This policy explains how refunds work on the platform. It forms part of the Terms of Service and the Business Agreement.
1. How a refund works
A refund returns money to the payment method used for the original order through the payment processor (Stripe); the platform never refunds in cash or to a different payment method. A refund can be for the full order or for part of it (a partial refund), and is recorded on the order alongside the original charge. It may take several business days to appear on your statement.
Refunding an order reverses the platform's commission on the refunded amount in the same proportion - if half the order is refunded, half the commission on that order is reversed. The card processing fee is not returned by Stripe and is borne by the platform, not the shop.
2. Before a shop accepts the order
If a shop has not yet accepted an order, or declines it, the order is cancelled and refunded in full, including any delivery fee and tip.
3. After a shop accepts the order
Once an order is accepted and being prepared, a refund is at the shop's discretion for the part of the order affected - for example, an item that turned out to be unavailable, or a quality problem with what was delivered. The shop issues the refund, and it is recorded on the order with the reason given. The platform's support team may also issue a refund, for example when an order was never fulfilled.
A refund for a completed, correctly delivered order is handled the same way as any other refund request: through the shop first, and through the platform's dispute process (see below) if the two sides do not agree.
4. Delivery fees and tips
If a delivery never happened - no courier was ever assigned, or the order was cancelled before pickup - the delivery fee is refunded in full. A full refund always includes the whole tip. A partial refund is spread across the order in proportion, so it returns the same share of the tip as of everything else. The platform never keeps any part of a tip, whatever the reason for the refund.
If a delivery was completed and a customer's complaint is about the delivery itself (for example, it arrived very late, or not at all although it was marked delivered), that is raised as a delivery problem through support or a dispute, not as an ordinary refund request, since it may also involve the courier's pay for that job.
5. Substitutions
Where a customer allowed substitutions on an item, a shop may substitute a similar item instead of refunding it; the order records what was substituted for what. If a customer did not allow substitution for an item and it is unavailable, that item is refunded rather than substituted.
6. Disagreements
If a customer, a shop or a courier disagrees about a refund, any party may open a case through the platform's dispute process. Opening a case does not itself move money; a platform staff member reviews what both sides submit and records a decision, and any resulting refund or correction is then processed in the usual way.