1. Learn from your Shara Community Lead how Shara financing can grow your business.

2. Submit your KYC documents including:

3. 3 - 6 Months Bank Statements

4. Proof of Business registration

5. A picture of your business

6. Provide information on the goods you believe would be best suited for Shara financing.

7. Wait for confirmation that your application has been reviewed. A Shara Community Lead will get in touch to support your activation on Shara.

8. Grow your sales and start offering Shara financing to your best customers.

1. Go to the "More" tab and fill out your business and personal details.

2. Add your payment details.

3. Create a memorable PIN, needed to complete your transactions.

4. Go back to the "More" tab to edit your details in the future.

1. This means that you can finance any number of customers with different amounts, as long as they all fit within your available financing limit

2. Each purchase you finance will need to meet the minimum and maximum amount limit per customer as guided in the app.

3. You can finance the same customer more than once, but they must stay within a total amount.

1. Existing BNPL transactions will be paid back as usual, but instead of topping up a Merchant's old limit, customers' on-time repayment will contribute to their Shara Score which will then determine how many additional customers they will be able to finance each month if eligible.

2. Once you are onboarded to Shara financing, you will no longer be able to use your drawdown limit, though you will still need to collect repayments from those customers. As those customers repay, you will get access to more and more customers each month.

3. However, Shara financing will serve as a large replenishment and a big base of new customer financing for you each and every month.

1. Keep asking your customers to pay on time, so you can grow your Shara repayment score. Your Shara Score grows faster when your customers pay back on time through the Shara Customer App (available on the Google Play store)

2. Your limit will be increased once a month based on score and business profile.

1. You will be replenished each time your customer fully completes a repayment. If your customers make repayments early then you will get replenished early. 

2. Get auto replenished as long as your repayment score is above 50 with no outstanding overdue payments. 

🎥 Click here for a demonstration of how auto-replenishment works.

Let’s use this example to demonstrate how auto-replenishment works. 

• A merchant with a facility limit of KES100,000 has initiated a full drawdown with 3 different limits/slots - (a) KES40,000, (b) KES30,000, (c) KES30,000 across different tenors. 

• If the KES40,000 limit was drawn for 30 days and the other KES30,000 limits are for 8 weeks, then the merchant could have his first replenishment on day 31 day if his customers repays at the due date.

Your Shara Score shows you how well your customers are paying back their weekly repayments on time. A good Shara score will grow your financing limit each month.

• When you become a Shara Merchant you are automatically assigned a Shara Score of 50.

• As your customers repay on time, your Shara score goes up; if your customers do not repay, your score will go down.

• The better your Shara score is, the more your financing limit will grow and the more customers you will be able to finance.

1. Your customer is required to pay a down payment in order to show commitment to their Shara customer financing.

1. KYC is a way for Shara to verify your identity and suitability before offering you any financial services.

2. Shara asks that you submit documents such as a business address, national ID number, proof of business registration, picture of your business etc for review.

3. A Shara Community Lead will be in touch to onboard you onto Shara.

You can request payments using the following method:

1. Open the Shara app

2. Select "Sell to a customer" on the homepage

3. Select Shara Flex or Shara Rebate

4. Select a client from your contact list or add their phone number.

5. Enter the amount and follow the steps on the screen

6. Select push payment and a payment link will be sent to your customer for them to complete the transaction.

1. Go to the "Customer" tab

2. Click on the customer who has a late payment

3. Click "+ Pay Now"

4. Enter the amount and confirm the payment.

5. A receipt with the repayment amount will be created for you to share with your client.

6. Repayments Tutorial

1. Open the Shara app.

2. Click on the "Wallet Balance Amount" dropdown on the top right of your homepage

3. Your wallet balance should appear.

4. You can use your Shara wallet to deposit and withdraw funds to and from your external account.

1. Receive free payments when your client dials:

   1. * 728 * your Merchant ID * payment amount #

eg: * 728 * 712345678 * 500 #

2. Your Merchant ID is your phone number without the zero.

3. You can also find your Merchant ID on the Shara homepage.

4. If your client is not receiving a payment prompt ask them to update their SIM card.

1. Please check your network connection and if you have sufficient data bundles.

2. Update the app.

3. Log out and Log back in.

4. Reach out to Customer Support on the App for more information.

1. Open the Shara app

2. Click on the "More" tab

3. Click on "Invite code" and share via WhatsApp or SMS

There is no limit to the number of people you can invite, as long as you are up to date with your weekly payments and you have no overdues.

