This Refund & Dispute Policy describes how refunds, returns, and disputes are handled across the Clear Finance payments platform. Clear Finance provides infrastructure for merchants to accept payments — we are not, in most cases, the merchant of record selling goods or services to consumers. This Policy explains the obligations of merchants on our platform, the rights of cardholders, and the role of Clear Finance.
For cardholders
If you purchased goods or services from a merchant whose payments are processed through Clear Finance, your refund and return rights are governed primarily by the merchant's own published refund policy and by the operating rules of the card network you used.
- Contact the merchant first. Refund and return requests should be directed to the merchant from whom you purchased. Their published refund policy controls the process and any deadlines.
- Unable to reach the merchant? If the merchant is unresponsive or you believe a transaction was unauthorized, contact your card-issuing bank to initiate a chargeback. The card networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) have established procedures and timelines for these claims.
- Need help identifying a charge? Statement descriptors on our platform identify the merchant. If you cannot identify a charge, you may contact us at support@theclearfinance.com and we will help route your inquiry to the correct merchant.
For merchants on the platform
Merchants accepting payments through Clear Finance are required to maintain a clear, publicly available refund and return policy and to honor it consistently. The minimum requirements are:
- A published refund policy. Your refund policy must be visible at the point of sale or before checkout, must describe what is and is not refundable, and must specify the timeframe within which refunds may be requested.
- Clear product and service descriptions. Customers must be able to understand what they are purchasing, including any digital goods, subscriptions, or recurring charges, before authorizing a transaction.
- Recognizable statement descriptors. You must use a statement descriptor that customers will recognize on their card statement, paired with a working contact method.
- Timely processing of refunds. Approved refunds must be issued promptly, and in any case within ten business days of approval, unless a longer period is permitted by your published policy and by applicable law.
- Cooperation with disputes. When a chargeback is filed, you must provide accurate, timely evidence through the dispute workflow in your dashboard. Failure to respond results in the dispute being lost by default.
Subscriptions and recurring charges
Merchants offering subscriptions or other recurring charges must obtain clear consent before initial enrollment, send pre-transaction reminders consistent with applicable regulation, and provide a frictionless cancellation method. Failure to comply may result in increased dispute risk and account suspension.
Disputes and chargebacks
A dispute (also called a chargeback) is a process initiated by a cardholder through their issuing bank to reverse a transaction. Card-network rules govern dispute eligibility, evidence requirements, and timing. Merchants on our platform are responsible for all dispute outcomes, including any associated network fees and assessments.
- We surface incoming disputes in your dashboard with a deadline and a structured form for submitting evidence.
- Our risk team can assist with strategy and documentation, but the merchant retains final responsibility for the response and the outcome.
- Chargeback ratios are monitored continuously. Sustained ratios above thresholds set by card-network programs (such as Visa Dispute Monitoring Program or Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program) may result in additional fees, mandated remediation, or termination.
Fraud and unauthorized transactions
We use AI-powered transaction monitoring and per-vertical risk models to detect and prevent fraud in real time. If you believe a transaction processed through our platform was unauthorized, contact your issuing bank and notify us at support@theclearfinance.com. We will cooperate with legitimate investigations consistent with applicable law.
Refund processing fees
Issuing a refund is not a cost-neutral operation. When a charge is refunded, the processing partner generally retains the original transaction processing fee — meaning the fee paid on the original sale is not returned to the merchant. In addition, the processing partner may bill a small per-refund cost. Clear Finance charges a refund processing fee on every refund to recoup these processor costs and to cover the operational work of processing the refund (settlement reconciliation, support, and chargeback-prevention monitoring).
- How much.The default fee is equal to the processing partner's refund cost (typically the retained original transaction fee) plus a $5.00 Clear Financeflat fee. Per-merchant rates may be negotiated and set forth in your order form or written agreement.
- How it's collected.The fee is debited from your merchant balance at the time the refund is issued. It does not change what the customer receives — the cardholder or bank account holder is always credited the full refund amount.
- When it applies. The fee applies to every refund, including partial refunds, on every payment rail (Clear Finance card and ACH). The fee does not apply when a refund is canceled or fails to process.
- Disputes / chargebacks. Disputes and chargebacks are governed by their own fee schedule (see the dispute fee in your rate card) and are separate from the refund processing fee.
Clear Finance's services
Fees paid to Clear Finance for platform access, integration support, or related services are governed by the order form or written agreement between Clear Finance and the merchant. Refundability of those fees is addressed in that agreement.
Contact
For platform-level questions about refunds, disputes, or this Policy:
support@theclearfinance.com