Refund Policy

This Refund Policy applies to payments processed through the Absterco Pay platform. It covers two distinct scenarios: refunds of Absterco's own service fees, and refunds of end-customer transactions processed on behalf of our client organisations.

1. End-Customer Transaction Refunds

Absterco Pay is a payment infrastructure provider. We process payments on behalf of our client organisations. The obligation to refund an end customer lies with the client organisation that collected the payment — not with Absterco.

If you are an end customer who paid a business that uses Absterco Pay and you wish to request a refund, you must contact that business directly. Absterco cannot process, approve, or dispute refunds on behalf of businesses we serve.

2. Refunds Initiated by Client Organisations

Client organisations may initiate refunds for their customers through the Absterco Pay API or dashboard. The following applies:

• Full refunds — the full charged amount is returned to the cardholder. Gateway fees paid to Mastercard/Seylan Bank are non-recoverable and will not be credited back to the organisation.
• Partial refunds — supported for one-time transactions. The refund amount cannot exceed the original charge. Gateway fees and Absterco commissions are not pro-rated on partial refunds.
• Subscription refunds — individual billing cycles may be refunded. Cancellation of a subscription does not automatically trigger a refund of any billed amount.
• Timeframe — refund requests must be submitted within 120 days of the original transaction date. This limit is enforced by Mastercard scheme rules and the acquiring bank; requests beyond this window will be declined by the gateway. After 120 days, disputes must go through the card network's chargeback process.
• Processing time — once submitted, refunds are typically reflected on the cardholder's statement within 5–10 business days depending on the issuing bank.

3. Absterco Service Fee Refunds

Absterco's commission fees — deducted from settled amounts — are generally non-refundable once a transaction has been captured and settled.

Exceptions may be considered in the following circumstances:

• A transaction was processed due to a verified platform error on Absterco's side.
• A duplicate charge occurred due to a system fault attributable to Absterco.
• A charge was processed after a valid cancellation request was received and acknowledged.

Fee credit requests must be submitted in writing to info@absterco.com within 30 days of the disputed charge, with supporting evidence. Absterco will review and respond within 10 business days.

4. Non-Refundable Items

• Mastercard and Seylan Bank gateway fees — these are third-party costs passed through at cost.
• Chargeback fees imposed by the card network.
• Fees for completed settlements that have already been disbursed.
• Onboarding or setup fees, if applicable under your service agreement.

5. Chargebacks

If a cardholder initiates a chargeback through their bank, Absterco will notify the client organisation and provide the opportunity to contest the chargeback with evidence. The client organisation is responsible for responding within the timeframe stipulated by Mastercard rules. Absterco will facilitate but cannot guarantee chargeback outcomes.

6. How to Request a Refund or Credit

• Transaction refunds — use the Absterco Pay dashboard or API (POST /api/v1/charges/{id}/refund).
• Service fee credits — email info@absterco.com with your organisation name, transaction IDs, and reason.
• General disputes — email info@absterco.com.

7. Changes to This Policy

Absterco reserves the right to update this Refund Policy. Material changes will be communicated with at least 14 days' notice via email or the dashboard. Your continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance.