Refund Policy

1. General Policy

At Mathema Contest, we strive to provide a fair and transparent refund policy. This policy applies to all registration fees paid for individual and team participation in our competitions.

2. Refund Eligibility Timeline

Time Period	Individual Registrations	Team Registrations
More than 14 days before competition	100% refund	100% refund
7-14 days before competition	75% refund	75% refund (minus processing fees)
3-6 days before competition	50% refund	50% refund
Less than 48 hours before competition	No refund	No refund
After competition starts	No refund under any circumstances

3. Special Circumstances

Refunds may be considered outside the standard timeline in the following cases:

• Medical emergencies: Documentation required within 7 days
• Technical issues: If our platform fails during your competition attempt
• Duplicate payments: Full refund of duplicate amount automatically
• Competition cancellation: Full refund if we cancel the event

4. Payment Method Specifics

Credit/Debit Card (Stripe)

• Refunds processed within 5-10 business days
• Refunds go back to original card
• Processing fees (2.9% + $0.30) are non-refundable

PayPal

• Refunds processed within 3-5 business days
• Refunds go back to PayPal account
• PayPal fees are non-refundable

Paystack

• Refunds processed within 5-7 business days
• Refunds go back to original payment method
• African payment methods supported

PayFast (South Africa)

• Refunds processed within 3-5 business days
• EFT refunds may take additional 2-3 days
• South African Rand (ZAR) refunds

Cash/Bank Transfer

• Refunds processed after payment verification
• Requires bank account details submission
• Processing time: 7-10 business days
• International bank fees may apply

5. Team Registration Refunds

For team registrations, refunds are issued to the team leader who made the payment. Team members seeking refunds must coordinate with their team leader. Individual team member substitutions are allowed up to 48 hours before competition without fee.

6. How to Request a Refund

1. Log in to your Mathema Contest account
2. Go to Dashboard → Registration History
3. Click "Request Refund" on eligible registrations
4. Complete the refund request form
5. Submit supporting documentation (if applicable)
6. Receive confirmation email within 24 hours

Alternatively, email refunds@mathemacontest.com with your registration details.

7. Refund Processing Times

Payment Method	Processing Time	Notes
Credit/Debit Card	5-10 business days	Appears in next statement
PayPal	3-5 business days	Instant to PayPal balance
Paystack	5-7 business days	Varies by bank
PayFast	3-5 business days	EFT takes longer
Cash/Bank Transfer	7-10 business days	Requires bank verification

8. Non-Refundable Items

• Processing and transaction fees
• Late registration fees
• Merchandise purchases (once shipped)
• Donations to Mathema Contest
• Rescheduling fees

9. Disputes and Chargebacks

If you believe a charge is incorrect, please contact us first before filing a chargeback. Unauthorized chargebacks may result in account suspension. We will work with you to resolve any billing issues.

10. Contact for Refund Issues