Payment, Fees, Payouts, Cancellations and Refunds Policy

This Policy explains how payments, Tailore fees, Studio payouts, cancellations, refunds, disputes, and chargebacks work on Tailore. It forms part of the Tailore Terms of Service and Designer Agreement.

Project-specific terms in an accepted proposal may add detail, but they may not eliminate mandatory legal rights or contradict this Policy where variation is not permitted.

1. Payment provider and merchant of record

Tailore uses Stripe or another provider disclosed at checkout to process payments and payouts. Stripe may collect payment card, bank, identity, tax, and other information under its own terms and privacy policy. Tailore generally receives transaction status and limited payment information rather than complete card or bank credentials.

The merchant of record for a transaction is the party identified during checkout and on the receipt. That party is responsible for the payment transaction, including refunds and disputes allocated to it under the payment setup. Tailore configures the website, checkout, receipts, and transaction disclosures to identify the merchant of record consistently.

Tailore is not a bank and does not provide a licensed escrow service. A staged, delayed, or approval-based payout is not necessarily an escrow arrangement. Tailore will not market the payment feature as escrow unless an appropriate legal and operational structure is implemented.

2. Prices and payment authorization

Studios set or approve project prices, subject to Tailore's rules. Before a Client confirms payment, the checkout or proposal should display the amount due, currency, known taxes, shipping charges, Tailore charges paid by the Client if any, and any other required amount.

By confirming a payment, the Client authorizes Tailore and the payment provider to charge the selected payment method, complete any required authentication, and process refunds, reversals, or adjustments consistent with the transaction and law.

A payment may be declined, delayed, canceled, or require additional verification. A project is not fully funded until the payment provider confirms the required payment. Tailore and the Studio are not responsible for a delay caused by the Client's payment method, bank, authentication failure, or inaccurate billing information.

3. Deposits

A proposal may require a deposit before work begins. The proposal must state the deposit amount or percentage, what it covers, when the Studio may begin work or buy materials, and how cancellation affects the deposit.

Unless the proposal clearly and lawfully states otherwise, a deposit is refundable to the extent it has not been earned through completed design or production work and has not been committed to documented, nonrecoverable materials or other Client-specific costs.

A Studio may designate all or part of a deposit as non-refundable only when the designation is clearly disclosed before acceptance, reasonably relates to actual consultation, design work, reservation of capacity, custom sourcing, or nonrecoverable commitments, and is lawful. A "non-refundable" label does not eliminate remedies for non-delivery, material defects, misrepresentation, fraud, or rights that cannot be waived.

4. Milestone payments

A project may divide payment into milestones tied to defined deliverables or stages. Each milestone should identify the work covered, amount, approval requirement, and effect of approval.

Unless the accepted proposal and interface clearly state a different lawful process, Tailore requires affirmative Client approval before a milestone-dependent release or next-stage payment. Silence is not treated as approval unless a reasonable review period, reminder process, dispute route, and consequence were clearly disclosed before acceptance.

If a Client disputes a milestone in good faith, the parties should use the project workspace to identify the specific issue and requested remedy. Undisputed work or amounts may continue where appropriate, but neither party should use a minor issue to withhold unrelated, properly completed work.

5. Final payments

The final payment may be due before shipment, upon completion, after final approval, or according to another structure clearly stated in the proposal. The Studio must not ship, withhold, or destroy completed work in a manner inconsistent with the accepted proposal or applicable law.

Payment does not waive the Client's rights concerning hidden defects, non-delivery, material mismatch, fraud, or other claims that could not reasonably be identified before payment.

6. Tailore service fees

Unless a separate written program applies, Tailore charges eligible Founding Designers a 7% service fee and other Studios a 10% service fee. The applicable rate, transaction base, and estimated deduction should be displayed in the Studio's onboarding, proposal, transaction, or payout experience.

Tailore may change fees prospectively with reasonable notice. An updated fee does not retroactively change an accepted project. Promotional rates, credits, waivers, and founder programs may be limited by eligibility, time, transaction type, or other disclosed conditions.

Tailore will not charge Clients an undisclosed service fee. If a Client fee is introduced, it must be shown before payment and added to this Policy.

7. Processing fees, taxes, duties, and other costs

Stripe or another provider may charge card-processing, payout, instant-payout, currency-conversion, dispute, or other fees. The party responsible for a fee depends on the payment configuration and disclosure.

Studios are responsible for pricing their work to account for their costs, including labor, materials, contractors, packaging, shipping, insurance, taxes, and Tailore fees. Clients are responsible for amounts clearly disclosed to them, including shipping and, unless otherwise stated, import duties or destination-country charges.

Tailore or a payment provider may collect, withhold, report, or remit taxes where required by law. A tax estimate may change if the shipping address, seller location, product classification, or law changes.

8. Payouts to Studios

Studios must complete required identity, business, tax, and bank verification. Payout availability depends on Stripe, account status, project stages, Client approvals, refund and dispute risk, reserves, currency, country, and applicable law.

A displayed payout date is an estimate. Stripe or Tailore may delay a payout for verification, fraud prevention, legal process, suspected policy violations, negative balances, disputes, refunds, chargebacks, or other legitimate risk-management reasons.

Where the payment structure supports staged transfers or payout scheduling, Tailore may direct payment according to the accepted proposal. Tailore will not keep funds longer than reasonably necessary for the stated purpose, subject to provider rules and law.

9. Payout statements and records

The Studio dashboard or Stripe account should show transaction amount, Tailore service fee, processing or other disclosed deductions, refunds, disputes, and net payout where technically available. Studios are responsible for reviewing statements and reporting suspected errors promptly.

Tailore may correct clerical or technical errors and may offset amounts owed against future payouts where lawful. Tailore will provide reasonable supporting information for a correction or deduction.

10. Cancellation before proposal acceptance

Before a proposal is accepted and paid, either party may close or withdraw an inquiry without a project cancellation charge. A separately purchased consultation, sketch, or design service may have its own clearly disclosed terms.

Closing an inquiry does not authorize either party to use private designs, files, or personal information outside the purpose for which they were shared.

11. Client cancellation after acceptance

A Client may request cancellation through the project workspace and should state the reason. The Studio should respond within the period shown in the interface or, if none is shown, within a reasonable time.

The refundable amount depends on the stage of the project. As a general framework:

• Before the Studio begins paid work or makes nonrecoverable Client-specific commitments, the Client should receive the unearned amount back, less any clearly disclosed and lawful consultation or reservation fee.
• After design work begins, the Studio may retain the reasonable value of completed and delivered design work if the proposal permits it.
• After custom materials are purchased or committed, the Studio may retain documented, nonrecoverable Client-specific material costs if the proposal permits it. If practical, the parties may agree to transfer unused materials to the Client.
• After production begins, the Studio may retain amounts reasonably earned for completed work and documented nonrecoverable costs. The remaining unearned amount should be refunded.
• After completion or shipment, ordinary change-of-mind cancellation may not be available for custom or clearly personalized goods, subject to applicable law and the proposal.

A Studio may not retain more than the amount reasonably earned or committed under the accepted terms. Tailore may ask for time records, receipts, photos, approvals, or other evidence.

12. Studio cancellation or inability to perform

A Studio must cancel promptly if it cannot lawfully or reasonably complete the project. Unless the Client agrees to another remedy, the Client should receive a refund of unearned amounts and amounts allocated to work or materials not provided.

The Studio may be responsible for additional remedies required by law when it materially misrepresented its ability, failed to perform, shipped materially nonconforming work, or caused loss through fraud or willful misconduct.

Tailore may limit or suspend a Studio that repeatedly cancels, fails to deliver, or accepts projects without a reasonable basis to complete them.

13. Mutual cancellation

The parties may agree in writing to cancel and specify how completed work, materials, files, shipping, and funds will be handled. Tailore's cancellation workflow should record both parties' responses and the final agreement.

A mutual cancellation does not prevent a party from reporting fraud, safety concerns, infringement, or other policy violations. It does not waive non-waivable rights unless the settlement is lawful and informed.

14. No-response and abandoned projects

If one party stops responding, Tailore may send reminders, pause the project, restrict further charges or releases, and request a response by a stated date. Tailore should not automatically award all funds to either party merely because of silence.

Tailore may review the project record and applicable law to determine the status of funds still under platform or provider control. Completed work, delivered goods, documented material commitments, Client approvals, and each party's failure to cooperate may be considered.

The Service should disclose any inactivity period before it can affect a project. No-response rules may not override legally required notice, refund, or dispute rights.

15. Delays and missed delivery dates

A Studio must notify the Client promptly when it cannot meet the promised shipping or delivery time. The notice should state the revised estimate and the Client's available options.

When applicable law requires it, the Studio or Tailore must obtain the Client's consent to a delay or refund the unshipped order. If the Client declines the delay, the refundable amount must be handled according to law, the completed work, and any lawful custom-service terms.

A project delay caused by late Client measurements, approvals, payments, address information, or requested changes may reasonably extend the timeline. The Studio should document the effect and provide an updated estimate.

16. Defective, damaged, or materially nonconforming work

A garment may be considered materially nonconforming if it substantially differs from the approved design, measurements, stated materials, quantity, workmanship, or other essential term. Minor handmade variation, normal fabric variation, or a subjective change of preference is not automatically a defect.

Depending on severity, timing, feasibility, and law, remedies may include correction, alteration, repair, replacement, remake, partial refund, full refund, return shipping, or another agreed solution. A Studio must not charge the Client to correct the Studio's own failure to follow the accepted proposal.

The Client should notify the Studio promptly after discovering a problem and provide reasonable photos, measurements, or other evidence. A delay in reporting does not automatically eliminate rights, especially for hidden defects.

17. Fit issues and measurement responsibility

A fit issue is evaluated based on the approved measurements, measurement instructions, fit preferences, ease allowances, design, material behavior, who took the measurements, and whether the Studio followed them.

If the Client provided inaccurate or outdated measurements despite clear instructions and the Studio followed the approved information, the Client may be responsible for reasonable alteration or remake costs. If the Studio took the measurements, transcribed them incorrectly, ignored an obvious inconsistency, or failed to follow them, the Studio should provide an appropriate remedy.

Where responsibility is shared or unclear, Tailore may encourage a practical allocation of alteration, shipping, or remake costs. No outcome is guaranteed.

18. Shipping loss, damage, and non-delivery

The Studio must ship to the confirmed address and provide required tracking. The Client must provide an accurate address and reasonably cooperate with delivery.

If the Studio purchased the label or is the carrier's contracting shipper, the Studio should file and manage the carrier claim. Tailore may request packaging photos, tracking history, delivery confirmation, signature records, address records, or carrier correspondence.

A tracking status of "delivered" is relevant but not always conclusive. The parties should investigate address errors, theft, carrier misdelivery, customs holds, returns, or other facts. Legal responsibility depends on the transaction and applicable law.

19. Refund method and timing

Approved refunds are generally returned to the original payment method through Stripe. A refund may take several business days to appear depending on the payment method, bank, currency, and provider.

Tailore or a Studio should not ask a Client to pay a separate fee to receive a required refund. Currency-conversion differences, bank fees, or exchange-rate changes outside Tailore's control may affect the amount shown by the Client's bank where permitted by law.

If a payment method cannot receive a refund, Tailore will work with the payment provider and parties on a lawful alternative.

20. Partial refunds and credits

A partial refund may be appropriate when the Client keeps a garment with a correctable or limited issue, part of the project was completed, or the parties agree to a price adjustment. The reason and amount should be recorded in the project.

Tailore credits, if offered, are separate from refunds and may have expiration, transfer, and eligibility conditions. Tailore will not substitute expiring platform credit for a legally required monetary refund without the Client's valid agreement.

21. Payment disputes and chargebacks

Clients should first use Tailore support and the project workspace when practical. This can allow the Studio to repair, replace, refund, or provide evidence before a bank dispute.

A chargeback is decided by the payment network or financial institution, not solely by Tailore. Tailore and the Studio may submit transaction, communication, approval, shipping, and other evidence. The Client remains responsible for truthful statements.

A knowingly false, abusive, or duplicate dispute may result in account restrictions and recovery of resulting losses where lawful. This does not limit a Client's right to report unauthorized use, fraud, non-delivery, or other valid grounds to a financial institution.

22. Studio responsibility for negative balances

A Studio may be responsible for refunds, chargebacks, dispute fees, provider fees, or negative balances allocated to the Studio under the payment setup and disclosures. Tailore or Stripe may deduct those amounts from current or future payouts or request repayment.

Tailore will not allocate a cost to a Studio contrary to the disclosed payment configuration or applicable law. If an error occurs, the Studio should contact support promptly.

23. Tailore dispute assistance

Tailore may facilitate communication, request evidence, propose a resolution, or decide how funds still under Tailore's or the payment provider's control should be handled. Tailore may consider the accepted proposal, policy version, messages, files, approvals, measurements, photos, material receipts, work completed, shipping, and conduct of both parties.

Tailore's marketplace decision does not prevent a party from pursuing lawful rights through a card issuer, carrier, regulator, court, or other process. Tailore is not a court and cannot guarantee collection, recovery, or enforcement against a party.

24. Fraud, suspicious activity, and payment holds

Tailore or Stripe may reject, delay, reverse, or investigate a transaction that appears unauthorized, fraudulent, manipulated, sanctioned, unsafe, or inconsistent with platform rules. Users may be asked to verify identity, payment ownership, shipping, business purpose, or project records.

Tailore may preserve funds where reasonably necessary to protect users or comply with legal process. Tailore will not disclose confidential fraud controls if disclosure would undermine security.

25. Mandatory consumer rights

Nothing in this Policy limits rights that cannot be waived under applicable consumer law. Rules for personalized goods, withdrawal, legal guarantees, defects, shipping delays, and refunds vary by country and state.

Where this Policy or a proposal provides less protection than mandatory law, the law controls. Where it provides more protection, the additional protection applies according to its terms.

26. Policy versions and active projects

The version recorded with an accepted proposal governs that project, except for changes required by law or expressly accepted by the parties. Tailore should retain the version number and effective date in the project record.

Policy updates apply prospectively and will be communicated as required.

27. Contact

Questions, cancellation concerns, or payment issues may be sent to hello@tailore.fashion. Include the project or transaction reference, but do not email complete card or bank information.