Refund Policy
Effective date: 12 November 2026
Last updated: 12 November 2026
This Refund Policy explains when and how you can get your money back for credit bought on Studio Router. It forms part of our Terms of Service. Capitalised terms have the meaning given in the Terms.
We have tried to keep this simple: unused credit is refundable, spent credit is not, and the service fee is not refunded except where the law requires otherwise.
1. The short version
| What | Refundable? |
|---|---|
| Unused credit from a top-up | Yes, on request, if it has not expired |
| Credit you have already spent on generations | No |
| The service fee added to a top-up | No, except where applicable law requires it |
| A failed, blocked or empty generation | You are not charged, so there is nothing to refund |
| A generation you simply do not like | No |
| Promotional, bonus or referral credit | No, and it has no cash value |
| A duplicate or unauthorised charge | Yes, after we investigate |
| A top-up we cancel for our own reasons | Yes, in full, including the service fee |
2. How credit works
2.1 Studio Router is prepaid. You buy credit, and each generation is charged against it at the provider's cost, with no markup. We make our revenue from the service fee on each top-up, not from the generation.
2.2 When you submit a job, we place a temporary hold on your balance for the estimated cost. When the job finishes, we charge the actual provider cost and release the rest. If the job fails, is blocked by moderation or produces no usable output, we release the hold in full and you are not charged.
2.3 Credit expires 12 months after the date you buy it. Expired credit is removed from your balance and is not refundable. Credit is not transferable.
3. Refunds of unused credit
3.1 You can ask for a refund of unused credit at any time before it expires. "Unused" means credit that is still in your balance and has not been spent on a generation.
3.2 We will normally refund the unused part of a top-up on request. We may decline a refund if:
(a) the credit has already been spent;
(b) the credit has expired;
(c) the request is repeated or clearly intended to abuse the refund process;
(d) the account was used for fraud or a breach of the Terms; or
(e) a chargeback has been opened for the same payment.
3.3 Because credit is fungible, we attribute a refund to the most recent top-up first, and only up to the amount of credit you bought in that top-up. We do not refund more than your current balance.
3.4 The service fee is not refunded. It covers payment processing and the cost of setting up and running your account, and those costs are incurred when you top up. For example, if you bought $50 of credit, paid a $3 service fee, used $20, and asked for a refund, you would get $30 back and the $3 service fee would be kept. This example is illustrative; the rate that applies is the one shown at checkout.
3.5 If applicable law gives you a right to a fuller refund, that law overrides this section.
4. What we do not refund
4.1 Spent credit. Once a generation has run and been charged, the credit is spent. This includes outputs you do not like, do not use, or decide are not what you expected. Generative models are probabilistic; a different result is not by itself a defect.
4.2 The service fee, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
4.3 Promotional, bonus and referral credit. It has no cash value, is not refundable, and may be removed if you close your account or breach the Terms.
4.4 Accounts terminated for breach. If we terminate your account because you breached the Terms or the Content Policy, we may forfeit unused credit to the extent the law allows. We will consider a refund of unused credit case by case where the breach was not serious.
4.5 Taxes already remitted. Where we have already paid tax on your purchase, we may not be able to refund that amount unless the law allows us to reclaim it.
4.6 Bank and card fees. Your bank or card issuer may charge foreign transaction or conversion fees. We do not receive those fees and cannot refund them.
5. Failed or blocked generations
5.1 If a job fails, is blocked by moderation, or produces no usable output, we release the hold and you are not charged. There is nothing to refund.
5.2 If a job was charged but the output is missing, corrupted or cannot be downloaded, contact us. We will check the provider's record and, if the job did not deliver, refund the charge in credit or to your original payment method.
5.3 If a provider charges us for a job that failed on its side, we do not pass that cost on to you.
6. How to request a refund
6.1 Email support@studiorouter.com from the email address on your account. Include:
- your account email;
- the date and amount of the top-up;
- the Stripe receipt or payment ID, if you have it;
- which top-up you want refunded; and
- optionally, the reason.
6.2 We may ask for information to verify your identity or the payment. We will not ask for your full card number or your password.
6.3 We aim to decide within 5 business days. If we need more information, we will tell you what we need.
6.4 Please contact us before opening a chargeback. A chargeback usually takes longer, freezes your account, and may cost more than a refund.
7. How refunds are paid
7.1 Approved refunds are paid to the original payment method through Stripe. We cannot refund to a different card or bank account.
7.2 We usually issue the refund within 5 business days of approval. Stripe and your bank then take their own time to post it, typically 5 to 10 business days. We will send you a confirmation when we issue it.
7.3 Refunds are made in the currency you were charged. If exchange rates have moved, or your bank charges a conversion fee, the amount you receive may differ. We do not cover that difference.
7.4 If your balance is negative, we may apply the refund to the negative balance first. If the refund is for a payment that was already charged back, we will not refund it again.
7.5 If we cancel a top-up for our own reasons before you use it, we will refund the full amount we received, including the service fee.
8. Chargebacks and disputes
8.1 A chargeback is a dispute you open with your card issuer, not with us. It is not the same as a refund request.
8.2 If you open a chargeback, we may freeze your account, revoke API keys, and claw back the credit from the disputed top-up. If the credit has been spent, your balance may go negative and you will owe the difference.
8.3 We will contest a chargeback where we have evidence that the charge was valid, including your acceptance of the Terms, the top-up record, and the generation logs. If we win, the disputed amount is returned to us and the credit may be restored. If we lose, you remain responsible for the amount, and for any dispute fees charged by Stripe where the Terms or the law allow us to pass them on.
8.4 If you believe a charge is unauthorised, contact us and your bank promptly. We will cooperate with the investigation and, where appropriate, refund the charge directly.
9. Account closure and service discontinuation
9.1 You can close your account at any time by emailing support@studiorouter.com. When you close it, you can ask for a refund of unused credit, or ask us to keep the credit until it expires if you may return. We will not delete credit without telling you. We may close an account that has been inactive for more than 12 months, after notice, and refund any unused credit that has not expired.
9.2 If we discontinue the Service, we will give at least 30 days' notice where practical and refund unused credit that has not expired on request. The service fee is not refunded, except where applicable law requires it.
9.3 If we terminate your account for breach, section 4.4 applies.
9.4 Closing your account does not affect payments already due, chargebacks, or records we must keep by law.
10. Promotional credit
10.1 Promo codes, referral credits, beta credits and goodwill credits are free credit. They are not money, are not refundable, and cannot be exchanged for cash.
10.2 Promotional credit may have an expiry date or other conditions, which we will show when we issue it. If your account is closed or terminated, unused promotional credit is removed.
10.3 If you receive a refund for a top-up that also earned promotional credit, we may remove the promotional credit.
11. Changes to this policy
11.1 We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always on this page, with the effective date at the top.
11.2 For material changes, we will give notice by email or in the Service at least 14 days before the change takes effect, unless the change is required by law or is urgent. Changes do not apply to a top-up you made before the change.
11.3 If you do not agree to a change, you may stop using the Service and request a refund of unused credit that has not expired under this policy.
12. Contact
Studio Router
support@studiorouter.com
Discord: discord.gg/FcbrZwYCD