15. Settlement
Methods of Settlement.
AFREX will facilitate the clearance of payments from your Shoppers to you through the cryptocurrency peer-to-peer payment network and will credit your Account ledger in accordance with your established settlement preferences on your Dashboard. The debits and credits to your Account ledger represent funds temporarily held by AFREX until the settlement to your bank account and/or wallet is executed. You have the flexibility to receive settlement in your preferred local currency, any of the supported cryptocurrencies, or a combination of both. AFREX respects your choice in this matter, and your preferences supersede any of our own.
An Account ledger will be established for each currency selected for settlement, adhering to your specified settlement preferences. If you decide to modify your settlement preferences, the changes will apply to Account ledger balances received after the date of the adjustment. Any Account ledger balances originating before the preference change will be settled according to your previous settlement preferences.
Your Bank Account
Should you intend to close your bank account, you are required to provide us with written notice at least one (1) business day prior to the closure. To continue receiving direct deposits, you must furnish us with details for an alternative bank account. You are exclusively responsible for all fees and costs associated with your bank account, including any overdrafts. Any fees incurred by us due to inaccurate information or instructions provided by you are your responsibility. You authorize us to initiate electronic credits to your bank account as needed to process your transactions. We bear no liability for delays in fund receipt or errors in bank account entries caused by third parties, nor can we be held liable or responsible for errors in the account or address information you supply to us.
Settlements in Local Currencies
AFREX extends the option of direct deposit to a designated bank account in fiat currency for Merchants located in specific countries. Please consult afrex.com/docs/settlement for a list of such countries. To receive direct deposits, you must provide valid and up-to-date bank account information. On each business day, we will execute a direct deposit to your bank account to settle your accumulated Account ledger balance, provided that (a) the settlement minimums are met, and (b) the funds will be deposited in your bank account within two business days following the settlement order. We reserve the right to charge you relevant wire fees, except when settling in U.S. Dollars to a U.S. bank or when settling in Euros to a bank within the SEPA zone.
Settlements will be initiated from a bank account held in the name of AFREX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED. or Stichting Client Funds BMSE, a Dutch foundation established by us to segregate client funds from operational funds.
Settlements in Supported Cryptocurrencies; Disclosure of Material Risks
If you opt for cryptocurrency settlement as part of your preferences, any supported cryptocurrency accepted by AFREX on your behalf will be settled to a cryptocurrency wallet of your choice. Payments in any of the supported cryptocurrencies will be transmitted to your designated wallet address, typically by the end of the day following the relevant transaction, and this is based on U.S. Eastern Standard or Daylight Time, as applicable, as long as the settlement minimum is met. We do not assume responsibility for losses arising from incorrectly reported or designated wallet addresses that you provide.
You acknowledge the volatility risk associated with the cryptocurrencies used for settlement. When selecting a cryptocurrency as your preferred settlement method, you also assume the volatility risk associated with the value of that cryptocurrency.
Unless otherwise specified in a written agreement, AFREX’s Acceptance Services do not encompass cryptocurrency custody. If you choose cryptocurrency settlement and we are unable to complete it, AFREX will freeze the value of any Account ledger balance at the U.S. Dollar or Euro (depending on whether your contract is with AFREX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED) conversion rate applicable at the time when the settlement was supposed to occur. For instance, if a Shopper makes a purchase, and you are supposed to be settled 0.1 BTC, but we cannot execute the settlement to the wallet address you provided, we will freeze the value of the settlement in U.S. Dollars or Euros based on the applicable conversion rate. If you later decide to receive fiat settlement for this Account ledger balance, the settlement amount will be for the frozen U.S. Dollar or Euro value, regardless of currency value fluctuations during the interim period. In this example, using U.S. Dollars, if the value of 0.1 BTC was U.S.$5,000 at the time of the supposed settlement to your wallet, that U.S.$5,000 will be the frozen value for this transaction on your Account ledger. If you ultimately maintain your bitcoin settlement preference and provide a valid bitcoin wallet address, we will settle the amount based on the prevailing exchange rate according to the frozen U.S.$5,000 value (e.g., if the exchange rate upon completing the settlement, after receiving a valid wallet address, is 1 BTC:U.S.$80,000, you will receive 0.0625 BTC, or if the exchange rate is 1 BTC:U.S.$25,000, you will receive 0.2 BTC).
AFREX does not own or control the underlying software protocols governing the operation of cryptocurrencies supported on our platform. Generally, these underlying protocols are open source and can be used, copied, modified, and distributed by anyone.
DISCLOSURE: Material Risks of Virtual Currency Disclosure
AFREX acknowledges the existence of substantial risks associated with accepting a variety of payment forms, including cash, different fiat currencies, network card payments, other proprietary electronic payments, and alternative virtual currency payments. To ensure a clear understanding, AFREX provides the subsequent disclosure:
- Virtual Currency (e.g., Bitcoin) is not regarded as legal tender, lacks government backing, and does not benefit from the protective coverage offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
- Legislative and regulatory changes or actions, whether at the state, federal, or international levels, possess the potential to adversely impact the utilization, transfer, exchange, and value of Virtual Currency.
- Transactions conducted in Virtual Currency might be irreversible, thereby exposing users to the risk of unrecoverable losses resulting from fraudulent or accidental transactions.
- Certain Virtual Currency transactions are validated when recorded on a public ledger, a timestamp that may not necessarily align with the moment when the Shopper initiates the transaction.
- The value of Virtual Currency hinges on the willingness of market participants to exchange Fiat Currency for Virtual Currency. Consequently, there exists a possible scenario of a total and permanent loss of value for a specific Virtual Currency if its market ceases to exist.
- The continuity of individuals accepting Virtual Currency as payment in the future cannot be guaranteed.
- Virtual Currency prices exhibit marked volatility and unpredictability in relation to Fiat Currency, potentially leading to significant losses over brief time periods.
- The inherent nature of Virtual Currency heightens the susceptibility to fraud and cyberattacks.
- AFREX might experience technical challenges that hinder access to or use of a Shopper’s Virtual Currency, based on the distinctive characteristics of Virtual Currency.
- Any bond or trust account maintained by AFREX for the benefit of its Merchants might not provide adequate coverage for all losses incurred by customers.
Refund Reserve
Upon your instruction, AFREX can establish a refund reserve on your Account. The purpose of the refund reserve is to ensure there is always a buffer of funds available on your Account to cover pending refunds, for instance, when goods/services are undelivered.
In the absence of a refund reserve, pending refunds will be deducted from the balance on your Account, which is settled daily by us. If a refund reserve is established, we will only settle the pending balance over and above the refund reserve amount. If there is no balance to be settled, we will use the funds available in your refund reserve to cover pending refund requests from your Account. When incoming deposits are made to your Account, they will first replenish the refund reserve up to the defined amount. The values of refund reserves are established and maintained exclusively in fiat currency.
Settlement Minimum
AFREX will settle the accumulated balance on your Account ledger if it surpasses the minimum amount defined for the chosen settlement currency on the Dashboard. Please consult afrex.com/docs/settlement for information related to minimum settlement amounts and deposit frequency.
For cryptocurrency Account ledger balances that fall below the settlement minimum, AFREX will freeze the transaction values in your Account at the U.S. Dollar or Euro (depending on whether your contract is with AFREX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED) equivalent value based on the conversion rate at the time when the settlement would have ordinarily occurred, but for the settlement minimum not being met. Once the cumulative Account ledger balance for a specific cryptocurrency reaches the settlement minimum, calculated by the conversion rate at the applicable settlement time, AFREX will remit the cryptocurrency settlement to your designated wallet.