Terms of Service | Cornerstone

1. The Platform

The Cornerstone platform is provided and operated by Cornerstone Digital Agency, headquartered in Accra, Ghana. By creating an account or using our services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy.

In these Terms, “you” means anyone who uses Cornerstone. A “Merchant” is a business, trader, or other person who uses Cornerstone to receive payments, and includes the Merchant's authorised staff. An “Organisation” is a church, association, union, school, company, political branch, or other group that uses Cornerstone to collect money, manage members, or run events, and includes its authorised officers and users. A “Customer” is a person who pays a Merchant through Cornerstone. Section 7 applies to individual users, Section 8 applies to Organisations, and Sections 9 to 14 apply to Merchants, in each case in addition to the rest of these Terms.

2. Eligibility and Verification

You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter a binding contract in Ghana. You must give accurate, complete, and current information when you register, and keep it up to date. We may require identity verification (for example, a Ghana Card and selfie) before we open, upgrade, or continue any account, and we may limit or decline an account that we cannot verify.

If a Cornerstone field officer, administrator, or an organisation you belong to registers an account for you, they do so with your authority and accept these Terms and our Privacy Policy on your behalf. You can read these Terms at any time on this page, and your use of the account means you accept them.

3. Ways to Access Cornerstone

Cornerstone is available through the USSD code *920*2026# on MTN, Telecel, and AirtelTigo networks in Ghana, through our web dashboards, and, for eligible Merchants, through the Cornerstone Collect developer API. You are responsible for the security of your phone, SIM, PIN, passwords, and one-time codes. Never share them, including with people who claim to work for Cornerstone.

4. Fees

Our fee structure is transparent:

Cornerstone Pay: 3% settlement fee on outbound transfers to the institution's official bank account or Mobile Money wallet.
Cornerstone Save: Zero maintenance fee. 1.5% fee on individual withdrawals.
Cornerstone Collect: A 1% collection fee applies to each payment, and a 1% withdrawal fee applies when a Merchant withdraws funds to Mobile Money. Transfers to Cornerstone Savings are free. Where a subscription plan the Merchant has chosen includes a monthly allowance, withdrawals within that allowance are free and the 1% fee applies only above it. Who bears the collection fee depends on the fee setting the Merchant has chosen (see Section 10). Any other fee that applies to your account, such as branch fees or subscription fees, is shown in your dashboard or app before you confirm the action.

We may change our fees. We will give notice of any change through the app, dashboard, SMS, or this website before it applies to you.

5. Transaction Finality

A transaction is considered final and complete only when confirmed by an official SMS receipt or confirmation from Cornerstone.

6. Maker-Checker Payouts (Institutions)

To protect institutional funds, Cornerstone Pay enforces a strict Maker-Checker protocol. Payouts require approval from two or more distinct authorised executives. Single-approver requests will not be processed under any circumstances.

7. Individual Accounts

Savings and withdrawals. You can save money through Cornerstone and withdraw it to a Mobile Money number registered to you. Withdrawal fees and limits are shown before you confirm. Some actions need your PIN or a one-time code.
Sending and paying. You can send money to other Cornerstone users and pay merchants and organisations. Always check the recipient's details before you confirm. A payment sent to the wrong number, account, or code may not be recoverable.
Recurring payments. If you set up auto-save, auto-debit, or a savings challenge, you authorise Cornerstone to collect the amounts you chose from your Mobile Money wallet on the schedule you chose, and to approve them through a Mobile Money prompt or code. You can stop or change these in the app or on USSD.
Groups. If you join a savings group, its administrators can see the group's members and contributions. Group rules are set by the group. You are responsible for your own contributions.
Loans and savings products from partners. Where available, Cornerstone lets you apply for loans and open savings products offered by banks, microfinance institutions, and other partners. Each product is governed by the partner's own terms, which you must accept first. Cornerstone connects you but is not the lender or deposit-taker. To process your application we may share your identity details and account history with the partner, as described in our Privacy Policy. Approval is at the partner's discretion, and you must repay any loan as its terms require.
Linked numbers and account recovery. You may link additional phone numbers to your account, and each must be confirmed. If you change your primary number, or if a lost or stolen SIM is reported, we may lock your account or pause withdrawals and loans for a security period, and ask you to verify your identity in person. Report a lost SIM immediately.
Your responsibility. You are responsible for activity carried out with your PIN, passwords, and codes. Tell us straight away if you think someone else knows them.

