Payment Policy

Effective date: 9 October 2025
Last updated: 04 November 2025

This Payment Policy explains how payments are taken, authorised, and refunded for purchases from AcrossThePondFoods.com (“Across the Pond Foods”, “we”, “us”). It should be read with our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Refund & Returns Policy, and Shipping & Delivery Policy.

Contact: hello@acrossthepondfoods.com

Transparency pledge (for Google compliance):
We don’t hide fees or create surprise charges. Before you pay, we show the total we can calculate (items + shipping + any taxes/fees we can calculate). If your country charges import duties/taxes at delivery and we have not collected them at checkout, we’ll say so clearly.

1) Accepted payment methods

• Major credit and debit cards
• Apple Pay and Google Pay on compatible devices/browsers
• PayPal (if shown at checkout)

If a method isn’t shown at checkout for your order, it isn’t available for that transaction.

2) Authorisation & capture (when we charge your card)

• We may authorise your card/wallet at checkout to confirm funds and then capture (charge) when your order is confirmed or dispatched.
• For some orders, we charge immediately at order time.
• Pre-orders or backorders: we typically authorise at checkout and capture on confirmation/dispatch. If we need a different approach, we’ll state it clearly on the product/checkout page.
• For partial shipments, we may capture for each shipment as it leaves.
• Small temporary test authorisations may appear and drop off automatically.

3) Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) / 3-D Secure

Where required (e.g., EU/UK cards), you may be prompted to complete SCA/3-D Secure during checkout to help prevent fraud. If verification isn’t completed, the payment may be declined.

4) Order review & fraud screening

All payments are subject to automated and/or manual fraud checks. We may:

• request additional information to verify your identity or address,
• cancel and refund any order we cannot verify, or
• refuse suspicious transactions.

This protects customers and our business from unauthorised use.

5) Currencies & exchange rates

• Unless stated otherwise at checkout, charges are in USD ($).
• If your card/account uses a different currency, your bank or card issuer sets the exchange rate and may add conversion fees. We don’t control those rates/fees.
• Any currency shown for convenience is an estimate; the final amount your issuer posts may differ.

6) Billing information accuracy

Please ensure your billing name, address, and ZIP/postcode match your card/account records. Mismatches can cause declines or delays. For security, we may require matching billing and shipping details.

7) Failed or declined payments

If a payment is declined:

• recheck card details, available funds, and any SCA/3-D Secure prompts;
• try another method (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal); or
• contact your bank and then our team if it still fails.

8) Taxes, duties & totals

• The total price we can calculate (items + shipping + any taxes/fees we can calculate) is displayed before payment.
• Outside the EU: your local authority may charge import duties/taxes at or after delivery if not collected at checkout—these are not our fees and are paid by the recipient. We’ll flag this at checkout and in our Shipping Policy.

9) Refunds

• Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method only.
• Shipping fees are refundable only where the return is due to our error or a faulty/mis-described item (see Refund & Returns Policy).
• Some processors do not return their processing fees to us on refunds; if those fees are non-recoverable, they may not be refundable.
• Posting times vary by bank/card network after we issue the refund. We’ll email you a confirmation once processed.

10) Chargebacks & disputes

Don’t recognise a charge? Contact us first with your order number—most issues are resolved quickly.
If you file a chargeback through your bank, we’ll respond with order and delivery evidence. Banks and card networks set resolution timelines and outcomes.

11) Payment security

• Card payments are processed in a PCI-DSS–validated environment by our payment providers (e.g., WooPayments/Stripe, PayPal).
• We do not store full card numbers on our servers.
• We follow industry best practices (HTTPS/TLS, access controls) to protect your data. See our Privacy Policy for details.

We do not claim endorsement or partnership by any card network or platform beyond using them as service providers.

12) Saving payment details

If you choose to save a payment method for faster checkout:

• only a token (not your full card number) is stored securely by our processor;
• you can remove saved methods at any time in My Account or by contacting us.

13) Surcharges, tips & instalments

• We do not add card surcharges or “checkout surprises.” Any mandatory fees we charge are shown upfront at checkout.
• We don’t request tips on retail orders.
• We don’t currently offer instalment plans or “buy now, pay later.” If we add them, we’ll disclose terms clearly before you opt in.

14) Pre-authorisations, holds & cancellations

• Some banks display a hold (authorisation) that reduces available funds until it’s captured or released. Release timing is controlled by your bank.
• If we cancel an order, the authorisation/charge will be voided or refunded. If you still see a pending hold after our cancellation notice, your bank will release it per their timelines.

15) Overcharges & duplicate payments

If you believe you were overcharged or charged twice:

• email hello@acrossthepondfoods.com with your order number, date, and the posted amount(s);
• we’ll investigate and correct any error promptly (refund or adjustment).

16) Statement descriptor

Charges generally appear on your statement as “ACROSS THE POND FOODS” or similar. If you see a different descriptor, contact us and we’ll confirm.

17) Changes to this policy

We may update this policy periodically. We’ll post updates here with a new Last updated date. Material changes will be highlighted where appropriate.