Refund Policy

When and how ShelfPic processes refunds for subscriptions, top-up packs, credits, and failed generations.
Effective: May 21, 2026Updated: May 23, 2026Version: 1.0.1

1. Overview

This Refund Policy describes the circumstances under which ShelfPic issues refunds, how to request a refund, and the timing and form refunds take. This Policy is incorporated by reference into the Terms of Service and should be read alongside the credits and subscription rules in Sections 8 through 10 of the Terms.

ShelfPic is committed to fair and transparent billing. We do not treat every purchase as final and irrevocable, and this Policy describes the cases in which we do refund. Where the consumer-protection law of your jurisdiction provides additional rights beyond this Policy (for example, the EU consumer "right of withdrawal", California's automatic-renewal disclosure rules, or UK Consumer Rights Act remedies), those rights apply in addition to the protections described here.

Important: This Policy uses the following terms as defined in the Terms of Service: Account, Plan, Subscription, Credits, Credit Bucket, Boost Pack, Generated Content, and Uploaded Content. "Initial purchase" means the first time you purchase a paid Subscription on your Account; renewals are not initial purchases.

2. Subscription Refunds

2.1 14-Day Satisfaction Guarantee (Initial Purchase Only)

When you make your initial purchase of a paid Subscription (Starter, Creator, or Business; monthly or annual), you may request a full refund within fourteen (14) days of the purchase date, subject to the conditions in Sections 2.1.1–2.1.3 below.

2.1.1 Credit-Consumption Threshold

You may receive a full refund only if less than fifty percent (50%) of the Plan's monthly credit allotment (or, for annual plans, less than fifty percent (50%) of the first monthly slice) has been consumed at the time the refund request is received.

  • For monthly plans, this means less than 50% of the monthly_credits value listed on the pricing page (e.g., Creator monthly = 1,400 credits → must have consumed less than 700 credits).
  • For annual plans, this means less than 50% of the first monthly slice (e.g., Creator annual first slice = 1,400 credits → must have consumed less than 700 credits).
  • If you have consumed 50% or more, the refund is not available under this Section. You may continue to use the Subscription for the remainder of the cycle and cancel future renewals per Section 2.4.

2.1.2 Renewal Charges Are Not Initial Purchases

The 14-day satisfaction guarantee applies only to the very first paid Subscription on your Account. Subsequent renewal charges on the same Plan, upgrades, or downgrades do not create a new 14-day window. If you wish to avoid charges at the next renewal, cancel under Section 2.4 before the renewal date.

2.1.3 Good-Faith Use Required

The 14-day satisfaction guarantee is intended for Users who in good faith tried the Service and found it did not meet their needs. We may decline to issue a refund where:

  • The Account shows patterns indicating subscription was made solely to obtain Generated Content with intent to refund (e.g., immediate maximum credit consumption followed by a refund request);
  • The User has previously been refunded under this Section on a prior or concurrent Account;
  • The Account is subject to a current investigation for AUP or fraud reasons.

2.2 Annual Plan Cancellations

If you cancel an annual Subscription after the 14-day window:

  • Your Subscription remains active through the end of the current annual term;
  • You continue to receive monthly credit slices through the end of the term;
  • The current annual term is not refunded in cash;
  • Any unused credits in the monthly and rollover buckets are forfeited at the end of the annual term;
  • Future renewals are canceled.

This means you keep the benefit of the annual discount and Smooth Mode through the full year you paid for, but no partial-cycle cash refund is available outside the 14-day window. Boost Pack credits in the topup bucket remain available subject to Section 3.

2.3 Monthly Plan Cancellations

If you cancel a monthly Subscription after the 14-day window:

  • Your Subscription remains active through the end of the current monthly cycle;
  • You continue to be able to use the Service through the end of the cycle;
  • The current monthly cycle is not refunded in cash;
  • Any unused credits in the monthly bucket are forfeited at the end of the cycle;
  • Future renewals are canceled.

2.4 How to Cancel a Subscription

You can cancel a Subscription:

  • From the Account settings dashboard at any time;
  • By emailing [email protected] with the subject "Cancel Subscription" and your Account email.

Cancellation processes the same regardless of channel. You will continue to have Service access through the end of the paid cycle.

2.5 Plan Downgrades

A downgrade (e.g., Business → Creator) takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle, not immediately. No refund is issued for the difference between the higher and lower Plan during the current cycle. At the start of the new cycle, you begin receiving the lower Plan's credit allotment.

2.6 Plan Upgrades

An upgrade (e.g., Starter → Creator) takes effect immediately when you confirm the upgrade. You are charged a prorated amount for the remainder of the current cycle at the new Plan's pricing, less a credit for the prorated unused portion of the lower Plan. The full credit allotment of the new Plan is granted upon upgrade.