8. Organisation Accounts

Authority. The person who registers or manages an Organisation confirms they are authorised to act for it and accepts these Terms and our Privacy Policy on its behalf. The Organisation is bound by them, and is responsible for everything done through its account by its officers and users, including the roles and permissions it gives them. Remove access as soon as a person leaves or changes role.
Verification. We may ask for the Organisation's registration documents and the identity of its officers before we enable payouts, higher limits, or other features, and we may limit features we cannot verify.
Organisation codes. Organisation codes are issued by Cornerstone, cannot be transferred, and may be withdrawn if misused. Premium codes, where offered, carry their own fees and conditions, which are shown before you take one.
Collecting money. Organisations can collect dues, contributions, donations, ticket sales, votes, and invoice payments through Cornerstone. The Organisation decides what it charges and why, and is responsible for how it collects and uses the money, for what it promises its members and supporters, and for refunds. Cornerstone is not a party to the relationship between an Organisation and its members, supporters, or attendees.
Fees and payouts. The fees that apply are shown in the Organisation's dashboard. Payouts go only to verified bank or Mobile Money accounts in the Organisation's name and are subject to the Maker-Checker approvals in Section 6 and the holds described in Section 11.
Members' and supporters' data. The Organisation must have the right to give us the personal data it uploads or collects, must use the data it receives only for its own legitimate activities, and must protect it. See our Privacy Policy.
Messaging. An Organisation may message its members and supporters only where it has the right to contact them, only about its own activities, and in line with the law.
Special activities. Organisations that collect dues or funds for political purposes, or that lend money to members, must comply with the laws that apply to them, including any licence the law requires. Cornerstone provides tools only and does not give legal, tax, or regulatory advice.

9. Merchant Accounts

Verification. Merchants must complete identity verification before live payment features, live API keys, and withdrawals are enabled. We may ask for further documents at any time.
Merchant Codes. Cornerstone Collect Merchant Codes (e.g., 5XXXXX) are issued exclusively by Cornerstone to registered Merchants. These codes are strictly non-transferable. Misuse of a code will result in immediate suspension and may result in forfeiture of funds, to the extent permitted by law.
Staff and branches. A Merchant may add staff accounts and branches where its plan allows. The Merchant chooses each person's role and access and is responsible for everything done through its accounts, including by staff. Remove access as soon as a person leaves.
Accuracy. The business name, contact details, and payout details you give us must be correct. You must tell us promptly if any of them change.
Plans. Cornerstone may offer optional subscription plans. Where a plan applies, its price and features are shown to you before you subscribe.

10. Accepting Payments with Cornerstone Collect

Channels. Merchants can accept payments through a static QR code, dynamic checkout, push-to-pay prompts, a payment link, USSD, and the Collect API. Payments are made by Mobile Money. The Customer approves each payment on their own phone.
Fee setting. A Merchant can choose who bears the collection fee, including whether the Customer pays it or the Merchant absorbs it. The setting in force when a payment is made applies to that payment. The Merchant is responsible for how it presents any fee to its Customers.
API keys. Collect API keys are shown to you once. Store your secret key securely on your server and never in a website, app, or public code. You are responsible for all activity carried out with your keys. If a key may have leaked, revoke it immediately in your dashboard. Rotated keys keep working for a limited grace period so you can update your systems.
Test and live mode. Test keys never move real money. Live keys are available only after verification and may be limited, suspended, or revoked by us at any time for security or compliance reasons.
Webhooks. If you use webhooks, you must verify each webhook's signature, respond promptly, and handle repeated deliveries safely. We may retry a webhook, so the same event can arrive more than once.
Your checkout and your Customers. The Merchant is responsible for its goods and services, its prices, delivery, returns, and its relationship with its Customers. Cornerstone is not a party to the sale between a Merchant and a Customer.
Refunds and Customer disputes. Refunds are the Merchant's responsibility. Where the platform supports refunds, a refund may require one-time-code confirmation and approval, and is subject to the Merchant having sufficient balance. If a Customer disputes a payment, the Merchant must cooperate with our review and agrees that we may hold or reverse the relevant funds where the dispute is upheld.

