Souq by HalalHQ Terms & Conditions
IMPORTANT HALAL DISCLAIMER
HalalHQ is an INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY. We are NOT a halal certification body.
All halal status information for products and sellers is self-reported by sellers and community members. HalalHQ does NOT verify, certify, or guarantee the halal compliance of any products listed on the marketplace. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for verifying halal status according to your personal religious requirements and dietary needs. We make NO guarantees about the accuracy of halal information on this platform.
1. Seller Agreement
By registering as a seller on Souq by HalalHQ ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. This agreement governs your use of the Platform as a seller and your relationship with HalalHQ.
2. Seller Eligibility
To sell on Souq by HalalHQ, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction
- Have a valid ABN (Australian Business Number) or equivalent business registration
- Operate a legitimate halal-compliant business
- Successfully complete Stripe Connect identity verification (KYC)
- Provide accurate business information and contact details
3. Account Registration & Security
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to:
- Provide accurate and complete information during registration
- Keep your account information up to date
- Notify HalalHQ immediately of any unauthorized access
- Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
4. Payment & Payout System (Amānah)
Platform Fees
HalalHQ charges a platform fee on each successful sale:
- Platform Fee: 7% commission per successful sale
- Payment Processing: HalalHQ absorbs all on successful sales. You receive your full payout with no additional deductions.
- Refund Fee Responsibility: Following industry standard practice (similar to eBay, Etsy, Amazon), Stripe processing fees are non-refundable and become the seller's responsibility when refunds occur. These fees will be recovered from future payouts via the negative balance system.
- GST: All prices are GST-inclusive where applicable
A portion of platform fee revenue is reinvested into community initiatives as HalalHQ grows, supporting small businesses, charitable causes, and community projects.
Example: For a $100 sale, HalalHQ retains $7 (7% commission) and absorbs the Stripe processing fee (varies by card type, typically $1.75-$3.90 + $0.30). You receive $93 with no additional deductions.
How Payments Work
HalalHQ operates on a trust-based payment system (Amānah) that ensures fairness for both buyers and sellers while complying with Islamic commercial principles and Australian Consumer Law.
Payout Timeline
When a customer purchases your product, the payment is held securely via Stripe until delivery is confirmed. Here's how your payout works:
Payout Process
Why the 3-Day Hold?
- Faster Seller Payouts: 3-day payout timeline improves seller cash flow while maintaining Souq Amānah protection
- Early Payout Benefit: Delivery orders receive 10-20% early payment when in transit, providing immediate cash flow
- Souq Amānah: Payments held securely until delivery confirmed - buyers protected under Australian Consumer Law for defective items
- Financial Protection: Returns are processed while funds are held securely, preventing payment disputes
- Islamic Principle (Dhamān): Risk and liability transfer after buyer has opportunity to inspect and accept delivery
- ACL Compliance: Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply regardless of payout timing - reserve held for 14 days after main payout covers late claims
Tiered Reserve System
Your payout split is determined by your seller tier, which is based on your performance and order history. As you build trust and complete more orders successfully, you'll receive a larger immediate payout:
How Your Tier is Calculated
Important Payment Notes
- Payouts are processed automatically - no manual action required
- All payments go through Stripe Connect (secure & PCI compliant)
- Refunds are deducted from pending payouts or reserve balance
- You need an active Australian bank account for payouts
- Complete Stripe onboarding to receive payouts
View Your Payout Status
Track all your payouts in real-time through your seller dashboard:
- Pending payouts (awaiting 3-day hold)
- Reserve balance (10-20% holdbacks based on your tier)
- Completed payouts (transaction history)
- Ledger entries (detailed financial records)
- Current seller tier and performance metrics
5. Product Listings
As a seller, you agree to:
- Provide accurate product descriptions, images, and pricing
- Only list halal-compliant products that meet Islamic standards
- Maintain accurate inventory levels
- Honor the prices and terms displayed at the time of purchase
- Not list prohibited items (alcohol, pork, non-halal meat, inappropriate content)
- Own or have rights to all product images and content
6. Fair Pricing Policy (Price Parity)
Price Parity Requirement
To ensure fair pricing for our community, all sellers must maintain price parity between HalalHQ and their own Australian sales channels.
Core Requirement: Your product prices on HalalHQ must not be higher than the prices on your own Australian website or other Australian sales platforms.
- ✅ You may offer HalalHQ-exclusive discounts (prices lower than your website)
- ✅ Price comparisons apply only to Australian websites and platforms
- ❌ International marketplaces are not valid comparisons
- ❌ Different sellers' prices are not valid comparisons
Why This Matters
HalalHQ operates on a community reinvestment model where a portion of every sale supports small businesses, charitable causes, and community initiatives. When buyers shop on HalalHQ, they're not just purchasing products—they're investing in the Ummah. Fair pricing ensures buyers choose HalalHQ because they want to support our mission, not because they have no other option.
