Refund Policy
Last updated: 25 July 2026
What changed: We stated the auto-approval window as 7 days and aligned the dispute window with it, so the numbers match across our policies.
This policy explains when payments are refunded on LaunchValid and how much. It covers marketplace escrow payments (when a founder hires an expert) and subscription and boost payments (when you pay for a plan or extra credits). It works together with the Cancellation Policy, the Dispute Resolution Policy, the Terms of Service, the Buyer Agreement, and the Seller Agreement. LaunchValid is operated by AmpFi App LLC.
Marketplace escrow refunds
How marketplace payments work
When a founder accepts an expert's bid, the founder pays the agreed amount into escrow. LaunchValid holds those funds. They are only released to the expert when the founder approves the delivered work, or automatically 7 days after delivery (the review window) if the founder takes no action. Our platform fee is 12% of the task amount, taken when the payment is released.
When you can get a marketplace refund
You can be refunded before the work is delivered, through a cancellation, or after delivery, through a dispute.
Before delivery (cancellation). A founder can ask to cancel while the funds are still held and the expert has not delivered. What happens next depends on the situation:
- If the expert accepts the cancellation, the founder is refunded the task amount minus the 12% platform fee. This is a founder-requested cancellation, so the platform fee is retained.
- If the expert does not respond within 5 days, the founder is refunded in full. No fee is kept, because the expert did not engage.
- If the expert declines, the case goes to dispute review and our team decides the outcome (see below).
See the Cancellation Policy for the full flow.
After delivery (dispute). Once an expert delivers, a founder who believes the work is materially deficient can open a dispute instead of approving. Open the dispute within the 7-day review window, before the task auto-approves; opening it holds the funds until we decide. After a task auto-approves, payment has released to the expert. Our team reviews the task, the delivery, and the full conversation, then either releases the payment to the expert or refunds the founder. Partial outcomes are possible where the work was partly completed. See the Dispute Resolution Policy.
How much is refunded (marketplace)
| Situation | Refund to the founder | Platform fee |
|---|---|---|
| Expert accepts a founder's cancellation | Task amount minus 12% | 12% retained |
| Expert does not respond to a cancellation in 5 days | Full task amount | None |
| Dispute resolved in the founder's favour | Set by our review team, up to the full amount | As decided |
| Founder approves the work (or it auto-approves) | No refund | 12% taken from the payout |
Refund timing and method (marketplace)
Refunds go back to the original payment method used at checkout. Card refunds usually settle within 5 to 10 business days, depending on the bank. The card processing fee charged at the time of payment may not be returned by the processor; where that happens on a full refund, LaunchValid absorbs it so the founder is made whole.
Subscription and credit boost refunds
How subscription billing works
Paid plans (Starter, Pro, Business) and optional credit boost purchases are billed through Stripe using hosted Checkout, the pricing table on our website, and the Stripe Customer Portal for subscription management. We do not collect or store full payment card numbers on our servers. Current pricing is shown on our website and may change with notice. See Section 5 of the Terms of Service for the full billing terms.
Subscription plan fees
Subscription fees are generally non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or where we expressly state otherwise at checkout.
This means:
- We do not provide prorated refunds if you cancel partway through a billing period.
- Unused monthly credits do not convert to cash. Credits are a prepaid allowance for AI features, not a stored balance you can withdraw.
- If you cancel your subscription, credits already on your account are not deleted, but your plan moves to Free and your monthly allowance stops renewing. The Free plan is a one-month trial that runs for 30 days from when you first created your account, not from your cancellation date. Once that window has passed, AI features are not available on Free, so any remaining credits cannot be spent until you resubscribe to a paid plan. Marketplace escrow is separate and is not affected. See the Cancellation Policy for the full detail.
If you believe a subscription charge was made in error, contact hello@launchvalid.com before disputing the charge with your bank.
Credit boost purchases
One-time credit boost purchases (for example, +500 credits) are non-refundable once the credits are applied to your account.
If you leave Stripe Checkout before completing payment, no charge is made.
Boost credits expire 90 days after purchase. Only the amount above your plan's monthly allowance can expire, and that allowance drops to 100 on the Free plan, so more of a boost balance can expire once you are on Free. Expiry is not a refund; your current boost balance and its expiry date are shown on the Billing page.
Refund timing and method (subscriptions and boosts)
Where a refund is required by law or approved by LaunchValid, it is processed through Stripe back to the original payment method. Timing depends on your bank and typically follows the same 5 to 10 business day range as marketplace refunds.
Chargebacks
If you have a problem with a marketplace payment, open a cancellation or a dispute here first. That is the fastest route to a refund and it keeps a clear record. Filing a bank chargeback instead of using these tools is a breach of the Buyer Agreement.
If you have a problem with a subscription or boost charge, contact hello@launchvalid.com first so we can review the account and Stripe records. Chargebacks without contacting us may lead to account suspension under the Terms of Service.
Questions
Email hello@launchvalid.com.