If you regret an upgrade and request a refund within fourteen (14) days, we may at our discretion issue a partial refund of the upgrade differential if less than 50% of the additional credits have been consumed. This is evaluated case-by-case.

3. Boost Pack Refunds

Boost Packs (Image Boost, Studio Boost, Video Boost, Campaign Pack) are one-time purchases of credits to the topup bucket. Credits in the topup bucket never expire while your Account is active and are consumed only after monthly and rollover credits are exhausted.

3.1 General Non-Refundability

Because Boost Pack credits never expire and offer ongoing value, Boost Packs are non-refundable once credits have been issued to your Account. This applies whether you have used the credits or not.

You always retain access to the credits and may use them at any time while your Account remains active.

3.2 Exceptions

We will refund a Boost Pack in the following cases:

  • Duplicate charge: if you were billed twice for the same Boost Pack due to a Service or payment-processor error.
  • Fraudulent charge: if you can demonstrate that the charge was made without your authorization (e.g., a third party gained access to your Account).
  • Service error: if our system charged you but did not credit your Account, we will either credit the Account or refund the charge.

To claim these exceptions, contact [email protected] within thirty (30) days of the charge with your order ID and a description of the issue.

3.3 Boost Pack on Terminated Account

If your Account is terminated by us for cause (per Section 11.3 of the Terms of Service), Boost Pack credits in the topup bucket are forfeited without refund.

If your Account is terminated by us without cause (per Section 11.4 of the Terms of Service), unused Boost Pack credits are refunded to your original payment method at a value equal to their original purchase price.

4. Credit Refunds

4.1 Already-Consumed Credits

Credits that have been consumed (settled to a successful generation) are non-refundable. Once you have received the Generated Content, the credit cost is final. Dissatisfaction with the aesthetics, style, or fitness-for-purpose of a successful Generated Content output is not a refundable event.

4.2 Failed Generations

Credits reserved or settled for a generation that failed are automatically refunded to the originating Credit Bucket. The Service uses a reserve → settle → refund model: credits are reserved at request submission, settled on success, and fully refunded on failure.

"Failed" includes:

  • AI Provider errors or timeouts during your generation;
  • Internal Service errors that prevent the generation from completing;
  • Safety-system rejections by the Service or an AI Provider that decline to produce output (subject to Section 4.3);
  • Network errors during delivery of the generated asset.

Failed-generation refunds are processed automatically by the Service and do not require a manual request.

4.3 Safety-Rejected Generations

If your generation is rejected by Service-side or AI Provider safety systems before output is produced, the credit cost is refunded automatically. Repeated safety-rejected requests may trigger a review under the Acceptable Use Policy but do not result in lost credits in normal cases.

4.4 System Error Refunds

Where the Service experiences an outage, data loss, or other systemic issue that affects your usage in a measurable way, we may:

  • Refund affected credit reserves automatically;
  • Issue compensatory credits to your Account proactively;
  • Reach out via email or in-product notice if your Account was affected and explain the resolution.

For systemic outages, no manual refund request is necessary; we will process compensation Service-wide.

5. Chargeback Policy

5.1 Contact Us First

If you dispute a charge from ShelfPic on your payment statement, please contact us first at [email protected]. Most disputes are caused by misunderstandings (an unrecognized renewal, a forgotten subscription, a Plan upgrade billed mid-cycle) and we can usually resolve them within five (5) Business Days.

5.2 Chargeback Consequences

If you initiate a chargeback through your bank or payment-card issuer without first contacting us, we may:

  • Treat the chargeback as a unilateral cancellation;
  • Suspend your Account pending the chargeback's resolution;
  • Permanently terminate the Account if the chargeback is successful and not subsequently rescinded, and bar future use of the Service from the same individual.

We may also dispute chargebacks we believe are unjustified. In such cases, we will provide our payment processor with evidence of the User's activity, Generated Content delivered, and your acceptance of the Terms of Service.

5.3 Reversed Chargebacks

If a chargeback is reversed (i.e., your card issuer rules in our favor), the original charge stands and your Account may be subject to chargeback-handling fees assessed by the payment processor, which we may pass on to you.

6. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund:

  1. Email [email protected] with the subject line "Refund Request".
  2. Include:
    • The email address associated with your Account;
    • The order ID, receipt number, checkout ID, payment ID, or subscription ID of the transaction;
    • The date of purchase;
    • The reason for your refund request (e.g., 14-day satisfaction guarantee, duplicate charge);
    • Any supporting evidence if applicable (screenshots, error messages, statement images).
  3. We will acknowledge your request within two (2) Business Days and provide a determination within five (5) Business Days.

