Payments, refunds & payouts
This payment, cancellation, refund, and payout policy applies to bookings and sitter-related payments on NeighborPaws. Physical product shop orders are processed via Shopify and are also described under /shop-legal.
1. Payment provider Stripe
Online payments are processed by Stripe. Card data, payment confirmation, 3D Secure, fraud checks, chargebacks, and payouts may be handled by Stripe under Stripe terms. NeighborPaws does not store full card data.
2. Payment timing, Stripe receipt, and custody
A booking may be paid before service starts. A booking is payment-confirmed only after Stripe has successfully processed the payment. The paid booking amount is processed through Stripe and remains within Stripe’s payment infrastructure until release—not on a NeighborPaws operational bank account. After successful payment, Stripe may send the owner a payment receipt to the email on the account. This Stripe receipt is not a statutory invoice. Failed, disputed, or reversed payments may result in booking suspension, further review, or pausing sitter release.
3. Platform fee
NeighborPaws receives the platform or service fee shown in the booking or payment flow. Stripe payment fees are payment-processing costs handled by Stripe as part of payment processing; they are not charged as a separate manual payout fee to users. The “sitter receives” amount shown in the booking flow describes the expected sitter share after NeighborPaws service fees, subject to refunds, chargebacks, disputes, and mandatory rights.
4. Promo codes for platform fees
Promo codes are percentage discount codes for NeighborPaws platform/service fees and can cover at most the relevant fee. An owner promo code reduces only the owner service fee; a sitter promo code reduces only the sitter service fee charged by NeighborPaws. The service price set by the sitter remains unchanged. Promo codes are not paid out in cash, are not transferable, and are not paid out later outside the booking or payment flow. If a booking is cancelled, refunded, or payment fails, we may make a promo code usable again after review; there is no right to cash out the discount value. Validity, expiry, redemption limit, first eligible booking, service type, and combinability follow the conditions stored for the code.
5. Sitter release via Stripe Connect
Sitters receive their booking share through Stripe Connect Express and connected Stripe accounts. After successful payment, the sitter share remains within Stripe’s payment infrastructure until release; NeighborPaws does not hold booking funds on its operational bank account. The sitter share is transferred only after the booking is marked completed (owner confirmation or expiry of the post-service review window) and then seven (7) calendar days have passed, unless a dispute, cancel request, or hold applies. Release is processed automatically through our scheduled payment infrastructure. Release may be paused during disputes or reviews. Bank payouts from the connected Stripe account to the sitter’s bank follow Stripe Connect rules; connected accounts use manual bank payout settings. Stripe may require identity, tax, and bank information.
6. Cancellations before care starts
Users should document cancellations as early as possible in chat and in the booking. If service has not started, we review a fair refund based on booking status, costs already incurred, payment fees, and mandatory consumer rights. Refunds are processed after review through Stripe or the payment method used. Individual user agreements should be recorded in chat.
7. Interruption, no-show, and poor performance
For no-show, interruption, poor care, inaccurate information, or incidents, NeighborPaws may request evidence (chat, photos, visit notes, payment data) and review support actions, such as full or partial refund, account suspension, or further safety review. Statutory claims between users remain unaffected.
8. Chargebacks and payment disputes
If a payment is disputed or charged back, we may review accounts, bookings, and payouts and provide information to Stripe. Users must cooperate in the resolution. Unjustified chargebacks, fraud, or platform circumvention may result in account suspension and recovery of costs.
9. Taxes, invoices, and commercial activity
After a successful booking payment, Stripe may send the owner a payment receipt. This does not replace a statutory invoice. For the care service, the sitter issues their own invoice to the owner where required. For the NeighborPaws platform/service fee, NeighborPaws issues an invoice to the owner where legally required. Sitters are responsible for taxes, social security, business registration, invoicing, VAT obligations, and other regulatory requirements. NeighborPaws does not provide tax or legal advice and does not provide payroll.
10. Consumer rights
Mandatory consumer rights, statutory warranty rights, and mandatory liability remain unaffected. Digital platform features, care services between users, and physical shop products may be subject to different rules.
11. Support and timeframes
Payment or booking issues should be reported promptly via Support: support@neighborpaws.com. Earlier reports help preserve evidence. Stripe and bank deadlines may limit handling.