Refunds
Last updated : July 2026
This part describes refund principles, expiry, scenarios by mode and the right of withdrawal.
1. Refund principles
- A refund never exceeds the amount actually paid - by the Kifter and, where applicable, by the recipient.
- Where a top-up has been paid, the recipient is refunded first, up to the amount they paid; any surplus goes to the Kifter.
- The service fee is never pro-rated: it is either retained or refunded in full in the cases provided for (see “Pricing and payments”).
- Refunds are processed via Stripe, to the original payment method where possible.
The time for a refund to actually reach your account depends on your bank and on Stripe.
2. Expiry and non-claim
- Claim: the recipient has 30 days from creation to claim the Kift, whatever the mode.
- Validity: a Kift is valid for 12 months from its creation.
- Failing a claim or use within these periods, the Kift is refunded to the Kifter. Reminders are sent before expiry.
3. Refund scenarios (Single Mode)
For a Kift used at a partner business, the main refund cases are as follows.
| Situation | Refund | Service fee |
|---|---|---|
| Kift unclaimed or expired | Kift value, to the Kifter | Retained |
| Cancellation by the Kifter before claim | Kift value | Retained |
| Refusal by the recipient before consumption | Kift value, to the Kifter | Retained |
| Business cancellation, unavailability or price error, before consumption | Kift value, to the Kifter | Retained |
| Error attributable to KiftMe, before consumption | Kift value and service fee | Refunded |
| Non-conformity or fault of the business, after consumption | To the payers (recipient first, surplus to the Kifter) | Retained, except otherwise |
| Banking dispute (chargeback) | Depending on the outcome of the dispute | Depending on the case |
Where the business is at fault after consumption, the corresponding amounts constitute a debt of the business towards KiftMe (see “Businesses”).
4. Refund scenarios (self-service)
In self-service, the Kifter is refunded in the cases where the Kift does not result in a valid payout to the recipient.
| Situation | Refund |
|---|---|
| Cancellation by the Kifter before proof | Kifter refunded |
| Refusal by the recipient | Kifter refunded |
| Expiry (12 months) or unclaimed Kift | Kifter refunded |
| Receipt rejected at validation | Kifter refunded |
| Recipient unavailable beyond the set deadline | Kifter refunded |
| Fraud reported after payout | No automatic refund; an investigation is opened |
Once the recipient has been credited following a validated receipt, the operation is final, subject to investigations in the event of fraud (see “Fraud and sanctions”).
5. Right of withdrawal
Under consumer law, you are in principle entitled to a fourteen (14) day withdrawal period for distance contracts.
However, the immediate creation and sending of a Kift constitute the immediate performance of a service at your request. By requesting this immediate performance, you agree that it begins before the end of the withdrawal period and acknowledge that, to the extent permitted by law, you can no longer exercise this right over the performance already carried out (in particular the service fee).
The unused value of a Kift remains owed to you and is refunded according to the principles and timeframes described in this part, independently of the right of withdrawal.