Draft for review · Effective date: [[OWNER-CONFIRM: effective date at launch]]
Scope
This policy applies only to paid services offered by AI Age Press. Publication in the inaugural journal volume of JAISI and JLAIS carries no author-side fees, so there is nothing to refund for it. Paid services are those listed on the Payments & fees page as they become available.
Refund tiers
Refunds depend on how far the service has progressed when you ask to cancel:
| Stage of the service | Refund |
|---|---|
| Withdrawal before the service begins — e.g. before editorial processing of a paid submission starts, or before a workshop or course cohort begins | Full refund |
| Withdrawal mid-service — e.g. during peer review of a paid submission, or partway through a course or program | [[OWNER-CONFIRM: mid-service percentage]] refund (precedent: 50%) |
| After completion or delivery — e.g. article published with a DOI, certificate issued, or course completed | No refund |
| Duplicate or failed transactions | Full refund on verification |
How to request a refund
Email the relevant journal or the press with your name, the service, the transaction ID, the date, and the amount, and tell us briefly why you are cancelling. We acknowledge refund requests within 48 hours and aim to decide within [[OWNER-CONFIRM: decision window — precedent 10 working days]].
How refunds are processed
Approved refunds are returned through Razorpay to the original payment method. Once initiated, funds typically reach you within [[OWNER-CONFIRM: processing window — precedent 5–7 business days]], subject to your bank or card issuer. The press never sees or stores your card or bank details.
Fee waivers
Where a future journal service carries a charge, any fee-waiver or hardship policy is set by, and applied through, the relevant journal. Waivers are handled separately from refunds and are decided before payment, not after.
Exceptions and grievance escalation
Nothing in this policy affects rights you may have under applicable Indian law. If you are unhappy with a refund decision, you can escalate through the Grievance Officer and process set out on our Contact & grievance page.