Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome — How Can We Help?
Find answers to the most common questions about the CMART™ App — from getting started to billing, automation, AI tools, and everything in between.
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Getting Started
What is the CMART™ App?
+The CMART™ App is an all-in-one business and marketing platform built specifically for South African service providers. It gives you everything you need to run and grow your business in one place — a SMART Website, CRM, online booking system, WhatsApp and email automation, payments, AI tools, reputation management, and more. It is built on the GoHighLevel platform and fully managed by Creative Media Agency (Pty) Ltd, a Johannesburg-based SaaS agency.
Is there a free trial?
+Yes — every new CMART account starts with a 14-day free trial activated for just R5. This gives you full platform access across all features included in your chosen plan. No long-term commitment, no credit card required beyond the R5 activation. If you decide CMART isn't right for you within 14 days, simply let us know.
How do I get started with CMART?
+Click "Start Free Trial" on any page, pay the R5 activation fee, and your account is live immediately. From there you can follow the Beginner Learning Path inside the Learning Hub, or book a Quick Start Setup session with our team and we'll configure everything for you.
Do I need technical skills to use CMART?
+No. CMART is designed for business owners — not developers. The platform uses drag-and-drop builders for websites, funnels, and workflows. Most features activate with one click. If you ever get stuck, our help centre, video tutorials, and WhatsApp support team are available to guide you through.
How long does it take to set up?
+Most users are live with a booking calendar, basic automation, and their SMART Website within 2–3 hours of starting. If you choose our Done-For-You Quick Start Setup (R2,500), we configure everything for you within 48 hours of your order.
Is CMART available outside of South Africa?
+CMART is built and supported specifically for South Africa — with ZAR pricing, PayFast integration, POPIA compliance, and WhatsApp-first automation. While you can technically use it from anywhere, our support, pricing, and configurations are optimised for SA-based service businesses.
What types of businesses is CMART built for?
+CMART is built for service-based businesses — any business that delivers a service to clients. This includes beauty salons, wellness studios, solar contractors, trades businesses, coaches, consultants, accountants, financial advisors, health practitioners, photographers, event planners, and many more. We have niche-specific setup guides for each.
What is the CMART Growth Score™?
+The CMART Growth Score™ is a free 18-question business assessment that evaluates your business across 6 growth pillars: Lead Capture, Booking & Scheduling, Follow-Up & Automation, Client Management, Marketing Engine, and Reporting & Growth. At the end, you receive a score out of 100, a breakdown of your strongest and weakest areas, and a personalised plan recommendation. Take it at cmart-app.co.za/growth-score — it takes 3 minutes.
Plans & Pricing
How much does CMART cost?
+CMART has four plans priced in South African Rands:
• Starter — R500/month (R417/month billed annually)
• Core — R1,000/month (R830/month billed annually)
• Pro — R2,500/month (R2,075/month billed annually)
• Scale — Custom pricing for agencies and multi-location businesses
All plans include a 14-day free trial for R5. Annual billing saves you 17%.
Which plan is right for my business?
+The best way to find out is to take the free CMART Growth Score™ assessment at cmart-app.co.za/growth-score — it takes 3 minutes and recommends a specific plan based on where your business is right now. As a general guide: Starter suits solo service providers just getting started; Core suits growing businesses who need WhatsApp automation and unlimited contacts; Pro suits businesses ready to add AI tools and scale; Scale suits multi-location or agency operations.
Can I change my plan later?
+Yes — you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from your account settings. When you upgrade, the new features are available immediately and billing is prorated. When you downgrade, changes take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.
Do you offer annual billing?
+Yes. Paying annually saves you 17% — equivalent to getting more than 2 months free. Annual billing is available for all plans. You can switch between monthly and annual billing at any time from your account settings.
Are there any hidden fees or setup fees?
+No hidden fees. The only costs are your monthly or annual plan subscription and the R5 once-off trial activation fee. SMS messages use credits (see our pricing page for SMS rates in South Africa). Everything else — website hosting, automation, email sending, CRM contacts — is included in your plan.
What is included in the R5 trial activation?
+The R5 covers your 14-day trial activation and gives you full access to all features on your chosen plan. It is a once-off payment — not a recurring charge. After 14 days, your first full monthly or annual subscription payment is processed.
Can I cancel at any time?