6.1 What We Will Not Refund

We will not issue refunds for:

  • Dissatisfaction with the quality of a successful Generated Content output (use the credit costs in the credits guide to plan your generation budget);
  • Subscription renewals that you forgot to cancel before the renewal date, unless applicable law requires otherwise;
  • Charges more than 30 days old for which no specific basis under this Policy applies;
  • Credits forfeited on a for-cause termination under Section 11.3 of the Terms of Service;
  • Charges associated with use that violates the Acceptable Use Policy.

6.2 Discretionary Goodwill Refunds

In limited circumstances, we may issue a goodwill refund outside the conditions of this Policy where we judge it appropriate to maintain the User's trust. These are evaluated case-by-case and do not establish a pattern of entitlement.

7. Processing Time

7.1 Decision Time

We will provide a decision on your refund request within five (5) Business Days of receipt.

7.2 Refund Method

Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method used for the purchase. If the original payment method is no longer available (expired card, closed account), we may issue the refund as account credit (see Section 7.3) or via an alternative method discussed with you.

7.3 Account Credit Alternative

In some cases, particularly for goodwill refunds or where the original payment method is unavailable, we may issue the refund as non-expiring credits to your Account's topup bucket. You may use these credits as you would any other Boost Pack credits.

7.4 Bank Processing Time

After we initiate a refund, it typically appears on your statement within 5 to 10 Business Days, depending on your bank, card issuer, or payment processor. International transactions may take longer. If you do not see the refund within 15 Business Days, contact [email protected] with your order ID and we will investigate.

7.5 Currency

Refunds are issued in the currency in which you were originally charged. We do not compensate for currency-conversion losses or gains between the original charge and the refund.

8. Non-Refundable Items

For clarity, the following are non-refundable under this Policy except as expressly stated:

  • Subscriptions more than 14 days into the initial period, unless less than 50% of credits are consumed and the User had a reasonable basis to delay (case-by-case);
  • Subscription renewals (cancel before the next renewal to avoid the charge);
  • Already-used credits (consumption is final);
  • Boost Pack credits once issued to the Account (subject to Section 3.2 exceptions);
  • Promotional credits or free-trial credits (these are gifts and are not refundable);
  • Use that violates the Acceptable Use Policy (no refund where termination is for cause).

9. Always-Refundable Items

The following are always refundable, regardless of any other condition in this Policy:

  • Duplicate charges caused by Service or payment-processor error;
  • Fraudulent charges that you can demonstrate were unauthorized;
  • Credits consumed on Service errors or AI Provider failures (refunded automatically);
  • Refunds required by applicable law or regulator order in your jurisdiction;
  • Refunds awarded by a court or arbitrator.

10. Jurisdiction-Specific Rights

This Policy is designed to comply with U.S. consumer-protection law. Users in other jurisdictions have additional rights:

10.1 European Union and EEA

EU and EEA Users have a statutory "right of withdrawal" for distance contracts under Directive 2011/83/EU and national implementations, generally allowing withdrawal within 14 days without giving a reason. However, this right may be waived for digital content delivered immediately if you have given prior express consent and acknowledged the loss of the withdrawal right.

When you subscribe, you may be asked to confirm:

  • You understand that the Service is digital content delivered immediately upon Subscription;
  • You consent to immediate performance;
  • You acknowledge the loss of the statutory right of withdrawal once performance begins.

If you have not consented to immediate performance, the 14-day right of withdrawal under EU law applies in addition to the 14-day satisfaction guarantee in Section 2.1, with the broader of the two applying.

10.2 United Kingdom

UK Users have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. The framework is similar to the EU framework above and applies in addition to this Policy.

10.3 Australia

Under the Australian Consumer Law, you have guarantees that the Service will be of acceptable quality, fit for purpose, and supplied with reasonable care and skill. If we fail to meet these guarantees, you may be entitled to a remedy in addition to the rights in this Policy.

10.4 Other Jurisdictions

We honor mandatory consumer-protection rights in your jurisdiction. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with mandatory law, the mandatory law prevails for Users in that jurisdiction.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time. The current version is reflected in the effective_date and version fields in the document frontmatter at the top of this page.

11.1 Notice of Material Changes

For changes that materially reduce your refund rights (for example, shortening the satisfaction-guarantee window or adding exclusions), we will provide at least thirty (30) days' notice by email or in-product notice before the revised Policy takes effect.

11.2 Effect on Existing Purchases

Refund eligibility for purchases made before the effective date of a revised Policy is governed by the Policy in effect on the purchase date, except where the revised Policy is more favorable to the User.

11.3 Continued Use

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of a revised Policy constitutes acceptance.

12. Contact

For refund requests, billing questions, or to dispute a charge:

  • Email: [email protected] (subject "Refund Request" or "Billing Question")
  • Response time: within five (5) Business Days of receipt

This Refund Policy is incorporated into the Terms of Service. By using ShelfPic, you acknowledge this Policy.