PAYMENT POLICY

## Secure Payment Overview

At SoftGlow Candle, we are committed to providing you with a safe, transparent, and seamless checkout experience. We believe that shopping for your candles and candle holders should come with peace of mind. This document outlines our billing protocols, accepted payment methods, and data encryption standards. Our policy is established to ensure you are informed about how transactions are processed and how your financial data is protected. With adherence to digital commerce standards, we enforce a “what you see is what you pay” structure, with no hidden costs from the moment you browse to the completion of your purchase.

Approved Settlement Methods & Transactional Currency

To ensure transparency and alignment with bank compliance, all transactions on our store are structured around a single framework:

• Transactional Currency: All prices, checkouts, and financial settlements are processed exclusively in United States Dollars (USD).
• Accepted Payment Instruments: We accept major credit cards and debit networks, including:
  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • American Express
  • Discover
• Express Exclusions: To support automated transaction safety and avoid fulfillment delays, we do not accept alternative or manual settlement methods. Under no circumstances do we accept:
  • Personal checks or business checks
  • Money orders
  • Direct bank wire transfers
  • Cash on Delivery (COD)

Network Security Safeguards & PCI Compliance

Your financial privacy and digital protection are a priority. Our website uses security protocols to safeguard your information during the checkout process:

• 256-Bit SSL Encryption: Personal data, billing details, and credit card numbers are transmitted securely via industry-standard 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology. This ensures that your data is encrypted as it passes through the network.
• PCI-DSS Compliance Certification: Our technical infrastructure complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), a global security framework enforced by major card brands.
• Zero Local Data Retention Policy: We do not store, log, or maintain your full credit card information or raw financial data on our local servers. All payment entry fields are processed via tokenized integration through certified, encrypted third-party payment gateways. Our team retains only your basic billing details and the last four digits of your payment card for accounting verification.
• Unified On-Site Checkout: The entire transaction takes place within our verified domain, ensuring you are not redirected to unverified external websites.

Upfront Billing, Taxes & $0 Surcharges

We maintain a stance against deceptive pricing. Every cost associated with your purchase is detailed before you submit your payment authorization.

• Total Cost Breakdown: Your final billing statement at checkout is calculated according to the following formula:

$$\text{Product List Price} + \text{Shipping Fee (If Applicable)} + \text{Applicable Sales Tax} = \text{Total Settled Checkout Amount}$$

• Zero Hidden Fees: SoftGlow Candle has a $0.00 Surcharge Policy. There are no hidden order processing fees, administrative handling surcharges, or automatic subscription sign-ups. The total figure presented on the final checkout screen is the exact amount that will be billed to your card.
• Sales Tax Jurisdiction: As a registered store operating out of Colorado, we are required to collect applicable state and local sales tax for orders shipped to addresses within Colorado. For orders delivered to other states, sales tax will be calculated automatically based on your shipping destination zip code and local tax ordinances.

Transaction Processing & Risk Mitigation

• Immediate Authorization: Your card will be billed immediately upon clicking the “Place Order” button. Once the bank clears the transaction, an order confirmation email with your digital tax invoice will be sent to your registered email address within minutes.
• Declined Transactions: If your payment is declined, no order will be generated, and no funds will be drawn from your account. If this occurs, please verify that your billing zip code matches the address associated with your bank statement, check your card’s expiration date, ensure the CVV code is entered correctly, or contact your issuing bank.
• Fraud Prevention & Security Screening: Our system performs automated fraud risk assessments. SoftGlow Candle reserves the right to place a temporary hold on or cancel any order flagged as high-risk or suspicious. If your order is flagged, our team may reach out via email to request identity confirmation before processing your shipment.

Customer Billing Support

If you experience any difficulties during the payment process, notice an error on your invoice, or require clarification regarding a pending charge, please contact our customer care team using our verified information below: