Refund & Dispute Policy

Draft for review — please have a qualified Nigerian lawyer review before publishing.

Last updated: [Date]

This Refund & Dispute Policy explains when refunds happen, how long they take, what is non-refundable, and how to raise and escalate a dispute. It forms part of, and should be read with, our Terms of Service. Capitalised terms have the meaning given in the Terms.

A reminder: Easy Recharge is a reseller of third-party top-up and bill-payment services and is not a bank or deposit-taker. Refunds are returned to your prepaid wallet balance, which is spending value for the services we offer.

1. Our Refund Principle

You pay from your wallet, and the underlying provider delivers the service. So:

  • If a service is delivered successfully, it is non-refundable (you received what you paid for).
  • If a service fails to deliver, you are refunded automatically to your wallet.

The sections below explain how this works in practice.

2. Automatic Refunds on Failed Delivery

If a transaction fails — the provider does not deliver the airtime, data, electricity token, cable subscription, exam PIN, broadband plan, betting-wallet funding, or bank transfer — we automatically refund the full amount to your wallet.

  • Refunds go back to the wallet balance you paid from. We do not, by default, refund to your card or bank account.
  • Most automatic refunds for clearly failed transactions appear in your wallet promptly — usually within minutes.

3. Pending or Unconfirmed Transactions

Sometimes a provider does not immediately confirm whether a service was delivered (a "pending" state). In that case:

  • we hold the transaction briefly while we confirm the outcome with the provider;
  • if it is confirmed delivered, it stands (non-refundable);
  • if it is confirmed failed (or cannot be confirmed as delivered within the provider's reconciliation window), we auto-refund your wallet.

Pending transactions are normally resolved within 24 hours, and in less common cases may take up to 3–5 business days where a provider's confirmation is delayed (for example, certain bank transfers or bill payments).

4. What Is Non-Refundable

The following are generally not refundable:

  • Successfully delivered services — airtime, data, tokens, PINs, subscriptions, broadband, betting funding, or bank transfers that the provider confirmed as delivered.
  • Mistakes in details you entered — for example, the wrong but valid phone number, meter number, smartcard/IUC, betting ID, or bank account that you typed and confirmed. Because delivery is near-instant to the destination you specified, these usually cannot be reversed. We will, on request and where reasonable, try to assist, but we cannot guarantee recovery and may be unable to refund.
  • Cashback or commission value that was reversed because the underlying transaction was reversed, refunded, or found to be fraudulent or abusive.

If a service was delivered but faulty at the provider's end (for example, a cable subscription that the operator failed to activate despite a confirmed payment), raise a dispute (Section 6) — we will investigate with the provider and refund your wallet if delivery genuinely did not occur.

5. Wallet Funding & Withdrawals

  • Funding errors: If you were charged by the payment partner but your wallet was not credited, contact us with proof of payment; once reconciled, we will credit your wallet or arrange a reversal through the payment partner.
  • Withdrawals/cash-out: Returning legitimate, remaining wallet value to your bank account is handled through our supported bank-transfer/withdrawal method, subject to identity verification, applicable limits and fees, and any lawful hold. The prepaid wallet itself is not a bank account and earns no interest.

6. How to Raise a Dispute

If something doesn't look right — a transaction shows failed but you believe it was delivered, a charge you don't recognise, a missing wallet credit, or a delivery problem — please contact us:

  • Email: [support email]
  • Phone: [support phone]
  • In-app: use the Help/Support option on the relevant transaction.

To help us resolve it quickly, include: your registered phone number/email; the transaction reference and date/time; the service and recipient details (e.g., phone/meter/smartcard number); and a short description of the issue and any error message or screenshot.

Please raise transaction disputes within 30 days of the transaction so we can still reconcile with the provider; some providers limit how far back records can be checked.

7. Our Response & Resolution Window

  • We aim to acknowledge your dispute within 1 business day.
  • We aim to resolve straightforward disputes within 5 business days.
  • Where we must reconcile with a third-party provider, resolution may take longer — typically up to 14 business days — and we will keep you updated on progress.

If we find in your favour, we will refund the amount to your wallet (or, where required, arrange an appropriate reversal). If we find the service was correctly delivered, we will explain why, and share the provider's confirmation reference where available.

8. Escalation

If you are not satisfied with the outcome:

  1. Ask for a review. Reply to your dispute and request escalation to a senior support reviewer, who will take a fresh look.
  2. Contact our complaints channel at [support email] (subject: "Complaint — [transaction reference]"). We will provide a final written response.
  3. External options. If we cannot resolve it, you may refer the matter to the relevant Nigerian authority — such as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for consumer-protection complaints, or your bank/card issuer and the payment partner for card or bank-transfer disputes. Nothing in this Policy limits your statutory consumer rights under Nigerian law.

9. Fraud & Abuse

Refunds, cashback, and commissions linked to fraud, unauthorised payment instruments, chargeback abuse, or reward-cycling may be withheld or reversed, and affected wallet value may be frozen pending investigation. We may report unlawful activity to the appropriate authorities. This does not affect genuine refunds owed to honest customers.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified (in-app or by email) before they take effect and will apply going forward. The "Last updated" date above shows the current version.

11. Contact Us

  • Email: [support email]
  • Phone: [support phone]
  • Address: [registered address]
  • Entity: [Easy Recharge Legal Entity Name], RC [RC number]