Scope & Applicability
- Applies to: Sellers with their own Australian website or presence on other Australian platforms (eBay AU, Amazon AU, etc.)
- Does not apply to: Sellers who only sell on HalalHQ with no other online sales channels
- Geography: Only Australian sales channels are compared. International marketplaces like Temu and Alibaba are excluded
- Comparison basis: Product price only, excluding shipping costs and bundle differences
Monitoring & Enforcement
HalalHQ implements a community-powered price monitoring system:
- Community reports: Buyers can report price discrepancies by providing evidence (link to seller's Australian website)
- Manual verification: All reports are manually reviewed by HalalHQ admin team
- False report protection: Verified reports only—false reports are penalized
- Fair resolution: Sellers are notified and given 7 days to correct pricing before any action
Compliance Process
- Acknowledgment: All sellers must acknowledge the Fair Pricing Policy in their dashboard before publishing products
- Price monitoring: Maintain consistent pricing across your Australian sales channels
- Price changes: When running sales on your website, update HalalHQ prices accordingly or end the external sale first
- Buyer reports: If reported, you'll receive notification with evidence and 7 days to respond
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Violations of the Fair Pricing Policy may result in:
- First violation: Email notification with 7-day grace period to correct pricing
- Second violation: Product temporarily delisted until pricing is corrected
- Repeated violations: Account suspension and potential termination
We prefer to work collaboratively with sellers to maintain compliance. Most issues are resolved through communication and education.
Seller Benefits
Fair pricing builds buyer trust and benefits compliant sellers through:
- Increased buyer confidence and conversion rates
- Stronger community loyalty and repeat purchases
- Positive reputation within the halal marketplace
- Competitive advantage over non-compliant sellers
7. Order Fulfillment
You are responsible for:
- Processing orders within 1-2 business days
- Shipping items according to the delivery timeframe specified
- Providing tracking information to buyers
- Packaging items securely to prevent damage
- Communicating with buyers about order status
8. Refunds, Returns & Disputes
Looking for a buyer-friendly guide? For a complete, easy-to-understand explanation of our returns process, timeline, and refund amounts:
View Returns & Refunds Guide →Valid Refund Reasons
Buyers may request refunds for the following reasons:
- Defective item: Product arrived damaged or not functioning as described
- Not as described: Product significantly differs from listing description or images
- Not received: Item was not delivered within the specified timeframe
- Wrong item: Incorrect product was shipped
- Other: Legitimate concerns requiring seller review
Seller Responsibilities
As a seller, you must:
- Review refund requests within 48 hours
- Respond professionally and fairly to buyer concerns
- Approve legitimate refund requests promptly
- Provide clear reasons if rejecting a refund request
- Communicate directly with buyers to resolve issues when possible
Refund Process
- Buyer initiates request: Buyer submits refund request with reason and optional evidence
- Seller review: You receive notification and review the request in your dashboard
- Decision: Approve, reject (with reason), or message buyer for clarification
- Automatic processing: If approved, Stripe processes the refund automatically
- Admin escalation: If rejected, buyer may escalate to HalalHQ admin for review
Refund Timeframes
- Change-of-mind returns: Timeframe depends on seller's return policy (if accepted)
- Defective items: Protected by ongoing ACL guarantees (no time limit)
- Seller response: Within 48 hours of request
- Refund processing: 5-10 business days via Stripe
- Buyer's card credit: Depends on their financial institution
Partial vs. Full Refunds
Sellers may issue:
- Full refund: For completely defective or wrong items
- Partial refund: For minor defects or missing components (with buyer agreement)
Admin Intervention
HalalHQ admin may intervene if:
- Buyer escalates a rejected refund
- Seller consistently rejects legitimate requests
- Disputes become contentious or unclear
- Policy violations are suspected
Admin decisions are final and must be honored by sellers.
7.2 Refund Scenarios & Fee Responsibility
| Scenario | Refund | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-cancel | Yes | Seller |
| Faulty | Yes | Seller |
| Change mind | Per policy | Seller |
7.3 Negative Balance & Fee Recovery System
Important: Stripe processing fees and HalalHQ commission are non-refundable. When a refund occurs, these fees become a negative balance on your seller account.
