Payment Policy

01 Introduction & Acceptance

• 1.1 This Payment Policy ("Policy") governs all monetary and Coin-based transactions on the Talkiva Platforms, operated by [Company Legal Name] ("Talkiva", "we", "us"). It must be read together with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which form an integral part of it.
• 1.2 By purchasing Coins, using the Services, or (if you are a Listener) withdrawing earnings, you agree to this Policy. Capitalised terms used but not defined here have the meanings given in the Terms of Service.
• 1.3 This Policy is governed by the laws of India, including the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the Income-tax Act, 1961, and the rules and regulations issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) applicable to our payment partners.
• 1.4 We may update this Policy from time to time; the "Last updated" date above always reflects the current version. Material changes will be notified in-app or by email before they take effect.

02 Coin System (Purchased Coins)

• 2.1 What Coins are. Coins are a closed-loop virtual currency used within the Talkiva app to pay for audio/video calls, chat sessions, and other paid features. Coins are displayed in the app with package names for convenience, but Coins are not money, not legal tender, not an e-wallet balance, and carry no monetary value outside the app.
• 2.2 How to buy. Coins are purchased in-app in fixed packages, processed through our payment partners — Cashfree, Razorpay, and Stripe (see Section 4). The price, the number of Coins, and any taxes are displayed before you confirm a purchase.
• 2.3 Non-transferable. Coins are personal to your Account. They cannot be sold, gifted, exchanged, transferred to another account or user, or redeemed for cash. Any attempt to do so may result in suspension under Section 6.
• 2.4 Expiration. Unused Purchased Coins expire permanently if your Account shows no activity for a continuous period of 180 days (6 months). Signing in or using any feature counts as activity. We will attempt to notify you in-app and/or by email before expiry. Expired Coins are not reinstated or compensated.
• 2.5 Promotional Coins. Free Coins granted via promotions or compensation are spent before Purchased Coins, may carry shorter expiries, and can never be withdrawn.
• 2.6 Balance records. The Coin balance and transaction history shown in your app are the authoritative record of your entitlement, subject to fraud correction under Section 6.

03 No Refund Policy

• 3.1 Final sales. All Coin purchases are final and non-refundable once the transaction is successful and the Coins are credited to your Account. This applies regardless of whether the Coins are subsequently used.
• 3.2 Exceptions. Refunds are available only: (a) where a refund is mandated by applicable Indian law; (b) for failed or duplicate transactions where payment was debited but Coins were not credited — such amounts are reversed to the original payment method within the timelines of the payment gateway (typically 5–7 business days); or (c) where Talkiva, at its sole discretion, determines a refund is warranted for a proven technical failure.
• 3.3 Spent Coins. Coins already spent on completed or partially completed calls/chat sessions are non-refundable in all cases, except where a session failed for a technical fault attributable to Talkiva (assessed case-by-case).
• 3.4 How to request. Eligible refund requests must be raised within seven (7) days of the transaction to [Contact Email] or the Grievance Officer (Section 7), quoting the transaction ID, date, and amount.
• 3.5 Chargebacks. Initiating a chargeback without first contacting us does not entitle you to a refund and will be treated as a payment dispute under Section 6.

04 Payment Gateways

• 4.1 Partners. Coin purchases and Listener payouts are processed by third-party payment gateways, including Cashfree, Razorpay, and Stripe. Talkiva does not store your full card numbers, CVV, or banking passwords; payment instruments are handled on PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure operated by these gateways.
• 4.2 Gateway terms bind you. When you transact through a gateway, you are also bound by that gateway's own terms of service and privacy policy, and by applicable RBI regulations on payment aggregators. Talkiva is not party to, and is not liable for, the gateway's independent processing of your payment instrument.
• 4.3 Processing & failures. Payment confirmation, auto-debit mandates, payment failures, timeouts, and reversals are subject to the gateway's and your bank's processing. If a payment is debited but Coins are not credited, the transaction is automatically investigated by the gateway and resolved per Section 3.2(b) — please allow the gateway's standard settlement window before escalating.
• 4.4 Taxes. Displayed prices may include applicable GST and other levies as per Indian law. Tax components are shown on your transaction receipt where applicable.

05 Listener Earnings & Withdrawals

• 5.1 Earning Coins. Listeners earn Coins ("Earned Coins") for completed sessions with Users, credited after each session per the rates displayed in the app. Earned Coins do not expire.
• 5.2 KYC is mandatory for withdrawal. To withdraw Earned Coins as real currency, a Listener must first complete and maintain valid KYC: (a) PAN card details; (b) identity verification via Aadhaar-based e-KYC or an officially valid document (OVD); and (c) a bank account or UPI ID held in the Listener's own legal name matching the verified identity. Third-party accounts are strictly prohibited. Payouts are processed to the verified account only.
• 5.3 Withdrawal fees. Talkiva deducts a platform fee and/or transaction/payout fee at the time of withdrawal. The applicable fee is disclosed in the app before you confirm each withdrawal. Gateway payout charges (by Cashfree, Razorpay, or Stripe) may also apply and are borne as disclosed in-app.
• 5.4 Taxes (TDS). Listener earnings are taxable income in the hands of the Listener. Talkiva will deduct Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on payouts where applicable under the Indian Income-tax Act, 1961, deposit it with the tax authorities, and issue payout statements reflecting deductions. Listeners are solely responsible for their own income-tax filings and compliance; Talkiva does not provide tax advice.
• 5.5 Minimum payout & timelines. Withdrawals are subject to the minimum balance displayed in the app and are typically processed within the working-day window stated at the point of request, subject to KYC validity and gateway settlement cycles.
• 5.6 Dormant earnings. If a Listener does not withdraw for a continuous period of twelve (12) months, the Account may be placed under review (including re-verification of KYC) before any payout is processed. Earned Coins are not forfeited solely due to dormancy.
• 5.7 No misuse. Earnings generated through self-dealing, fake sessions, or coordinated fraud are void, and payouts on such earnings will be withheld or reversed under Section 6.

06 Fraud & Chargebacks

• 6.1 Fraudulent chargebacks. Where a payment is reversed via chargeback/dispute after Coins or Services were validly delivered, Talkiva may immediately suspend the associated Account(s), reverse Coins earned on the disputed transaction, and withhold related Listener payouts until the dispute is resolved.
• 6.2 Coin forfeiture. Coins connected to fraudulent activity — including stolen cards, self-dealing, fake sessions, bot/automation abuse, or exploitation of promotions — may be forfeited without compensation, and the responsible Account(s) may be terminated permanently.
• 6.3 Recovery. We reserve the right to recover losses (including gateway penalty fees) from the responsible user, offset against any Account balances, where permitted by law.
• 6.4 Reporting. Suspected payment fraud should be reported to [Contact Email]. We cooperate fully with payment gateways, banks, and law-enforcement authorities in fraud investigations.

07 Grievance Redressal (Payment Disputes)

Payment and withdrawal disputes are handled by our Grievance Officer under the Information Technology Rules, 2021 and our Terms of Service:

Include your registered mobile number, transaction ID(s), date, amount, and screenshots where possible. Escalation rights and governing law are set out in the Terms of Service (Sections 14 and 17).