Refund Policy | ChessHost

This policy covers refunds for tournament credits purchased on ChessHost.app via Paddle, our payment processor. Credits are one-time digital purchases and are not a subscription. Please read this before purchasing.

1. What tournament credits are

Tournament credits are digital goods sold by ChessHost. Each credit unlocks a single chess tournament with 10 or more players on ChessHost.app. Credits are a one-time purchase and are never billed again.

A credit is consumed (used) when you start Round 1 of a qualifying tournament. Creating a tournament, adding players, or editing settings before Round 1 does not consume a credit. Credits expire 3 months (90 days) after the date of purchase. Any unused credits are forfeited when that window closes.

2. Credit packs available

1 tournament credit: $1.99
5 tournament credits: $7.99
10 tournament credits: $14.99

List prices are in US dollars and are processed by Paddle. Where regional pricing applies, prices are shown and charged in your local currency; the exact amount is always displayed before you pay.

3. Credit expiry

Tournament credits expire 3 months (90 days) after the date of purchase. Any unused credits are forfeited automatically when that window closes. Credits are not extended or reinstated after expiry.

The expiry date for each credit pack is displayed in your ChessHost account. We recommend purchasing credits when you have an event coming up soon rather than buying in advance. Expired credits are not refundable.

4. Refund eligibility

Your refund eligibility depends on whether any credits from your purchase have been used:

                Unused credits (none from the purchase spent): A full refund is available if you request it within 14 calendar days of the purchase date and have not consumed any credits from that purchase.
            

                Used credits (one or more from the purchase spent): Once any credit from a purchase has been consumed to start a tournament, the purchase is non-refundable. Credits constitute digital goods delivered at the point of consumption. Partial refunds on credit packs are not available: if you purchased a 5-credit pack and used 1 credit, the remaining 4 credits are not eligible for a refund.
            

                Expired credits: Credits that have passed the 3-month expiry window are non-refundable. Expiry is a known condition disclosed at the time of purchase.
            

Refunds are not available after 14 calendar days from the date of purchase, regardless of whether credits have been used.

5. What happens to your credits when a refund is issued

When a refund is approved and processed, any unused credits remaining from that purchase are automatically removed from your account balance. This happens within moments of the refund and requires nothing from you.

Credits you have already used stay used. They are never charged back or reversed.
Any tournament you started with those credits keeps running normally, with full access to pairings, results, and certificates. A refund never interrupts a live or finished event.
Your balance can never go negative because of a refund. The lowest it can reach is zero.

6. How to request a refund

To request a refund, send an email to contact@chesshost.app with:

Subject line: "Credit Refund Request"
The email address used for your ChessHost account
The date of purchase
Confirmation that no credits from the purchase have been used

We aim to respond within 2 business days. If your refund is approved, it will be processed by Paddle and returned to your original payment method. Processing times vary by payment provider.

You may also contact Paddle directly through their buyer support portal to request a refund or resolve a billing issue.

7. Chargebacks and payment disputes

All payment disputes are handled through Paddle's standard dispute resolution process. If you have a concern about a charge, please contact us at contact@chesshost.app before initiating a chargeback with your card issuer. Initiating a chargeback for credits that have already been used to run a tournament may result in account suspension while the dispute is resolved.

8. Service discontinuation

If ChessHost discontinues the credit system or the service entirely before you have used purchased credits, we will make reasonable efforts to provide refunds for unused credit balances. We will notify affected users by email in advance where possible.

9. Your statutory rights

Nothing in this policy limits or excludes any statutory rights you have under applicable consumer protection law in your jurisdiction.

If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you may have a right of withdrawal from digital content purchases within 14 days. However, by completing a credit purchase you acknowledge that delivery begins immediately (credits are added to your account balance at the time of purchase) and you consent to this immediate delivery. If you use any credits from a purchase, your right of withdrawal for that purchase is lost. Unused credits remain refundable within 14 days as a courtesy policy above and beyond any statutory minimum.

10. Contact

Questions about this policy or a specific purchase? Reach us at contact@chesshost.app or through our Contact page. For pricing details, see our Pricing page.