+Absolutely. There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees. If you are on a monthly plan, you can cancel at any time and your access continues until the end of your current billing period. If you are on an annual plan, cancellation stops future renewals but the current annual period is non-refundable.
Do you offer refunds?
+The R5 trial activation is non-refundable. For monthly subscriptions, we do not offer refunds for partial months. For annual subscriptions, please contact our support team — we handle refund requests on a case-by-case basis within 14 days of annual payment. We are a fair, SA-based company and will always treat you with respect.
Is there a limit on contacts, emails, or automations?
+Limits vary by plan. Starter includes up to 500 contacts and 500 email sends per month. Core, Pro, and Scale include unlimited contacts, unlimited email sends, and unlimited WhatsApp and SMS (SMS uses credits). Automation workflow limits: 5 on Starter, 25 on Core, unlimited on Pro and Scale. Full details are on the pricing comparison table at cmart-app.co.za/pricing.
Do you offer discounts for non-profits or startups?
+We do not have a formal non-profit discount at this time. However, if you are a registered non-profit or early-stage startup, please reach out to us on WhatsApp — we consider applications on a case-by-case basis.
Features & Automation
Can I embed a booking widget on my existing website?
+Yes. CMART generates an embed code for any of your booking calendars. Copy and paste it into any website — WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or any other platform. You can embed the full booking flow or a simple booking button that opens a pop-up.
Can I sync CMART with Google Calendar or Outlook?
+Yes. CMART offers two-way sync with both Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. When a booking is made in CMART, it appears in your Google or Outlook calendar automatically. Events you add to Google or Outlook can also block time in CMART. Setup instructions are in the Help Centre.
Can I accept payments online?
+Yes. CMART integrates with PayFast (SA's leading payment gateway), Stripe, and PayPal. You can collect full payment or a deposit at the time of booking, send payment links via email or SMS, generate invoices, and manage refunds — all from within your CMART account.
Can I set up WhatsApp automation?
+Yes — and this is one of CMART's most powerful features for SA businesses. You can send automated WhatsApp messages triggered by bookings, form submissions, tags, time delays, or pipeline stage changes. Set up appointment reminders, lead follow-up sequences, review requests, and client re-engagement campaigns — all over WhatsApp.
How many automation workflows can I build?
+Starter plan: 5 workflows. Core plan: 25 workflows. Pro and Scale plans: unlimited. CMART also includes 40+ pre-built automation templates you can activate with one click — no building from scratch required. Templates cover appointment reminders, lead follow-up, review requests, onboarding sequences, and more.
Can multiple staff members or service providers use CMART?
+Yes. You can add team members with different access levels and create individual booking calendars per staff member or service. Starter includes 1 user. Core includes up to 5 users. Pro and Scale include unlimited users. Each team member can have their own availability, services, and booking link.
Can I accept group bookings or run classes?
+Yes. CMART supports individual bookings, group bookings, recurring appointments, and class/event-style bookings where multiple people book into the same slot. Set a maximum capacity per slot and CMART manages availability automatically.
Can I collect client intake forms at booking?
+Yes. CMART's form builder lets you create custom intake forms that clients complete when booking or after booking confirmation. Form responses are stored in the client's contact record in your CRM. Useful for medical history, project briefs, SOAP notes, or any information you need before a session.
Does CMART have a social media planner?
+Yes. The CMART Social Media Planner lets you schedule and publish posts to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google My Business from one dashboard. Plan your content calendar, write posts, upload images, and schedule in advance — no separate social media tool needed.
Can I sell packages, memberships, or courses?
+Yes. CMART includes a products and packages builder for bundled service offerings, a membership and subscription billing system for recurring revenue, and a full course builder with video hosting, quizzes, and completion tracking. All of these are built into the platform — no external tools required.
Can CMART connect to other apps I use?
+Yes. CMART connects natively to Zoom, Google Calendar, Outlook, Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business. It also connects to 1,000+ apps via Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat), and has a REST API for custom integrations. If your tool exists, CMART can almost certainly talk to it.
Can my clients reschedule or cancel their own appointments?
+Yes. Every booking confirmation email and SMS includes a reschedule link and a cancellation link. Clients can self-serve without contacting you. You can set rules for how far in advance they can reschedule or cancel — for example, no cancellations within 24 hours of the appointment.
AI Tools
What AI tools does CMART include?
