Frequently Asked Questions

We provide fully managed, auto-deployed e-commerce stores. When you subscribe, we automatically provision a dedicated server, deploy your store, configure SSL certificates, and hand you a production-ready online shop — typically within minutes. You get your own custom domain, admin dashboard, and all the features included in your plan.

The automated deployment typically completes within 5–15 minutes after successful payment. You'll receive an email with your store's admin credentials once it's ready. However, your store will only be fully accessible once you've added the A record to your domain's DNS settings, which can take up to 24–48 hours to propagate globally.

No. The only technical step is adding an A record to your domain's DNS settings, and we provide clear instructions for that. Everything else — server setup, deployment, SSL, updates — is handled automatically by our platform. Your store comes with a user-friendly admin panel for managing products, orders, and customers.

We process all payments securely through Paystack, which supports Visa, Mastercard, bank transfers, and other local payment methods. We never store your card details — all payment data is handled by Paystack's PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure.

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time by contacting our support team at sputnikdevs@sputnikdevs.com. Upgrades take effect immediately, and downgrades apply at the start of your next billing cycle. Your store data is preserved during plan changes.

Due to the automated provisioning of infrastructure resources (server, IP address, storage), subscription fees are generally non-refundable. However, if you experience issues that prevent your store from being deployed, please contact us and we'll work to resolve the issue or discuss your options. See our Terms of Service for full details.

Yes. You must own a registered domain before proceeding to checkout. During the checkout process, we verify that your domain is actually registered. You can purchase a domain from any registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or your local provider.

Absolutely. In fact, using a subdomain like shop.yourdomain.com or store.yourdomain.com is a popular choice. You can also use a root domain like yourdomain.com. Just enter whichever you prefer during checkout and point the appropriate A record to your server IP.

DNS changes typically propagate within 15 minutes to 2 hours, but it can take up to 48 hours in some cases. If you're using Cloudflare, propagation is usually instant. Once your A record is active, our system automatically provisions your SSL certificate, and your store goes live over HTTPS.

Yes. Each subscription gets its own dedicated DigitalOcean droplet (virtual private server). Your store is not shared with other customers, ensuring consistent performance, full isolation, and no noisy-neighbour issues. You also get a dedicated IP address.

Yes. Every store gets a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate automatically provisioned once your DNS A record is pointing to your server. The certificate auto-renews, so your site stays secure on https:// without any manual effort.

You can cancel at any time by contacting us at sputnikdevs@sputnikdevs.com. After cancellation, your store remains active until the end of your current billing period. Once the period ends, your store enters the 30-day retention window before permanent deletion. We recommend exporting your data before cancelling.

Yes — as long as it's within the 30-day retention period after suspension. Simply update your payment details and settle the outstanding balance. Your store will be reactivated with all data intact. After 37 days from the initial payment failure (7 grace + 30 retention), the server and data are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Yes. We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, process it lawfully, and protect it with appropriate security measures. You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data. See our full Privacy Policy for details.

After cancellation, your store remains active until the end of the billing period. It then enters a 30-day retention period during which the data is preserved but the store is offline. After 30 days, the server and all associated data (products, orders, customer records, images) are permanently and irreversibly deleted. We strongly recommend exporting any data you need before your subscription ends.

Only you. After deployment, we send your unique admin credentials via email. We do not retain access to your store's admin panel. Your store runs on your own dedicated server, and you have full control over your admin dashboard, product listings, and customer data.

Our Hostel Management System is a comprehensive, cloud-based platform designed for universities, colleges, and student accommodation providers. It includes four integrated portals — Student, Manager, Admin, and Maintenance — covering everything from room applications and check-ins to maintenance requests, meal management, and financial reporting.

Pricing is capacity-based and depends on your total bed count, number of residences, and specific requirements. You'll receive a custom quotation that typically includes a once-off setup fee plus a monthly subscription. Contact us via the quotation form on our Hostel page for a tailored quote.

The system is hosted on Microsoft Azure's South Africa data centres, ensuring low latency for local institutions, POPIA-compliant data residency, and 99.9% uptime SLA. Data is stored in Azure SQL with automatic daily backups and geo-redundant storage for disaster recovery.

Yes. Because the system is deployed manually for each institution, we can tailor features, branding, and workflows to match your specific requirements. Discuss customisation options with our team during the quotation and demo process.

Custom projects are priced on a project-by-project basis depending on scope, complexity, and timeline. During the consultation, we discuss your budget and design a solution that fits. Fill in the contact form with your project details and we'll provide a no-obligation quotation.

Yes. We offer optional maintenance and support agreements to keep your application updated, secure, and running smoothly after delivery. This can include bug fixes, feature enhancements, performance tuning, and infrastructure monitoring. Support terms are discussed and agreed upon as part of your project contract.