Payment

This Payment Policy (the “Policy”) governs payment methods, authorization, processing, disputes, refunds,
liability allocation, and fraud prevention for purchases made at EssenceValley.com (the “Website”).
This Policy forms an integral part of the Terms and Conditions of Sale. If any provision conflicts with mandatory
consumer protection law, such mandatory law shall prevail and the remaining provisions shall remain valid and enforceable.

1. General Provisions

1. By placing an order, the Buyer confirms that they are authorized to use the selected payment method and that the payment instrument is not used unlawfully.
2. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Seller will start processing an order only after successful payment authorization and/or receipt of funds.
3. The Seller may, at its discretion and where legally permitted, restrict, suspend, or decline certain payment methods for specific countries, order categories, or risk scenarios.

2. Available Payment Methods

Subject to availability at checkout, the Website may offer the following payment methods:

• Bank cards (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, and other supported card schemes)
• Stripe (card payments and supported integrated methods)
• PayPal
• Paysera
• Other payment intermediaries/processors
• Bank transfer (wire/SEPA or equivalent)
• Cash payments (where expressly offered)
• Payments collected via authorized partners/representatives (where expressly offered)

3. Third-Party Payment Service Providers

1. Electronic payments are processed by independent third-party payment service providers (“PSPs”), such as Stripe, PayPal, Paysera, card acquirers, or other intermediaries.
2. The Seller does not intentionally store full payment card numbers. Card data is handled by PSPs under applicable security standards (e.g., PCI DSS), subject to the PSP’s policies and technical implementation.
3. The Buyer acknowledges that the use of a PSP is subject to the PSP’s own terms, rules, and privacy policies.
4. PSP system logs and transaction records constitute primary evidence of authorization, processing, and settlement status.

4. PSD2 / SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) and Authorization

1. Where required, payments may be subject to Strong Customer Authentication (“SCA”), including 3D Secure or other multi-factor verification methods.
2. If a payment is successfully authenticated and authorized by the PSP/bank (including via 3D Secure), it will be treated as duly authorized for the purposes of order processing and dispute handling, subject to mandatory law.
3. The Seller is not responsible for the Buyer’s failure to complete SCA or for bank/PSP decisions to decline authorization.

5. Payment Confirmation and Order Processing

1. An order is processed only after the PSP confirms successful authorization and/or settlement, unless expressly stated otherwise (e.g., cash on pickup where offered).
2. If a payment is declined, reversed, or not confirmed, the order may be automatically cancelled and will not be fulfilled.
3. The Seller may temporarily hold an order for verification where reasonably necessary for fraud prevention (e.g., address confirmation, contact verification, mismatch indicators, unusual activity signals).

6. Chargebacks, Payment Disputes, and “Friendly Fraud”

1. A chargeback or payment dispute is not a valid substitute for exercising statutory withdrawal rights (where applicable) or for following the Seller’s returns/complaints procedures.
2. If the Buyer initiates a chargeback after the Products have been shipped and/or delivered (as evidenced by carrier records), the Buyer remains liable for the full amount due, subject to mandatory law.
3. The Seller may submit to the PSP/bank all relevant evidence, including order details, communications, fraud-screening data, authorization/SCA records, IP/device indicators (where lawfully used), and proof of delivery.
4. Where permitted by applicable law, the Seller may recover administrative fees and direct costs incurred due to unjustified disputes/chargebacks and may restrict future purchases to mitigate repeated abuse.

7. Bank Transfers

1. Where bank transfer is offered, the Buyer must complete payment within the timeframe indicated at checkout or in the order instructions.
2. If the payment reference is missing or incorrect, payment matching may be delayed. The Seller may hold processing until the payment is identified.
3. If payment is not received within a reasonable period, the Seller may cancel the order without further notice and without liability for non-fulfilment.

8. Cash Payments (Where Offered)

1. Where cash payment is offered (e.g., pickup, partner location), the Buyer must pay the total amount at the time of collection/hand-over.
2. The Seller/partner may refuse to hand over Products until full payment is received.
3. If the Buyer fails to appear for collection or refuses to pay without lawful grounds, the Seller may cancel the order and seek reimbursement of actual costs incurred (e.g., reservation/handling), where permitted by law.

9. Payments via Authorized Partners/Representatives (Where Offered)

1. Where payment is collected by an authorized partner/representative, payment is deemed completed only when funds are actually received by the Seller.
2. Delays, errors, or failures by a partner do not relieve the Buyer of the obligation to pay the Seller.
3. Any dispute between the Buyer and a partner does not suspend the Buyer’s payment obligation to the Seller, unless mandatory law provides otherwise.

10. Currency, Conversion, and Fees

1. Prices are generally displayed in EUR unless stated otherwise. The Buyer’s bank/PSP may apply currency conversion if paying in another currency.
2. Exchange rates and conversion fees are determined by the bank/PSP and are outside the Seller’s control. The Seller is not liable for such fees or rate differences.

11. AML / KYC and Sanctions Compliance

1. The Seller may refuse, cancel, or suspend an order and/or payment where necessary for compliance with sanctions, embargo restrictions, anti-money laundering (AML) / counter-terrorism financing (CTF) requirements, or other legal obligations.
2. The Seller may request additional information to meet compliance obligations and reserves the right not to disclose internal risk-scoring methods or criteria.

12. Limitation of Liability (Payment Processing)

1. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Seller is not liable for PSP/bank technical outages, processing delays, declines, security incidents on PSP/bank systems, or other third-party service failures.
2. The time of payment confirmation is determined by the PSP’s system records.

13. Force Majeure and Financial Infrastructure Restrictions

1. The Seller is not liable for delayed or failed payments due to events beyond reasonable control, including banking restrictions, system-wide outages, sanctions changes, governmental actions, or force majeure events.

14. Contact

For payment-related questions:
Email: info@essencevalley.com