Payment, Cancellation & Refund Policy

Effective Date: [To be inserted on publication]  |  Last Reviewed: 1 July 2026

This document has been prepared with reference to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and general Indian consumer protection principles as understood at the time of drafting. It is provided to assist HappinessCue's operations and has been prepared by an AI system, not a licensed advocate. It should be reviewed and formally approved by a qualified Indian lawyer before public launch, and periodically thereafter as law and platform features evolve.

Note: HappinessCue's payment gateway is not yet live at the time of this draft. This policy is written to reflect how cancellations, rescheduling, and refunds will operate once payments are enabled, consistent with the booking and cancellation logic already built into the platform. It should be reviewed again immediately before payments go live, to confirm it matches the final payment gateway's actual capabilities.

1. Session Bookings and Payment

When a Client books a session with an Expert through HappinessCue, the applicable session fee (as set by the Expert and displayed at the time of booking) is payable to confirm the booking. Once payment processing is enabled, payments will be processed through a licensed third-party payment gateway; HappinessCue does not store your full card or bank account details.

2. Cancellation by a Client

Clients may cancel a confirmed booking through their dashboard, subject to the cancellation window displayed at the time of booking (currently configured on the platform and subject to change by HappinessCue from time to time):

  • Cancellations made within the permitted cancellation window are eligible for a full refund of the session fee.
  • Cancellations made after the cancellation window has closed, or failure to attend a scheduled session without cancelling (a "no-show"), may not be eligible for a refund, at HappinessCue's discretion, save in circumstances described in Section 5 below.
  • The current cancellation window is displayed on the booking screen and on your booking confirmation; please refer to these for the exact time period applicable to your booking.

3. Cancellation or Non-Availability by an Expert

If an Expert cancels a confirmed session, or fails to join a scheduled session, the Client is entitled to a full refund of the session fee, and may be offered the option to rebook with the same or a different Expert. Repeated cancellations or no-shows by an Expert may result in review or suspension of that Expert's account under our Community Guidelines & Code of Conduct.

4. Rescheduling

Both Clients and Experts may request to reschedule a confirmed session, subject to the other party's availability and any rescheduling limits configured on the platform. Rescheduling a session does not itself trigger a refund; the original payment is applied to the new scheduled time.

5. Technical Failures

If a session cannot proceed due to a verified technical failure of the HappinessCue platform itself (for example, the session room failing to connect for both parties), the Client is entitled to a full refund or a free rebooking, at their choice. Technical issues on the Client's or Expert's own device, internet connection, or environment are not considered a platform failure for the purposes of this section, though we encourage both parties to use the pre-session device check feature to reduce the likelihood of such issues.

6. Refund Timelines

Approved refunds will be initiated within a reasonable period of approval and, once initiated, are expected to reflect in the original payment method within 5–7 business days, subject to the processing times of the relevant bank or payment provider, which are outside HappinessCue's control.

7. Premium Membership Refunds

Premium membership subscription fees are generally non-refundable once the billing period has commenced, except where required by applicable law, or where HappinessCue determines, at its discretion, that a refund is appropriate (for example, a demonstrable platform error). Cancelling a premium membership stops future renewal but does not refund the current billing period already paid for.

8. How to Request a Refund or Raise a Dispute

Refund-eligible cancellations under Sections 2–5 above are generally processed automatically through the platform. If you believe you are owed a refund that was not processed correctly, or wish to dispute a charge, please contact us at support@happinesscue.com with your booking reference. Unresolved disputes may be escalated to our Grievance Officer (see our Terms of Use, Section 11) and, if necessary, to your bank or card network under their standard chargeback procedures, or to the appropriate consumer forum under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time, including to reflect the terms of our payment gateway once live. Material changes will be notified to registered users through the Platform or by email.

For refund or cancellation queries: support@happinesscue.com (please include your booking reference).