Refund Policy

Last updated: 19 August 2026

All payments made to cStudios are final and non-refundable.

By purchasing any plan or making any payment, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to this policy.

1. No Refund Policy

cStudios operates a strict no-refund policy for all payments made for API subscriptions, plan upgrades, top-ups or any other purchases. Once a payment has been processed, it cannot be reversed, refunded or credited under any circumstances.

2. What Is Not Refundable

The following are explicitly non-refundable:

  • Subscription fees for Basic, Pro, Ultra, Mega or any other plan, regardless of whether the plan was fully utilised
  • API requests that returned errors, empty responses or incomplete data due to upstream data source unavailability (government portals, banking networks, etc.)
  • Payments made prior to any planned or unplanned service disruption, API downtime or maintenance
  • Unused API requests or quota that expired at the end of a billing cycle
  • Payments for plans that were not renewed, downgraded or cancelled mid-cycle
  • Accidental or duplicate payments
  • Payments made for features or data coverage that did not meet your expectations

3. Why We Have This Policy

cStudios provides digital API services that are consumed immediately upon delivery of the API key. Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (India), digital goods and services that are delivered electronically and consumed instantly are exempt from mandatory return/refund obligations, as the service is deemed "used" the moment the API key is activated and the first request is made.

Additionally, our pricing is transparent and every API includes a free Basic plan — we encourage all users to test the service before purchasing a paid plan.

4. Service Disruptions & Downtime

Our APIs depend on third-party data sources (e.g., Vahan/ Parivahan, NPCI, GSTN, India Post) that are operated by government bodies and institutions beyond our control.

  • If an upstream source goes offline or returns errors, your API requests may fail. No refund will be issued for failed requests caused by upstream outages.
  • If our own infrastructure experiences downtime (planned maintenance or unplanned outage), no refund will be issued for the downtime period.
  • In cases of prolonged outages (exceeding 72 consecutive hours), we may, at our sole discretion, offer service credits as a goodwill gesture. Such credits do not constitute a refund and do not set a precedent.

5. Cancellations

  • You may cancel your subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle.
  • No pro-rated refund will be provided for the remaining unused period of a cancelled subscription.
  • After cancellation, you will continue to have access until the end of the current paid period, after which your API key will be downgraded to the free Basic plan (if available).

6. Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

If you initiate a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or payment provider without first contacting us, we reserve the right to immediately suspend your API key(s) and account. We will provide evidence of service delivery to the payment provider. Fraudulent chargebacks may be reported to relevant authorities.

7. Free Plan Recommendation

Every API offered by cStudios includes a free Basic plan with a limited monthly request quota. We strongly encourage all users to:

  • Test the API thoroughly on the free plan before purchasing
  • Verify that the data quality, coverage and response format meet your requirements
  • Confirm that the API suits your specific use case before committing to a paid plan

By upgrading to a paid plan, you confirm that you have already tested the service and are satisfied with its capabilities.

8. Contact Us

If you have billing questions or concerns, contact us: