Terms of Service

1. About Matihiko Digital Limited and Manuka Pay

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are between you and Matihiko Digital Limited, a company incorporated in New Zealand (NZBN: 9429051658649), trading as Manuka Pay ("we", "us", "our").

Our registered office is located in New Zealand. Full contact details are available on our Company Information page.

By registering for, accessing, or using the Manuka Pay platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the platform.

2. Definitions

In these Terms:

• "Platform" means the Manuka Pay website, merchant dashboard, payment pages, and all associated services operated by Matihiko Digital Limited.
• "Merchant" means any individual or business that registers for a Manuka Pay account to accept payments.
• "Customer" means any person who makes a payment through a Manuka Pay payment page.
• "Stripe" means Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, the payment infrastructure provider used by the Platform.
• "Stripe Connect Account" means the sub-account created for a Merchant within Stripe's Connect programme during onboarding.
• "Transaction" means a payment initiated by a Customer through a Manuka Pay payment page.
• "Platform Service Fee" means the fee charged by Matihiko Digital Limited for use of the Manuka Pay platform.
• "Card Processing Fee" means the fee charged by Stripe for processing a card or digital wallet transaction.

3. Eligibility

To use Manuka Pay as a Merchant, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be a natural person, sole trader, partnership, trust, or incorporated entity legally able to enter binding agreements in New Zealand.
• Provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information when registering.
• Successfully complete Stripe's identity and business verification process.
• Not be prohibited from accepting card payments under any applicable law, Stripe's terms, or card network rules (Visa/Mastercard).

Matihiko Digital Limited reserves the right to refuse or revoke platform access to any Merchant at its discretion, including where Stripe declines to onboard or continues to verify the Merchant.

4. Merchant Accounts

When you register, Matihiko Digital Limited creates a Manuka Pay merchant account for you and, through Stripe Connect, initiates the creation of a Stripe Connect Account in your name.

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must notify us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.
• You must keep your business name, contact details, and bank account information accurate and current.
• You must not share your account with other individuals or transfer your account to a third party without our written consent.

Accounts that have not completed Stripe onboarding will have payment acceptance unavailable until verification is complete. Accounts in pending or unverified status may have limited functionality.

5. Payment Processing — Stripe Connect

All payment processing on the Manuka Pay Platform is performed by Stripe. Matihiko Digital Limited does not hold, process, or transfer customer funds at any point.

When a Customer makes a payment through your Manuka Pay payment page:

• The payment is processed directly by Stripe, using your Stripe Connect Account as the destination.
• Customer funds flow from the Customer's card or wallet, through Stripe's infrastructure, and into your Stripe account balance.
• Stripe then settles your balance to the bank account you connected during onboarding, minus Stripe's processing fees and the Manuka Pay Platform Service Fee.
• At no point does Matihiko Digital Limited hold, control, or have access to the payment funds — our role is to collect a platform service fee only.

Your use of Stripe through Manuka Pay is subject to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and Stripe's Terms of Service. You acknowledge that you are directly contracting with Stripe for payment processing services.

Matihiko Digital Limited is not responsible for Stripe service outages, delays in settlement, or decisions made by Stripe regarding your account status, payment holds, or identity verification.

6. Platform Service Fees and Card Processing Fees

Each Transaction processed through the Manuka Pay Platform incurs two separate fees:

Fee Mode: Who Pays the Fees

By default, the Platform operates in on-top fee mode: fees are added on top of the Merchant's listed price and are presented to and paid by the Customer at checkout. In this mode:

• The Customer's total payment = the listed price + both fees.
• The Merchant receives the listed price (minus Stripe's deduction from the payout).
• The Customer sees the full fee breakdown at checkout before confirming payment.

Merchants may switch to fees included mode in their payment settings. In this mode, the listed price is the total the Customer pays, and both fees are deducted from the amount the Merchant receives. The Merchant is responsible for ensuring their pricing accounts for this deduction.