11. Settlements and Withdrawals

Payments received by a Merchant are credited to its Cornerstone balance and can be withdrawn to a verified payout number or account registered to the Merchant, subject to applicable fees and limits. New payout numbers may need to be verified before use, and some actions need a one-time code. Merchants can also place a lock on withdrawals in their security settings.

We may delay, hold, or refuse a withdrawal, and may freeze funds, where we reasonably suspect fraud, money laundering, or a breach of these Terms, where we are required to by law or a regulator, or where an amount is owed to Cornerstone or to a lender partner. We will tell you why where we are allowed to.

12. Business Loans and Partner Products

Where available, Cornerstone lets Merchants apply for loans and other products offered by lender and other partners. Cornerstone connects you to these partners and may share information with them to process your application, as described in our Privacy Policy. Each product is governed by the partner's own terms, which you must accept before applying. Approval is at the partner's discretion. If you take a loan, you agree that repayments may be collected as set out in that loan's terms, including automatically from a share of your incoming payments, and that withdrawals may be restricted while a loan is overdue.

13. Payroll, Suppliers, Loyalty, and Messaging Tools

Payroll. Payroll tools calculate and pay staff based on the details you enter. The Merchant remains responsible for the accuracy of those details and for meeting its legal duties as an employer, including tax and pension obligations.
Suppliers. When you pay a supplier through Cornerstone, you are responsible for confirming the recipient's details. Payments sent to the wrong number or account may not be recoverable.
Loyalty and discounts. Merchants set their own loyalty rules and discounts and are responsible for honouring them.
Messaging Customers. A Merchant may send SMS messages to its own Customers only where it has the right to contact them, only about its own business, and in line with the law. Do not send unlawful, misleading, or abusive messages. SMS credits are used for each message sent.

14. Prohibited Use, Suspension, and Termination

You must not use Cornerstone to:

break any law, or process payments for illegal goods or services, fraud, money laundering, or terrorist financing;
pretend to be someone else, or use another person's identity, phone number, or account without their permission;
split, disguise, or circulate payments to avoid limits, fees, or checks;
attack, overload, probe, or reverse-engineer the platform, or share or misuse API keys; or
let anyone else use your account, code, or credentials.

We may limit, suspend, or close an account, or revoke keys and codes, if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, that the account is unsafe, or that we must do so by law. You may stop using Cornerstone and ask us to close your account at any time, after withdrawing any balance and settling amounts you owe. Sections that by their nature should continue, including fees owed, disputes, and liability, continue after closure.

15. Disputes

Any discrepancy or dispute regarding a transaction must be raised within 7 days of the transaction date by contacting info@mycornerstonegh.com. We will review it and respond as soon as we reasonably can.

16. Service Availability and Liability

Cornerstone relies on USSD aggregators, mobile network operators (MNOs), and payment and messaging partners. We are not liable for transaction failures or delays caused directly by mobile network outages, MNO or partner platform downtime, or events outside our reasonable control. We work to keep the platform available but do not promise it will always be uninterrupted or error free. To the extent permitted by law, Cornerstone is not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for lost profits or business, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the fees you paid us for the transaction or service giving rise to it.

17. Data and Privacy

Your use of the platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, protect, and use your data, including data about a Merchant's Customers.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms. The version number and effective date at the top of this page show the current version. For material changes, we will give notice through the app, dashboard, SMS, or this website before they take effect. If you keep using Cornerstone after a change takes effect, you accept the updated Terms.

19. Governing Law

These terms are governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ghana.

20. Contact

For legal inquiries or clarifications on these terms, reach us at:
Email: info@mycornerstonegh.com
Phone: +233 550 409 984