Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

This policy explains when membership fees paid to Global Research Forum are refundable, how renewals and cancellations work, and how to request a refund. It applies to all memberships purchased through our payment partners (Razorpay, Stripe, and PayPal).

2. Free vs Paid

Creating an account and browsing published research is always free. Paid memberships unlock the ability to publish, receive DOIs, and apply for editorial roles. Because the benefits are digital and become available immediately, the terms below govern refunds on those paid plans.

3. 14-Day Money-Back Guarantee (Premium)

New Premium memberships are eligible for a full refund if all of the following are true:

• The request is made within 14 days of the original payment.
• You have not published an article or had a paper accepted under the membership.
• You have not received membership-exclusive services (e.g., a completed priority review).

Once these conditions are no longer met, the guarantee no longer applies, but you keep full access until the end of your paid term.

4. Annual Plans & Renewals

• Basic and Premium are billed annually.
• You may cancel at any time from your dashboard; cancellation stops future renewals.
• After cancellation you retain access until the end of the period already paid for.
• Partial refunds are not provided for unused time after the 14-day window, except where required by law.

5. Lifetime Memberships

Lifetime memberships are a one-time payment. They are eligible for a refund within 14 days of purchase provided no article has been published and no exclusive service has been used. After this window, lifetime payments are non-refundable as access never expires.

6. How to Request a Refund

1. Email billing@globalresearchforum.org from the address on your account.
2. Include your full name, registered email, and the transaction ID (found in Dashboard → Payments or your invoice).
3. Briefly tell us the reason — it helps us improve.

7. Processing Time & Method

Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method. We initiate refunds within 5 business days of approval; depending on your bank or card provider, it may take an additional 5–10 business days to appear. Refunds in INR are processed via Razorpay; international refunds via Stripe or PayPal.

8. Non-Refundable Situations

• The 14-day window has passed.
• You have already published an article or had a paper accepted under the membership.
• The account was suspended for a breach of our Terms or Publication Ethics policy.
• Requests based solely on non-use of an active membership.

9. Chargebacks

If you have a billing concern, please contact us first — we resolve the large majority of issues quickly. Initiating a chargeback without contacting us may lead to suspension of the associated account pending resolution.