Terms of Service

Version 3 · July 2026 · Plain language, on purpose. How we handle your personal data is set out separately in our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

1. What Qlause is

Qlause is a quality brand with three parts: a web app for structuring internal audit findings against management-system clauses (such as ISO 9001 and IATF 16949) and generating audit reports; a free Clause Explorer and Insights library of plain-language guidance; and Qlause Consulting, which offers quality and manufacturing consulting services. These Terms govern your use of our websites (qlause.app and qlause.co.za) and the app. They do not, by themselves, create any consulting or advisory relationship — see section 7.

2. The audit tool — what you get

For the audit app, the service is delivered, in full, at the moment your audit report is made available to you for download or printing. Everything after that — continued display of your audits, findings and evidence — is a convenience, covered below.

3. Storage is a convenience, not a commitment

After your report is generated, Qlause may continue to display your audits, findings and uploaded evidence for your convenience. This continued availability is provided free of charge, is not guaranteed, and may be subject to retention limits, technical failure, or service changes. It is your responsibility to download your audit report (PDF) and any evidence you wish to keep. Your downloaded report is your permanent record. Qlause is not an archival or document-control system and must not be relied on as one.

4. Free plan retention and limits

Free-plan audits and uploaded evidence are automatically and permanently deleted 90 days after the audit is locked, and inactive draft audits after 90 days of inactivity. Free accounts are limited to 3 active audits and 25 stored evidence files at a time. These terms and limits may change; material changes will be notified in the app with reasonable notice.

5. The lock

Locking an audit makes its findings permanently read-only and timestamped — they cannot be edited or selectively removed afterwards, by anyone, including you. The lock is an integrity feature of records while they exist; it is not a storage guarantee (section 3 still applies).

6. Your audit content is yours

Your audits are visible only to your account — enforced by the database itself, not just the app. We do not read, mine, share or sell your audit content. You may permanently delete any audit, including locked ones and all attached evidence, at any time. How we handle personal information generally is described in the Privacy & Cookie Policy.

7. Consulting services and website content

Our consulting pages and Insights articles are informational. Browsing them, or submitting an enquiry, does not create a consulting, advisory, employment or other professional relationship. Any consulting engagement is governed by a separate written proposal or agreement, quoted per scope; until that is signed, nothing on the site is an offer or a commitment to provide services.

8. Guidance and standards disclaimer

The Clause Explorer, Insights articles, toolkits and any 2026-transition material provide general interpretive guidance written in our own words. They are not legal, financial, certification or professional advice for your specific situation, and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice tailored to your organisation. Qlause is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for ISO, IATF or any certification body. Users must hold their own licensed copies of the standards (available from SABS or ISO).

9. Paid products

Digital products such as the Transition Toolkit and any paid templates are sold and delivered through our payment provider (Payhip) under their checkout terms. Delivery is an immediate download — there is no shipment and no delivery charge. They are licensed for your own and your organisation's use — not for resale, redistribution or republication.

Refunds. If a paid download isn't right for you, email hello@qlause.app within 14 days of purchase and we will refund you in full. There is no charge or return shipping cost for a refund, and you don't need to give a reason. Refunds are processed back to the original payment method through Payhip.

10. Acceptable use and intellectual property

The Qlause name, brand, app, clause guidance, articles and templates are our intellectual property and are provided for your own professional use. You may not scrape, bulk-copy, resell, or republish our content, or use the site to break the law or interfere with its operation. You keep ownership of the content you put into the app.

11. Limitation of liability

The websites, app and content are provided “as is”. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential damages — including lost profits, failed or delayed certification audits, decisions taken in reliance on our guidance, or the cost of re-performing audits — and our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose (nil where you paid nothing). Nothing here excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Changes and governing law

We may update these Terms; the current version and date appear at the top of this page, and material changes will be flagged with reasonable notice. These Terms are governed by the laws of South Africa.

Questions? hello@qlause.app · Privacy & Cookie Policy · Back to Qlause