Any good-performing Shara Merchant can become a Shara Community Lead. As a Community Lead, your job is to encourage the group of merchants assigned to you to have consistent on-time repayments. 

We are looking for smart field officers that can engage and pitch to small business owners face2face.

1. Have you been selling FMCG or Consumer products to small retailers?

2. Do you know how to deal with Small business owners in Kenya?

3. Can you pitch a product with confidence and identify a good business?

If this sounds like you or someone you know, send your information to info@shara.co, subject line “Community Lead Application - Kenya.”

1. Please reach out to the customer support channel.

2. Open the Shara app.

3. Click on the "Settings" tab

4. Click on "Help, Support and Complaints"

5. Submit your question and include as much detail as possible.

6. Our customer support team will reach out on the support channel with feedback.

1. Please wait a few moments, our customer support team will reach out on the support channel with feedback.

1. Please check if you have disabled promotional messages.

2. If you are using a Safaricom line, please dial *456# to enable promotional messages 

3. Try log in to the app again

1. Our customer support team will reach out on the support channel with feedback.

2. Support replies in under 5 minutes.

CONSUMER REDRESS AND MECHANISMS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

   1. Shara Technologies Limited (the "Company") is committed to maintaining and enhancing its reputation by providing high-quality products and services that meet the expectations of its Customers. As such, the Company values feedback and seeks to assist its Customers by providing mechanisms by which Customers may file Complaints.
      
      The Company is committed to promptly resolving every Customer Complaint reported through the Dedicated Complaints Channel.

   2. The purpose of this Consumer Redress and Mechanisms Policy and Procedure (the "Policy") is to: 

      1. provide an effective mechanism for lodging and responding to Complaints;

      2. establish a standard to ensure that Complaints are handled promptly, impartially, and confidentially; and 

      3. outline the Company’s complaints handling process.

   3. This Policy applies to the Company, its personnel and all Customers. 

2. DEFINITIONS

   1. In this Policy: 

      1. "Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a gazetted public holiday declared in Kenya between 08:00 am to 17:00 pm; 

      2. "Customer" means the person whose duly registered mobile phone and number and personal details are used to register on the Shara App; 

      3. "Customer Support Team" means the Company personnel assigned to handle Customer Complaints;

      4. "Complaint" means any formal objection raised on the Dedicated Complaints Channel or otherwise, by the Customer in relation to the Company's products or services performed; 

      5. "Dedicated Complaints Channel" means the customer support section of the Shara App; 

      6. "Personal Data" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Data Protection Act 2019, as amended from time to time; and 

      7. "Team Leader" means a person managing individual teams in a given department of the Company.

3. HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT

   1. If a Customer is dissatisfied with the Company's products or services, the Customer shall report a Complaint in the following ways:

      1. by reaching out to the Customer Support Team on the Dedicated Complaints Channel; 

      2. by sending an email to ops@shara.co. 

   2. The Customer shall provide as much detail as possible when making a Complaint, provide photographs (where appropriate) and cooperate with the Customer Support Team. 

4. HOW COMPLAINTS ARE HANDLED 

   1. Once a Complaint is received, the Complaint shall be assigned to a Customer Support Team member who shall have the responsibility of handling that Complaint. 

   2. Where a Complaint is received on the Dedicated Complaints Channel, the Customer Support Team shall resolve the Complaint on the channel. However, where a Complaint is received via telephone or via email, then the Customer Support Team shall communicate to the Customer whether the Complaint will be resolved via email or on the Dedicated Complaints Channel. 

   3. In order to properly investigate the Complaint, the Company may ask the Customer questions or require the Customer to provide Personal Data, including but not limited to:

      1. the Customer's name, identification number, phone number and address;

      2. the nature of the Complaint; 

      3. details of any steps the Customer may have already taken to resolve the issue; and

      4. copies of any documentation that supports the Customer's Complaint.

In such circumstances, the Company will explain the purpose of seeking personal data and clarification or additional documentation.

