Refund policy

1. The principle

SevaCart is a technology bridge between devotees and partner institutions (temples, gauseva centres, gurukuls, registered NGOs). When you offer a seva, the temple priest blocks the time, arranges materials (flowers, milk, ghee, prasadam), and prepares to perform the ritual in your name. That commitment of time, material, and devotional intention is not reversible.

For that reason, sevas follow a no-refund principle once the booking window for cancellation has closed. The exceptions below are the only situations in which a refund is issued.

2. When refunds apply

2.1 Cancellation by the devotee

You may cancel a seva before the partner's per-seva cancellation window closes. The cancellation window is shown on every seva detail page beforeyou pay (typical windows: 24 hours, 12 hours, or "cancellation closed"). See the cancellation policy for the full mechanics.

2.2 Cancellation by SevaCart or the partner

If the temple is unable to perform the seva for reasons attributable to the temple or to SevaCart (temple closure, priest unavailability, civil disturbance, force majeure), we refund 100% of the contribution — including platform fee (and GST, when applicable) — within 7 working days from the date the cancellation is confirmed.

2.3 Duplicate or failed transactions

If the payment gateway charges you twice for the same booking, or if your card is debited but the booking does not get recorded (technical failure), the duplicate or stranded amount is refunded within 5 working days from the date the gateway reconciliation confirms the duplicate.

2.4 Donations to causes

Voluntary donations to causes (gauseva, gurukul, orphan support, scholarship, temple renovation) are non-refundable once received by the partner institution. The exception is a duplicate transaction caused by a gateway error, which is refunded under §2.3 above.

3. How the refund is calculated

The total you paid through the gateway is made up of two parts (a third applies once we are GST-registered):

• Seva amount — money paid by you to the partner trust as a religious offering. Exempt from GST under Notification 12/2017-Central Tax (Rate).
• Platform fee — service charge retained by Sevasannidhi LLP for running the platform.
• GST @ 18% on the platform fee — currently not applicable. Sevasannidhi LLP is below the ₹20 lakh aggregate-turnover threshold (CGST Act §22) and is not yet GST-registered. Once we register, the GST line will be added transparently on every receipt.

For devotee-initiated cancellations inside the partner's cancellation window, the seva amount is refunded in full. The platform fee is retained (it covers payment-gateway costs and infrastructure). Once GST registration is in place, the GST on the platform fee will also be retained on devotee-initiated cancellations.

For partner-initiated cancellations (§2.2 above) and for duplicate transactions (§2.3 above), the entire amount including platform fee (and GST, when applicable) is refunded.

4. When you will see the money back

• UPI: typically 2 to 4 working days from the date the refund is initiated by SevaCart.
• Card (credit / debit): typically 5 to 7 working days for the issuing bank to credit your account, depending on the bank and card network.
• Net banking: typically 5 to 7 working days.
• Wallets: typically 2 to 5 working days.

Refunds are initiated through the same payment instrument used for the original transaction. We do not transfer refunds to a different bank account, card, or wallet — this is a Reserve Bank of India payment-aggregator requirement to prevent fraud.

5. How to request a refund

1. Open the order from your order history.
2. If the cancellation window is still open, you will see a "Cancel this seva" button with a live refund-preview showing exactly what you will get back. Use that to cancel — refund is processed automatically.
3. If the cancellation window has closed but you believe the seva was not performed, email support@sevacart.com with your order reference. We will investigate with the partner within 5 working days.
4. If your support request is not resolved to your satisfaction, escalate to the Grievance Officer at grievance@sevacart.com (acknowledgement within 48 hours, resolution within 15 working days under DPDP Act 2023 §13 and IT Rules 2021 §3(2)).

6. What this policy does not cover

• Refunds for sevas that were performed as described but that you were not satisfied with on devotional grounds. Devotional outcomes are subjective and are not warranted by SevaCart or by the partner.
• Refunds for delays caused by force majeure events outside SevaCart's and the partner's reasonable control (natural disaster, government order, civil unrest, internet or power failure).
• Refunds for sevas where the devotee provided incomplete or incorrect personal information (gothra, nakshatra, family details) and the seva was performed against the data provided.
• Cancellation of recurring monthly Sankalpa contributions: future cycles can be paused at any time from your profile; already-charged cycles follow the same rules as one-off sevas.

7. Statutory rights

Nothing in this policy limits your statutory rights as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and the Consumer Protection (e-Commerce) Rules 2020. If you believe SevaCart has fallen short of those obligations, you may file a complaint with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) on 1915 or at consumerhelpline.gov.in.

8. Contact