+CMART Pro and Scale plans include four AI tools:
• AI Receptionist — answers inbound calls 24/7, qualifies leads, and books appointments
• AI Chat Widget — responds to website visitors instantly, captures leads automatically
• AI Content Writer — generates email campaigns, SMS messages, social media posts, and blog drafts
• AI Review Responder — automatically replies to Google reviews in your brand voice
AI tools can also be added as an upgrade to Starter and Core plans.
What is an AI Receptionist and how does it work?
+Your AI Receptionist is a voice AI that answers your business phone number around the clock. When a client calls, the AI greets them in your brand voice, answers common questions from a knowledge base you train it with, qualifies the caller as a lead, and books appointments directly into your CMART calendar. It transfers complex queries to you. You never miss a call — even at 11pm on a Saturday.
Does the AI Receptionist work in South Africa?
+Yes. The AI Receptionist works with South African phone numbers and is configured for SA business contexts. You can train it with your specific services, pricing, location, FAQ answers, and any information relevant to your business. It operates in English and can be configured for other South African languages.
Can I customise what the AI Chat Widget says?
+Yes. You write the initial greeting, set the personality and tone, build a knowledge base of FAQ answers, and define what happens when a lead is captured (which pipeline they enter, which automation triggers). The AI responds to questions outside your knowledge base using general AI capability and always offers to connect the visitor to your team.
Will the AI tools replace my staff?
+No — and they are not designed to. AI tools handle first contact, repetitive enquiries, after-hours calls, and routine content creation. They free your human team to focus on the work that requires real relationships and expertise. Think of them as your 24/7 first-response team, not a replacement for the people who deliver your service.
Is the AI content writer able to write in my brand voice?
+Yes. You can give the AI Content Writer a brand voice brief — your tone, your typical language, what you avoid, examples of your existing writing. Over time it learns your style. For best results, review and lightly edit AI-generated content before sending — the AI is a very fast first drafter, not a final publisher.
Which plans include AI tools?
+AI tools are included natively in Pro and Scale plans. Starter and Core users can add AI tools as a paid upgrade. Contact our team on WhatsApp for current AI add-on pricing.
Security & Data
Is CMART POPIA compliant?
+Yes. CMART is built with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) compliance in mind. All data is handled in accordance with POPIA requirements — including consent management, data subject rights, and secure processing. We include an unsubscribe mechanism in all marketing communications and provide data export and deletion on request.
Is my data secure?
+Yes. CMART runs on GoHighLevel's infrastructure, which is SOC 2 Type II compliant — the same security standard used by enterprise software globally. All data is encrypted in transit via SSL and encrypted at rest. Access to your account is protected by password authentication with two-factor authentication (2FA) available.
Who owns my data?
+You do. Your client data, your content, and your configurations belong to you. CMART does not sell your data to third parties, use it for advertising, or share it outside of what is required to operate the platform. You can export your contacts, campaigns, and data at any time from your account.
What happens to my data if I cancel my CMART account?
+When you cancel, your data remains accessible for 30 days after your subscription ends. During this window you can export all contacts, campaigns, automations, and content. After 30 days, your account and all associated data are permanently deleted from our servers. We recommend exporting everything before cancellation.
Are my clients' payment details stored securely?
+Yes. Payment processing is handled by PayFast, Stripe, or PayPal — all PCI DSS compliant payment processors. CMART does not store raw credit card details on its servers. Payment tokenisation ensures your clients' card data is never exposed to us.
Can I control what each team member can see and do?
+Yes. CMART has role-based access control. You can set permissions per team member — for example, a staff member can see and manage their own calendar only, while an admin can access all CRM data and settings. You define the access level when you invite a team member.
Setup & Support
How do I get support if I'm stuck?
+CMART support is available through three channels:
• WhatsApp — chat with our SA-based team (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm SAST). Typically respond within 2 hours.
• Help Centre — 120+ articles at cmart-app.co.za/help
• Book a support call — 30-minute screen-share session with our team
We do not use offshore support bots. You speak to a real South African team member who understands your business context.
Do you offer a Done-For-You setup service?
+Yes. We offer two setup packages:
• CMART Quick Start (R2,500 once-off) — 60-minute onboarding call, account configured to your niche, SMART Website template applied, first calendar created and tested, 5 core automations activated, WhatsApp connected. Completed within 48 hours.
