1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you") and Cardtel Technologies Ltd ("Cardtel", "we", "our", "us"), governing your use of the Cardtel platform, website at cardtel.africa, and all associated services.
By registering an account, accessing our platform, or using any of our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
2. Eligibility
To use Cardtel, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be a resident of Nigeria or another supported country
- Have a valid Nigerian Bank Verification Number (BVN) for KYC Level 1
- Not be prohibited from using financial services under applicable law
- Not have previously had a Cardtel account suspended or terminated for policy violations
By using our services, you represent and warrant that you meet all eligibility requirements. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at our sole discretion.
3. Your Account
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to:
- Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
- Update your information promptly if it changes
- Keep your password secure and not share it with anyone
- Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account
- Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
Cardtel will never ask for your password via email, phone, or social media. Do not share your login credentials with anyone claiming to be Cardtel support.
4. Our Services
Cardtel provides the following services:
- Virtual USD Card: Issue and manage virtual Visa/Mastercard denominated in US dollars for international online payments
- NGN Wallet: A Nigerian Naira wallet funded via bank transfer to your personal virtual bank account
- Currency Conversion: Convert Naira to USD within the platform at prevailing rates
- Gift Card Trading: Buy and sell international gift cards (Amazon, iTunes, Steam, Google Play, and others)
Cardtel is a technology platform and not a licensed bank. Card issuance is powered by our regulated card issuance partner. Cardtel reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any service at any time with reasonable notice.
5. Fees & Rates
The following fees apply to Cardtel services:
- Card Creation Fee: $3.00 USD per virtual card (one-time, non-refundable)
- Card Funding Fee: 1.5% of the amount funded to your card
- Currency Conversion: Rates are set by Cardtel and displayed at the time of transaction. The rate may vary from the CBN official rate.
- Gift Card Trading: Rates differ per category and are displayed before trade submission. Rates may change at any time based on market conditions.
All fees are clearly disclosed before you confirm any transaction. By confirming, you accept the applicable fees. Fees are subject to change with at least 7 days' notice.
6. KYC & Verification
In compliance with CBN Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, we are required to verify your identity before enabling certain services.
- KYC Level 0: Email registration only. Can view dashboard but cannot create cards or trade gift cards above minimum thresholds.
- KYC Level 1: BVN verification required. Unlocks virtual card creation and standard transaction limits.
- KYC Level 2: BVN + government-issued ID. Higher transaction limits and full platform access.
By submitting your BVN and ID documents, you consent to us verifying this information with relevant authorities. False information submitted for KYC purposes is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
7. Prohibited Uses
You must not use Cardtel for any of the following:
- Money laundering, terrorist financing, or any activity prohibited by Nigerian or international law
- Fraud, identity theft, or impersonation of any person or entity
- Purchasing illegal goods, services, or content
- Gambling, adult content platforms, or cryptocurrency exchanges (unless explicitly permitted)
- Creating multiple accounts for the same individual
- Reverse engineering, scraping, or hacking our platform
- Using bots or automated scripts to interact with our services
- Reselling or commercialising our services without written permission
8. Virtual Card Rules
Regarding your Cardtel virtual card:
- Cards are for personal use only and may not be shared with third parties
- Card details (number, CVV, expiry) must be kept confidential
- Cardtel is not responsible for unauthorized charges if you share your card details
- Terminated cards cannot be reactivated. Card balance is refunded upon termination.
- Cardtel reserves the right to freeze or terminate cards suspected of fraudulent activity
- Chargebacks and disputed transactions must be raised within 30 days via support
- Some merchant categories (gambling, adult, crypto) may be blocked by default
9. Gift Card Trading
When trading gift cards on Cardtel:
- You warrant that all gift cards submitted are legitimately obtained and not stolen, fraudulent, or counterfeit
- Submission of fraudulent gift cards is a criminal offence and will be reported to authorities
- Rates displayed are indicative and may change before your trade is reviewed
- Cardtel reserves the right to reject any trade without providing a reason
- Approved trade payouts are credited to your NGN wallet within 30 minutes of approval
- Rejected trades for "buy" orders result in a full NGN refund to your wallet
- Trade reviews are conducted during business hours (8am – 10pm WAT)
10. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:
- Cardtel provides its services "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied
- We do not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure service at all times
- Cardtel shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform
- Our total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to Cardtel in the 3 months preceding the claim
- We are not liable for losses caused by third-party services, network failures, or events beyond our reasonable control
11. Suspension & Termination
Cardtel may suspend or terminate your account at any time if:
- You breach any provision of these Terms
- We suspect fraudulent, illegal, or abusive activity
- We are required to do so by a regulatory authority or court order
- Your account is inactive for more than 24 months
You may close your account at any time by contacting support. Upon closure, any remaining verified wallet balance will be refunded to your registered bank account within 5 business days, after deducting any outstanding fees or chargebacks.
12. Disputes
If you have a dispute with Cardtel, please first contact our support team at support@cardtel.africa. We will attempt to resolve the dispute within 14 business days.
If the dispute cannot be resolved amicably, both parties agree to submit to mediation before pursuing any legal proceedings. Any unresolved disputes shall be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act (Nigeria), conducted in Lagos, Nigeria.
13. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Lagos State, Nigeria for any disputes arising from these Terms.
14. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email and a notice on our platform at least 14 days before taking effect. Your continued use of Cardtel after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
15. Contact
For any questions about these Terms, please contact us:
- Email: legal@cardtel.africa
- Support: support@cardtel.africa
- Address: Cardtel Technologies Ltd, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria