Legal

Acceptable Use Policy

Effective 13 July 2026Last updated 5 October 2026

This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) sets out what is and isn’t allowed when using Qelo’s services, in particular the messaging services we run on the WhatsApp Business Platform. It forms part of our Terms of Service and applies to every client and to anyone acting on a client’s behalf. It exists to keep messaging trustworthy, to protect recipients, and to keep accounts in good standing with Meta and the law.

1. Consent and opt-out

  • Only message people who have given opt-in consent to be contacted by the business on WhatsApp, and keep a record of that consent.
  • Make it easy to opt out, and stop messaging anyone who asks to stop, promptly and permanently.
  • Only send messages that match the purpose the recipient opted in for.

2. Follow the platform policies

All messaging must comply with the WhatsApp Business Messaging and Commerce Policies (opens in a new tab) and Meta’s applicable terms. Where those policies are stricter than this AUP, they apply.

3. Prohibited content and conduct

You must not use the services to:

  • send spam, bulk unsolicited messages, or messages to recipients who have not opted in;
  • send unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive, misleading or scam content, including phishing or impersonation of a person, business or brand;
  • harass, threaten, defame or abuse anyone, or send hateful, violent or sexually explicit content;
  • promote or sell goods or services prohibited or restricted by the WhatsApp Commerce Policy or by law, for example illegal drugs, tobacco and related products, alcohol where restricted, weapons and ammunition, adult content, live animals, unsafe supplements, or gambling where not permitted;
  • infringe anyone’s intellectual-property, privacy or other rights;
  • collect, buy, sell or share phone numbers or personal information without a lawful basis, or scrape data from the platform;
  • distribute malware, or attempt to disrupt, overload, reverse-engineer or gain unauthorised access to the services or the platforms;
  • misuse automation to evade rate limits, quality signals or policy enforcement, or to send content that would harm account quality.

4. Accurate identity and content

Represent your business honestly. Display names, message templates, catalogues and offers must be accurate and not misleading, and must clearly identify the business sending them.

5. Enforcement

If we reasonably believe use of the services breaches this AUP, the platform policies or the law, we may remove content, throttle or pause messaging, or suspend or terminate the service, where practicable with notice, but immediately where needed to prevent harm or to comply with a platform or legal requirement. Meta may independently review, restrict or disable an account for policy breaches, and we are not liable for those actions. Serious or repeated breaches may be reported to the relevant authorities.

6. Reporting abuse

If you receive messages through a Qelo-operated service that you believe breach this policy, or you want to report misuse, contact us at info@qelo.co.za and we will investigate. You can also opt out of messaging from any business at any time.

7. Who operates these services

Qelo is a brand of AVROQ (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2026/735641/07), a private company registered in South Africa.
Email: info@qelo.co.za
Telephone: +27 64 537 6911