• CMART Full Platform Setup (R5,500 once-off) — everything in Quick Start plus full pipeline configuration, 15+ automation workflows, email template design, CRM contact import, AI Receptionist scripted and activated, GMB connected, and 30 days of post-setup WhatsApp support.
Can I set up CMART myself without help?
+Absolutely — and most users do. The platform is designed to be self-serve. The Beginner Learning Path in our Learning Hub walks you through setup step by step. Most users are live with a booking calendar and their first automation within 2–3 hours of starting.
What is the CMART Learning Hub?
+The CMART Learning Hub at cmart-app.co.za/learning-hub is your central resource for learning the platform. It includes structured learning paths (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), video tutorials, recorded and live webinars, platform feature guides, the CMART Vault (free downloadable templates and blueprints), and the CMART Community.
Are there video tutorials available?
+Yes. We have 40+ video tutorials covering every major CMART feature, available in the Learning Hub and on our YouTube channel. New tutorials are added every month. Tutorials range from 5–15 minutes and are screen-recorded walkthrough guides — not presentation slides.
Is there a community I can join?
+Yes. The CMART Community is a members-only space for active CMART users. Connect with other South African service business owners, share wins, ask questions, attend live monthly Q&A sessions, and access CMART Certified recognition when you complete a learning path. Access is included with all active CMART subscriptions.
Can I migrate from another platform to CMART?
+Yes. CMART supports bulk contact import via CSV file. If you are migrating from another CRM, booking system, or email marketing platform, our team can advise on the cleanest migration path. The Quick Start and Full Setup packages both include contact import as part of the service.
Enterprise & Agencies
Do you have an enterprise or agency plan?
+Yes — the CMART Scale plan is designed for multi-location businesses, franchises, and agencies. It includes agency sub-accounts (manage multiple client accounts from one dashboard), white-label options, a dedicated account manager, custom onboarding, SLA-based support, and volume pricing. Contact us to discuss Scale plan pricing.
Can I white-label CMART for my own clients?
+Yes — on the Scale plan. White-labelling allows you to offer CMART under your own brand name, with your own logo, domain, and colour scheme. Your clients see your brand, not CMART or GoHighLevel. This is the same model that Creative Media Agency uses to power the CMART App itself.
Can I manage multiple business locations from one account?
+Yes. CMART supports multiple locations — each with its own calendar, staff, services, and local settings — all managed from a single admin dashboard. This is available on Pro and Scale plans.
Can I use CMART for franchise management?
+Yes. The Scale plan supports franchise structures — a master account overseeing individual franchisee sub-accounts, each with their own data and settings while remaining under the franchisor's dashboard view. Contact our team to discuss franchise configuration.
Is there an affiliate or referral programme?
+Yes. CMART has a referral programme for existing users and a formal affiliate programme for agencies, coaches, and consultants who recommend CMART to their clients. Contact us on WhatsApp for current commission structures and how to apply.
Can I resell CMART to my clients as a digital agency?
+Yes — this is exactly what the Scale plan is built for. Digital agencies can resell CMART under their own brand, set their own pricing, and manage all client accounts from a single dashboard. Creative Media Agency provides white-label partner support including onboarding training, marketing materials, and ongoing technical support. Contact us to discuss agency partnership.
Do you offer custom integrations for enterprise clients?
+Yes. Scale plan clients can request custom integrations beyond what is available natively or via Zapier. We work with your team to scope, build, and maintain custom API connections. Contact us with your requirements for a custom quote.
What kind of SLA is available for enterprise clients?
+Scale plan clients receive a service level agreement covering uptime commitments, support response times, and escalation procedures. SLA terms are agreed during the onboarding process. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
Is CMART HIPAA compliant for healthcare businesses?
+CMART includes enhanced data security settings suitable for health and allied health businesses operating in South Africa. For businesses requiring strict HIPAA compliance (primarily US-based), please contact our team to discuss your specific requirements and the additional configuration steps needed.
How do I get started with a Scale or Enterprise plan?
+Contact our team directly via WhatsApp or email to discuss your requirements. Enterprise and Scale plans are scoped individually — we assess your business structure, location count, user volume, and integration needs before recommending a configuration and pricing structure.
Still Have a Question?
Our SA-based support team is here to help. Chat with us on WhatsApp, browse the Help Centre, or book a call — we typically respond within 2 hours during business hours.
Or take the free CMART Growth Score™ — find out which plan is right for you →