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Refund Policy

Last updated: 14 July 2026

Overview

This Refund Policy explains when payments on STEM ADVANTAGE may or may not be returned. It should be read together with our Terms of Service.

STEM ADVANTAGE is an online tutoring marketplace. Students pay the platform to confirm tutoring sessions. Confirmed session payments are generally final. Where a refund is exceptionally approved, it is always processed manually by a platform administrator — refunds are not automated and cannot be initiated by students in the app.

Confirmed bookings

A booking is confirmed only after payment has been successfully processed. Once payment is confirmed:

  • The session fee is final and non-refundable
  • You may not cancel an individual paid session for a refund, including if you miss the session or change your mind
  • You may cancel an unpaid booking or unpaid bundle enrollment before payment
  • You may cancel a paid bundle enrollment without a refund; future sessions are cancelled and completed sessions remain
  • Non-attendance by the student does not entitle you to a refund
  • Choosing a different tutor, subject, date, or duration after payment does not create a right to a refund for the original booking

Please check before you pay

Before completing payment, carefully review the subject, tutor, session date and time (SAST), duration, and total amount in ZAR. If anything is incorrect, do not proceed until you have selected the right option.

Failed or incomplete payments

If a payment attempt fails — for example because the time slot was taken by another student, a card was declined, or a gateway error interrupted the flow — no confirmed charge is made for that booking and no refund process is required.

You may try again with another payment method or choose a different available slot.

Special session requests

Special session requests (outside a tutor’s normal availability) are only charged after the tutor accepts the request. If a tutor declines or does not accept a pending special request, you are not charged for that request.

Once a special request is accepted and payment is confirmed, the same no-refund rules for confirmed bookings apply.

Platform or tutor issues

We understand that exceptional situations can occur. While confirmed payments are generally non-refundable, you may contact us if:

  • The session could not take place because of a platform failure (for example, no join link was provided and the session could not proceed)
  • You were charged more than once for the same confirmed session due to a technical error
  • An administrator cancelled a confirmed session on the platform side

How we handle these cases

Reports are reviewed manually by the platform administrator. Where we verify a platform-side failure or duplicate charge, the administrator may approve a remedy at their discretion, such as a replacement session credit or a refund of the affected payment. There is no automated refund flow — any refund must be initiated and completed manually by an administrator. Approval is not guaranteed and does not change the general no-refund position for ordinary cancellations or non-attendance.

How refunds are processed (when approved)

If an administrator approves a refund, it is issued manually by the platform admin through the original payment gateway used for the charge (for example Paystack or PayFast). Students cannot trigger a refund themselves in the app.

Timing depends on the admin completing the manual refund, then on the gateway and your bank or card issuer; it may take several business days to appear on your statement.

Refunds, when issued, are in South African Rand (ZAR) for the amount approved for that specific payment.

Chargebacks

If you dispute a charge with your bank or card issuer, we may provide evidence of the booking and payment confirmation. Unjustified chargebacks may lead to account review or suspension under our Terms of Service.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. The version in effect when you complete a payment applies to that payment.

Contact

For questions about this policy or to report a payment issue, please reach us through the contact page.