Service Level Agreement

1. Introduction

This Service Level Agreement ("SLA") describes Ping's commitments regarding system uptime, performance metrics, support response times, and remedies for service failures. This SLA applies to all paid service plans.

Free trial and promotional accounts are not covered by this SLA but receive best-effort service.

2. Uptime Guarantee

2.1 Uptime Commitment:

Ping guarantees 99.9% uptime for the platform API and message delivery infrastructure, measured monthly.

2.2 Uptime Calculation:

Uptime Percentage = (Total Minutes in Month - Downtime Minutes) / Total Minutes in Month × 100

• Downtime means the period when the Ping API returns HTTP 5xx errors for more than 5 consecutive minutes
• Scheduled maintenance windows (announced at least 72 hours in advance) are excluded from downtime calculation
• Downtime caused by third-party services (SMS carriers, WhatsApp, email providers) beyond Ping's control is excluded
• Issues caused by customer misconfiguration or abuse are excluded

2.3 Scheduled Maintenance:

• Maintenance windows: Sundays, 01:00 - 04:00 CAT (Central Africa Time)
• Emergency maintenance may occur with less notice if required for security or critical fixes
• Customers will receive email notification at least 72 hours before planned maintenance

3. Performance Metrics

3.1 SMS Delivery:

• Target: 95% of SMS messages delivered within 10 seconds
• Acceptable: 90% within 30 seconds
• Note: Final delivery depends on mobile network operators and is not guaranteed by Ping

3.2 WhatsApp Message Delivery:

• Target: 90% of WhatsApp messages delivered within 30 seconds
• Acceptable: 85% within 60 seconds
• Subject to WhatsApp Business API rate limits and quality ratings

3.3 Email Delivery:

• Target: 98% of emails delivered within 5 minutes
• Acceptable: 95% within 15 minutes
• Inbox placement depends on recipient spam filters and domain reputation

3.4 API Response Time:

• Target: 95% of API requests return response within 500ms
• Acceptable: 99% within 2 seconds
• Measured from Ping's API gateway, excluding network latency to customer

4. Support Response Times

Support is provided via email ([email protected]) and in-app messaging. Response times vary by priority level:

4.1 Critical Issues (Severity 1):

Complete service outage or critical functionality unavailable affecting all or most users.

• Response Time: 1 hour (24/7)
• Resolution Target: 4 hours
• Continuous updates every 2 hours until resolved

4.2 High Priority (Severity 2):

Significant feature degradation affecting multiple users or critical business function for one user.

• Response Time: 4 hours (business hours: Mon-Fri, 08:00-18:00 CAT)
• Resolution Target: 24 hours
• Updates provided every 8 hours

4.3 Normal Priority (Severity 3):

Minor issues, feature requests, or general questions not impacting critical functionality.

• Response Time: 24 hours (business hours)
• Resolution Target: 5 business days

4.4 Low Priority (Severity 4):

Cosmetic issues, documentation requests, or enhancement suggestions.

• Response Time: 48 hours (business hours)
• Resolution Target: Best effort, no guarantee

5. Support Channels

• Email: [email protected] (all severity levels)
• In-App Chat: Available for Severity 2-4 issues (business hours)
• Phone: Emergency hotline for Severity 1 issues only (number provided to paid customers)
• Status Page: status.ping.co.zw for real-time system status and incident updates

6. Service Credits

If Ping fails to meet the 99.9% uptime guarantee in a given month, eligible customers may request service credits as follows:

6.1 Credit Request Process:

• Customers must request credits within 30 days of the end of the affected month
• Submit requests to [email protected] with subject "SLA Credit Request - [Month/Year]"
• Ping will review and respond within 10 business days
• Approved credits will be applied to the next month's invoice or account balance

6.2 Credit Limitations:

• Service credits are the sole and exclusive remedy for SLA breaches
• Credits apply only to subscription fees, not usage-based charges (message costs)
• Maximum credit per month: 50% of monthly subscription fee
• Credits cannot be exchanged for cash refunds
• Free trial and promotional accounts are not eligible for credits

7. Exclusions

This SLA does not apply to service unavailability or performance issues caused by:

• Scheduled maintenance (with proper notice)
• Customer's internet service provider or network infrastructure
• Customer's equipment, software, or configuration errors
• Third-party services beyond Ping's control (SMS carriers, WhatsApp, email providers)
• Force majeure events (natural disasters, war, terrorism, government actions)
• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks or similar malicious activity
• Customer's violation of the Acceptable Use Policy
• Services provided free of charge (trial accounts, beta features)
• Suspension or termination of service due to non-payment or policy violations

8. Service Monitoring and Reporting

8.1 Real-Time Status:

Customers can check real-time system status at: status.ping.co.zw

8.2 Performance Dashboard:

Customers can view their account-specific performance metrics in the dashboard, including:

• Message delivery rates and times
• API response times
• Error rates and types
• Historical uptime data

8.3 Incident Reports:

Post-incident reports will be published within 5 business days of resolution for Severity 1 incidents affecting multiple customers.

9. Changes to This SLA

Ping reserves the right to modify this SLA with 30 days' advance notice to customers. Material changes that reduce service commitments will not apply to existing customers for the duration of their current billing period.

Customers will be notified of changes via email and in-app notification.