How Negative Balance Works:
- Refund processed → System calculates unrecoverable fees
- Fees added to your negative balance ledger
- Your account balance becomes: current balance - fees
- Future payouts automatically reduced until balance cleared
Detailed Example - $100 Sale Refunded:
Account Suspension Policy
Your account may be automatically suspended if:
- Negative balance exceeds $20 (account suspended immediately)
- Refund rate exceeds 10% of total sales
- Pattern of suspicious refund activity detected
9. Fraud Prevention & Risk Mitigation
9.1 Payout Schedule & Controls
To protect buyers and comply with ACL requirements, HalalHQ implements a tiered payout system:
- Early payout (10-20% for Delivery orders): Released when package is in transit with carrier confirmation
- Main payout (70% Delivery / 80% Pickup): Released 3 days after delivery confirmation
- Reserve (10-20% based on tier): Held for 14 days after main payout (17 days total from delivery for Delivery orders)
- Full payout completion: Reserve released after 14 days from main payout
- Proof of delivery requirement: Mandatory for all orders to qualify for payout and dispute defense
9.2 Fraud Detection Measures
HalalHQ monitors for suspicious patterns including:
- Repeated refunds between same buyer-seller pairs
- Unusually high refund rates (>10% of sales)
- Rapid order-refund cycles
- Shared payment methods or shipping addresses between buyer and seller
- Pattern-based anomaly detection
Chargeback & Dispute Handling
In the event of a chargeback or payment dispute:
- HalalHQ will review the case and may request additional documentation
- Sellers must provide proof of delivery within 48 hours of request
- Chargeback fees may be passed to seller if dispute results from seller actions
- Failure to respond to dispute requests may result in automatic liability
10. Seller Policy Management System
Return Policy Configuration
Sellers can configure their own return policies through the dashboard settings:
Change-of-Mind Returns
Sellers choose whether to accept change-of-mind returns:
- If accepted: Seller sets return window (7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days) and who pays return shipping
- If not accepted: Seller only accepts returns for faulty/damaged items under ACL
ACL-Protected Returns (Always Apply)
Regardless of seller settings, all products are covered by Australian Consumer Law:
- Defective/Faulty items: No time limit, seller must cover return shipping
- Not as described: Buyer entitled to full refund
- Consumer guarantees: Cannot be excluded or modified by seller
Australian Consumer Law (ACL) Compliance
All products sold on HalalHQ are covered by Australian Consumer Law guarantees:
- Consumer guarantees apply automatically - Cannot be excluded or modified
- Defective items: Seller must accept returns, provide refunds/replacements, and cover return shipping
- Not as described: If product differs significantly from listing, buyer entitled to refund
- No time limit: ACL guarantees apply for a reasonable period based on product type
- Platform enforcement: HalalHQ automatically enforces ACL compliance for all refund requests
- Post-payout protection: If defective item claims occur after seller payout, HalalHQ processes refunds and recovers costs from seller's reserve (held until Day 21)
Custom Policy Pages
You can create optional custom policy pages in your seller dashboard:
- Return & Refund Policy - Detailed explanation of your return process (optional, seller-configurable, displayed on product pages)
- Shipping Policy - Your delivery timeframes, shipping methods, and handling times (optional, seller-configurable, displayed on product pages)
Platform-Wide Cancellation Policy
HalalHQ enforces a standardized cancellation policy that applies to all sellers (not customizable):
- PENDING orders: Buyers can cancel directly with automatic full refund
- CONFIRMED orders: Buyers can request cancellation - seller must approve or reject within 48 hours
- SHIPPED/DELIVERED orders: Cannot be cancelled - use return/refund process instead
Note: Custom policies are optional. If provided, they display on product detail pages. Your return policy configuration (accept/decline change-of-mind, return window, shipping responsibility) is always displayed regardless of whether you write a custom policy page.
Where Policies Are Displayed
Your return policy settings and custom policy pages are displayed on product detail pages in the "Shipping & Returns" section.
Product Detail Page - Shipping & Returns Section
- Your return policy configuration (accept/decline change-of-mind, return window, shipping responsibility)
- Your custom refund policy text (if provided)
- Your custom shipping policy text (if provided)
- Link to platform terms for ACL protection details
11. Halal Content & Product Guidelines
Our Commitment
Souq by HalalHQ is dedicated to serving the global halal community with authentic, halal-compliant products. All sellers must adhere to Islamic principles and ethical standards.
Allowed Products
You may sell a wide range of products, including but not limited to:
- Halal food & beverages: Must have valid halal certification where applicable
- Fashion & clothing: All types of clothing including t-shirts, casual wear, modest fashion, hijabs, abayas, sportswear, etc.
