason to keep;
- stop or limit certain uses of your information, including direct marketing.
You can update most account details yourself under My Profile. For anything else, email shop@linkoza.co.za. We may need to verify your identity first. If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.
10. International users and outside services
- Extra information: when you register we ask for your country and city. We also work out your approximate country when you open the Platform so we can show prices in a suitable currency and pre-fill your country. We keep your country and currency choice on your device so you do not have to set them again.
- Outside services we call: (1) a country lookup service (api.country.is), which receives your IP address from your device and returns your country; and (2) an exchange-rate service (open.er-api.com), which receives a request from your device for current exchange rates. Neither is sent your name, email, orders or account details, but each can see your IP address as part of the request and handles it under its own policy.
- Stored on your device: your country and currency choice and a copy of recent exchange rates are saved in your browser or app storage. You can clear them by clearing the site data.
- Transfers between countries: your information is processed and stored by us and by service providers such as our hosting and payment providers, which may be in South Africa or other countries. We take reasonable steps to keep it protected wherever it is handled.
- Your rights: depending on where you live, data-protection laws such as South Africa's POPIA, the EU or UK GDPR and similar laws may give you rights to access, correct, delete or restrict the use of your information, to object to its use, and to receive a copy. Contact us to use these rights. You may also complain to your local data-protection authority or to South Africa's Information Regulator.
11. Children
The Platform is not meant for children under 18 acting on their own. If you believe a child has given us personal information without a parent or guardian's consent, contact us and we will deal with it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date above shows the current version. Important changes will be communicated in reasonable ways.
13. Contact
Privacy questions or requests: shop@linkoza.co.za.