Fee amounts shown above are subject to change. Matihiko Digital Limited will provide reasonable notice of any change to the Platform Service Fee. Stripe may change their processing fees independently.

7. Card-Not-Present Transactions and Fee Structure

All transactions processed through Manuka Pay are classified as card-not-present (CNP) transactions. This classification has a direct impact on the fees applicable to each transaction, and it is important that Merchants understand why.

What is a card-not-present transaction?

A card-not-present transaction is one in which the Customer's physical card is not inserted into, tapped on, or swiped through a card terminal at the point of sale. Instead, the transaction is authorised remotely — in Manuka Pay's case, through a web-based checkout page accessed by the Customer scanning a QR code.

This is fundamentally different from a standard in-person EFTPOS transaction, where the Customer physically presents their card at a terminal and authenticates using a PIN. EFTPOS transactions in New Zealand operate through the domestic Paymark/Worldline network, which is a PIN-authenticated, card-present infrastructure with a different risk and fee structure.

Why CNP fees are higher than EFTPOS fees

Manuka Pay payments are processed through the global Visa and Mastercard interchange networks, not the NZ EFTPOS/Paymark network. This results in a different fee structure for the following reasons:

• Higher fraud risk profile. CNP transactions — by definition — cannot physically verify card possession. The global card networks assign a higher default fraud risk to CNP, which is reflected in higher interchange rates set by Visa and Mastercard. In-person EFTPOS transactions are considered lower risk because the Customer must physically present the card and authenticate with a PIN.
• Different network infrastructure. EFTPOS transactions in New Zealand run over the domestic Paymark/Worldline network, which operates under negotiated domestic pricing. Manuka Pay transactions use the international Visa/Mastercard card networks, which carry their own interchange and assessment fees.
• 3D Secure (3DS) authentication. To reduce CNP fraud risk, Manuka Pay and Stripe apply 3D Secure authentication to transactions where the card issuer supports it. While this significantly reduces fraud risk, it does not alter the CNP network classification or the associated interchange rates.
• Global card acceptance. By accepting Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, Manuka Pay allows Customers to pay with any card from anywhere. This broad acceptance comes with the cross-border infrastructure costs embedded in the international card network rates.

Merchants acknowledge and accept that the fees disclosed in Section 6 reflect the CNP nature of all Manuka Pay transactions and the costs of global Visa/Mastercard network processing. Manuka Pay is not in a position to offer EFTPOS or domestic Paymark network processing.

8. Refunds

Merchants may issue full or partial refunds for completed Transactions through the Manuka Pay merchant dashboard. All refunds are processed through Stripe and are subject to Stripe's refund policies.

• Refunds are limited to the original transaction amount — over-refunding is not permitted.
• The Manuka Pay Platform Service Fee is non-refundable once a Transaction has been processed.
• Stripe's card processing fee is also non-refundable under Stripe's current policy. This means only the base payment amount (the product or service price) is returned to the Customer.
• Customers typically receive refunded funds within 5–10 business days, depending on their card issuer.
• Matihiko Digital Limited is not responsible for the timing of refund settlement by Stripe or the Customer's bank.

Merchants are responsible for determining whether a refund is warranted. Manuka Pay provides the technical mechanism but does not adjudicate or make refund decisions on a Merchant's behalf.

9. Disputes and Chargebacks

A dispute (also known as a chargeback) occurs when a Customer contacts their card issuer to reverse a payment. When a dispute is raised, Stripe notifies Manuka Pay, which will make the dispute visible in the Merchant's dashboard.

• Merchants are responsible for responding to disputes within the deadline provided by Stripe.
• Merchants may choose to accept the dispute or contest it by submitting evidence through their dashboard.
• Dispute outcomes are determined by Stripe and the relevant card network (Visa or Mastercard) — not by Matihiko Digital Limited.
• Stripe may apply a dispute fee in accordance with their terms. This is separate from Manuka Pay fees.
• Matihiko Digital Limited is not liable for the outcome of any dispute or chargeback.

