Refund Policy

1. Overview

We want you to be happy with your cards. This policy explains when and how you can get a refund for paid features on The Card Genie. We process all refunds back to your original payment method via Stripe.

2. Previews

Every card starts with a free preview. You only pay once you're happy with the design and choose to finalise it. If a preview generation fails or you don't like the result, you can retry or abandon the session at no cost. Previews involve no payment, so no refund is applicable.

3. Paid e-card purchases

You are eligible for a full refund on a paid e-card if:

• Generation failed - the AI failed to produce a card (e.g. an error occurred during processing) and you did not receive a usable output.
• Major quality issue - the generated card is clearly broken, corrupted, or unusable (not simply a matter of personal preference).

Refund requests must be made within 24 hours of the purchase. After 24 hours, we may still consider your request on a case-by-case basis, but cannot guarantee a refund.

We cannot offer refunds because you changed your mind about the design, message, or occasion after the card was successfully generated. AI-generated content is subjective, and minor imperfections are inherent to the technology.

Card link expiry. The shareable link to a digital card stays live for a limited time (120 days from purchase by default; longer for Pro scheduled-send cards and event-linked invitations — see the Terms for the full schedule). Expiry of a successfully delivered card after this window is not a refund-eligible event — download or screenshot the card before it expires if you want a permanent copy. Printed cards are physical and unaffected.

4. Printed card orders

When you add the printed add-on, we print your card on 6×4" gloss stock and post it via our UK print partner. Because the card is made to order with your personalisation, standard consumer-rights cooling-off periods for bespoke goods do not apply. You are eligible for a full refund (including postage) in the following cases:

• Print quality issue - the card arrives damaged, smudged, or substantially different from the preview you approved.
• Non-delivery - the card has not arrived within 14 working days of dispatch (Standard) or 5 working days of dispatch (Overnight), and Royal Mail tracking (where available) confirms the parcel is missing.
• Wrong recipient shipment - our error, not a customer-entered address typo.

For print-quality claims we may ask for a photo of the received card. For non-delivery, please contact us within 21 days of the order date so we can investigate with Royal Mail before their claim window closes.

Refunds cannot be offered where the recipient address was entered incorrectly by the customer, or where the customer asks to change the message or artwork after the order has been printed (typically within the first 2 hours of the order being placed).

5. Subscription plans

If you have a subscription plan:

• Within 14 days of purchase - you can request a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of your current billing period. This aligns with UK consumer rights for digital content.
• After 14 days - you can cancel your subscription at any time to prevent future charges. Your access continues until the end of the current billing period. No refund is issued for the remaining days.

To cancel a subscription, go to your Account page or email us.

6. How to request a refund

Email us at support@thecardgenie.com with:

• Your account email address.
• The card or transaction you would like refunded.
• A brief description of the issue.

We aim to respond within 2 business days. Approved refunds are typically processed within 5-10 business days, depending on your bank or card provider.

7. Exceptions

Refunds will not be issued in cases of:

• Account suspension due to violation of our Terms of Service.
• Fraudulent refund requests.
• Chargebacks filed without first contacting us - please reach out before disputing with your bank.

8. Your statutory rights

This policy does not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or other applicable UK consumer protection laws.

9. Contact

Questions about refunds? Email us at support@thecardgenie.com.