- Books & education: Islamic studies, general books, children's books, educational materials
- Prayer items: Prayer mats, tasbihs, Quran stands, Islamic decor
- Beauty & skincare: Alcohol-free cosmetics, halal-certified products, general skincare
- Home & living: Furniture, kitchenware, home decor, electronics, household items
- Health & wellness: Vitamins, supplements, fitness equipment, health products
- Electronics & gadgets: Phones, accessories, tech products
- Toys & games: Children's toys, educational games (age-appropriate content)
- Arts & crafts: Supplies, handmade items, creative materials
As long as products don't fall into the prohibited categories below, you're welcome to sell them.
Strictly Prohibited Products
The following are absolutely forbidden:
- Alcohol & intoxicants: Any alcoholic beverages or products containing alcohol
- Pork & non-halal meat: Pork products, non-halal slaughtered meat
- Gambling items: Lottery tickets, casino equipment
- Inappropriate imagery: Content violating Islamic modesty standards
- Counterfeit goods: Fake branded items or copyright violations
- Weapons & illegal items: As per Australian law
Halal Certification Requirements
For food and beverage products:
- Provide proof of halal certification from recognized certifying bodies
- Display certification logos clearly on product listings
- Keep certification documents up to date
- For products without formal certification, clearly state ingredients and sourcing
Food Products - Additional Requirements
Sellers offering food and beverage products must comply with additional Australian food safety regulations:
- Food business registration: All food sellers must be registered as a food business with their local council (e.g., via FoodTrader in Victoria)
- Food Standards Code compliance: Products must comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
- Allergen disclosure (MANDATORY): You must clearly declare ALL allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, milk, eggs, sesame, soy, fish, shellfish, molluscs, lupin, sulphites) and any cross-contamination risks. This is critical for buyer safety.
- Labelling requirements: Product listings must include ingredients list, net quantity, storage instructions, best-before/use-by dates, and business contact details
- Food safety standards: Products must be safe to eat, properly packaged with food-safe materials, and shipped within safe shelf-life
Complete Food Seller Policy: All food sellers must read and comply with our Food Seller Policy, which provides detailed guidance on legal compliance, allergen disclosure, labelling, packaging, and shipping requirements.
Product Images & Descriptions
All product content must:
- Accurately represent the product being sold
- Not contain inappropriate, sexually suggestive, or offensive imagery
- Use your own images or properly licensed content
- Be appropriate for a general audience including families
- Respect community standards and avoid content that would be considered offensive to halal-conscious customers
Note: Product photography using male models or mannequins to showcase clothing is acceptable. For women's clothing, use mannequins, flat lays, or product-only photography without female models. All imagery should remain family-friendly and appropriate for our halal-conscious community.
Ingredient Transparency
For beauty, skincare, and food products:
- List all major ingredients clearly
- Disclose alcohol content (even if trace amounts)
- Specify animal-derived ingredients (gelatin, collagen, etc.)
- Indicate if products are vegan, vegetarian, or contain animal products
Review & Compliance
HalalHQ reserves the right to:
- Review all product listings before approval
- Request additional documentation for halal claims
- Remove listings that violate these guidelines
- Suspend accounts for repeated violations
- Conduct periodic audits of seller products
Community Trust
These guidelines protect the integrity of the Souq by HalalHQ and maintain trust within the halal-conscious community. Thank you for helping us build a platform that upholds Islamic values.
12. Prohibited Activities
Sellers must not:
- Sell counterfeit, stolen, or illegal products
- Manipulate reviews or ratings
- Engage in fraudulent or deceptive practices
- Bypass the platform to complete transactions externally
- Harass or discriminate against buyers
- Upload inappropriate images or content violating Islamic values
13. Intellectual Property
You retain ownership of your product content but grant HalalHQ a license to display, promote, and distribute your listings on the Platform. You warrant that you have all necessary rights to the content you upload.
14. Account Suspension & Termination
HalalHQ reserves the right to suspend or terminate seller accounts for:
- Violation of these terms or policies
- Repeated customer complaints or refund requests
- Fraudulent activity or policy violations
- Failure to fulfill orders or maintain adequate service standards
Upon termination, pending payouts will be processed after any refunds or disputes are resolved.
15. Limitation of Liability
HalalHQ provides the Platform "as is" and is not liable for:
- Disputes between sellers and buyers
- Loss of profits or revenue
- Payment processing issues managed by Stripe
- Third-party service interruptions
16. Changes to Terms
HalalHQ may update these terms with reasonable notice. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance. Material changes will be communicated via email.
17. Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of Australia. Disputes will be resolved through good-faith negotiation or mediation before pursuing legal action.
18. Contact
For questions about these terms, contact us at [email protected]