4. Upon receiving a Complaint, the assigned Customer Support Team member has a responsibility to treat the Complaint and the Personal Data confidentially and shall not make any unnecessary disclosures to any third party. 

5. Once the Complaint is resolved, the Customer Support Team shall inform the Customer of the steps taken to resolve the Complaint and confirm that the Customer is satisfied with the resolution. Where the Customer is satisfied, the Complaint shall be categorised as resolved; however, where the Customer is unsatisfied, then the Customer Support Team will refer the Complaint to the relevant Team Leader pursuant to clause 6.2. 

6. Categorization of Issues

   1. Information Requests: These requests may include questions about how to use the app, the app’s terms and conditions, and the features of the app. Shara’s Support Officers are trained on how to use the app and can provide direct feedback on these information requests.

   2. Technical Bugs: If a customer has a technical bug then first the Support Officer attempts to help resolve the technical issue themselves. If the customer is facing a true technical bug then the Support Officer raises the technical bug with the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master then assigns a level of priority using the following system:

   3. Information Requests: These requests may include questions about how to use the app, the app’s terms and conditions, and the features of the app. Shara’s Support Officers are trained on how to use the app and can provide direct feedback on these information requests.

   4. Technical Bugs: If a customer has a technical bug then first the Support Officer attempts to help resolve the technical issue themselves. If the customer is facing a true technical bug then the Support Officer raises the technical bug with the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master then assigns a level of priority using the following system.

7. Prioritization of Issues

   1. Highest: This ticket will block progress or usage of app Payment or repayment or login, etc

   2. High: This ticket is a serious problem that could block progress, within a short timeframe of 3 days days

   3. Medium: This ticket has the potential to block progress, within a long timeframe eg over 3 weeks

   4. Low: This ticket is a minor problem that has a quick fix or workaround

   5. Lowest: This ticket is a trivial problem with little or no impact on progress

5. TURN AROUND TIME

   1. The Company is committed to resolving a Complaint immediately after it is reported. Once a Complaint is received, the Customer Support Team shall reach out to the Customer with feedback within twenty-four (24) hours.

   2. Subject to clause 5.1, where the Customer Support Team is unable to resolve the Complaint immediately, the assigned Customer Support Team member shall communicate this to the Customer and provide the Customer with a reference number to allow the Customer to follow up with the resolution process. 

   3. The Customer Support Team shall seek to promptly resolve the Complaint and where an immediate resolution is not possible, the assigned Customer Support Team member shall within thirty (30) Business Days of the report being made, contact the Customer, seek to understand the nature of the Complaint and make its best efforts to resolve the Complaint. 

   4. The Customer may make enquiries regarding the status of the Complaint and the Company shall provide the Customer with a status update, where an enquiry is made.

6. COMPLAINT ESCALATION PROCESS

   1. Some Complaints, because of their nature, will not be able to be resolved at the first point of contact or within the stipulated timelines in clauses 5.1 and clause 5.3. These include Complaints about the conduct of the Customer Support Team. In such instances, the Complaint will be escalated to the relevant Team Leader for investigation and resolution.

   2. Additionally, a Customer has the right to request that the resolution or outcome of their Complaint be reviewed by a Team Leader if they assert that the resolution or outcome is unfair or unreasonable. 

7. RECORD OF COMPLAINTS

   1. The Company shall keep a record of all Complaints reported through the Dedicated Complaints Channel or via email and the outcome of their resolution. 

   2. For the purposes of the Company's continuous improvement, monitoring and evaluation, the Company shall store records of Personal Data as it relates to the Complaint in accordance with the Company’s Data Protection Policy. 

8. REMEDIES

   1. Where a Complaint is substantiated, the Company will take steps to redress the situation.

   2. Possible remedies include, but are not limited to:

      1. an explanation of why the error occurred and the steps taken to prevent it from re-occurring;

      2. a reversal of a decision;

      3. a change in policy, procedure or practice (where necessary);

      4. disciplinary action was taken against the relevant Customer Support Team member;

      5. A full or partial refund of any fee paid; or

      6. providing the means of redress requested by the Customer (where possible and necessary).

9. ANNUAL REVIEW

   1. The Board will review this Policy annually.

10. EFFECTIVE DATE

    1. This Policy shall be effective from 1 June 2022.

End of Policy