10. Platform Controls and Service Availability

Matihiko Digital Limited operates several platform-wide controls that may affect payment acceptance. These controls take precedence over individual Merchant settings:

• Maintenance Mode: When enabled, all Merchant payment pages display a maintenance notice and no transactions can be processed. Matihiko Digital Limited will endeavour to provide advance notice where possible.
• Payments Paused: A platform-wide pause on payment acceptance that may be applied during technical incidents, compliance investigations, or other operational events.
• Refunds Paused: A platform-wide pause on refund processing. Existing refund requests will be queued and processed when the pause is lifted.

Merchants may also pause their own payment acceptance independently through their merchant settings. Individual Merchant pauses do not affect other Merchants on the platform.

11. Prohibited Use

You must not use the Manuka Pay Platform to accept payments for, or in connection with:

• Illegal products or services under New Zealand law or the law of the jurisdiction where the Customer is located.
• Products or services prohibited by Stripe's Restricted Businesses list.
• Firearms, weapons, or dangerous goods (unless explicitly licensed and permitted).
• Gambling, gaming of chance, or lottery services (unless licensed by the applicable authority).
• Adult content, escort services, or sexually explicit material.
• Financial services, investment schemes, or foreign exchange without the required licensing.
• Money laundering, tax evasion, fraud, or any form of financial crime.
• Harassment, abuse, or harm of any individual or group.
• Any activity intended to circumvent or interfere with the Manuka Pay platform, Stripe, or card network systems.

Matihiko Digital Limited reserves the right to immediately suspend or terminate accounts found in violation of this section, without notice and without liability to the Merchant.

12. Suspension and Termination

Matihiko Digital Limited may suspend or terminate your account at any time if:

• You breach these Terms.
• Stripe suspends, closes, or restricts your Stripe Connect Account.
• We determine that your use of the Platform creates legal, regulatory, reputational, or financial risk.
• Required by law or court order.
• Your account has been inactive for an extended period and no payments have been processed.

Where practical and permitted, we will provide reasonable notice before suspension or termination. In cases of suspected fraud, prohibited use, or urgency, we may act immediately without notice.

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us. Termination does not extinguish any obligations or liabilities that arose before termination, including outstanding fees or disputes.

13. Platform Availability

Matihiko Digital Limited aims to provide a reliable platform, but does not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or continuously available service.

We may modify, update, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Platform at any time, including for maintenance, security upgrades, or feature changes. Where possible, we will provide advance notice of planned maintenance.

Payment processing availability also depends on Stripe's operational status. Matihiko Digital Limited is not responsible for any outage, delay, or error attributable to Stripe or the underlying card networks.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable New Zealand law, Matihiko Digital Limited's liability to you in connection with the Manuka Pay Platform is limited as follows:

• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special loss or damage.
• We are not liable for loss of profits, revenue, business opportunity, data, or goodwill.
• We are not liable for any failure, delay, or error caused by Stripe, card networks, or your bank.
• Our total aggregate liability to you under these Terms (if any) will not exceed the total Platform Service Fees paid by you to Matihiko Digital Limited in the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

This section does not limit liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

15. Privacy

The collection and handling of personal information by Matihiko Digital Limited is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in that policy.

Our Privacy Policy is compliant with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and its Information Privacy Principles.

16. Changes to These Terms

Matihiko Digital Limited may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where the changes are material, notify registered Merchants by email.

Your continued use of the Platform after notice of any change constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not accept the updated Terms, you must stop using the Platform and may request account closure.

17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New Zealand. Any dispute arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

For consumers, nothing in this clause affects any statutory rights you may have under New Zealand consumer protection legislation.

18. Contact

For questions about these Terms, or to serve legal notices on Matihiko Digital Limited:

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