Refund Policies

Refund Policy

International Prime Publications Inc. is committed to maintaining a transparent and consistent approach to publication-related payments. Fees received by the publisher may cover editorial assessment, peer-review administration, manuscript processing, production, publication, hosting, administrative services, or other activities associated with scholarly publishing.

Because these activities may begin before an article is formally published, payment does not automatically create an entitlement to a refund.

Refund requests are therefore assessed according to the circumstances of each case, the stage of the manuscript, the nature of the payment, and the services already provided.

1. General Refund Principle

A refund will not normally be issued solely because an author changes their mind, decides not to proceed with publication, chooses another journal, or requests withdrawal of a manuscript.

In particular, withdrawal of a manuscript does not automatically result in a refund.

Where editorial, administrative, peer-review, production, publication, or other services have already been provided or initiated, the corresponding costs may be non-refundable.

2. Relationship Between Withdrawal and Refund

Withdrawal and refund are separate processes.

An author may be permitted to withdraw a manuscript under the Withdrawal Policy without necessarily being eligible for a refund.

Similarly, the fact that a manuscript has not yet been published does not, by itself, mean that all payments made in connection with the manuscript are refundable.

Any refund request following withdrawal will be reviewed separately, taking into consideration:

• the date and reason for withdrawal;
• the stage reached by the manuscript;
• the nature of the payment;
• services already performed;
• costs already incurred by the publisher; and
• whether the circumstances fall within an approved refund category.

3. Circumstances in Which a Refund May Be Considered

Subject to verification, a refund may be considered in circumstances such as:

• Duplicate Payment

Where the same applicable fee has been demonstrably paid more than once for the same manuscript or service, the duplicate amount may be eligible for refund after verification.

• Incorrect or Unintended Payment

Where an author has made a payment that was demonstrably not applicable to the manuscript or service concerned, the publisher may review the payment and determine whether a refund is appropriate.

• Publisher-Initiated Cancellation

If International Prime Publications Inc. determines that it is unable to proceed with a manuscript or publication for reasons attributable to the publisher, the applicable payment may be reviewed for refund, subject to the circumstances and any services already provided.

• Other Exceptional Circumstances

Exceptional cases may be reviewed individually where circumstances outside the author's reasonable control materially affect the publication process. Approval in such cases remains at the discretion of the publisher based on the facts and documentation available.

4. Circumstances Normally Not Eligible for Refund

Refunds will generally not be provided in circumstances including, but not limited to:

• voluntary withdrawal by the author after the applicable withdrawal period;
• withdrawal because the author has decided to submit or publish the manuscript elsewhere;
• change of mind after submission or acceptance;
• dissatisfaction with an editorial or peer-review decision;
• rejection of a manuscript where the publisher has already provided the applicable editorial or review services;
• failure of an author to obtain appropriate co-author approval before submission;
• failure to respond to editorial or production communications;
• delays caused by the author or by incomplete or inaccurate information supplied by the author;
• requests arising from a change in the author's personal, institutional, or funding circumstances;
• withdrawal after substantial editorial, production, or publication work has been undertaken; or
• fees associated with services that have already been provided.

The above circumstances do not prevent the publisher from considering an exceptional case where appropriate, but they do not create an automatic right to a refund.

5. Rejection of a Manuscript

Editorial rejection of a manuscript does not automatically make previously paid fees refundable.

Where a fee relates to a service that has already been performed, such as editorial assessment, peer-review administration, manuscript processing, or other associated services, the relevant amount may be retained by the publisher.

If a particular payment was expressly designated as refundable under the terms applicable at the time of payment, that specific provision will be considered when determining eligibility.

6. Refunds Following Withdrawal

Where an author withdraws a manuscript and requests a refund, the request will be assessed under both the applicable Withdrawal Policy and this Refund Policy.

Any applicable withdrawal, administrative, editorial, production, or other costs may be deducted before an approved refund is processed.

Accordingly, an approved withdrawal should not be interpreted as confirmation that the amount previously paid will be returned in full.

7. Processing of Approved Refunds

Where a refund is approved, International Prime Publications Inc. will normally return the eligible amount through the original payment method, where practicable.

The publisher may require reasonable documentation to verify the payment and the identity of the person or institution that made the payment.

Any bank, payment gateway, currency-conversion, or transaction charges that cannot be recovered by the publisher may be deducted from the refundable amount where applicable.

The time required for the refunded amount to appear in the recipient's account may vary depending on the payment provider or financial institution.

8. Refund Requests

Refund requests should be submitted promptly and should include sufficient information for the payment to be identified and reviewed, including:

• manuscript title;
• manuscript/reference number, where available;
• corresponding author's name;
• date and amount of payment;
• payment reference or transaction details; and
• the reason for requesting a refund.

Incomplete requests may result in delays while additional information is obtained.

9. Review and Decision

Each refund request is reviewed based on the applicable policy and the circumstances of the individual case.

International Prime Publications Inc. reserves the right to request supporting information before reaching a decision. A refund will not be approved solely because an author has requested one.

Where services have already been rendered or costs have been incurred, the publisher may retain the corresponding amount.

The publisher's determination regarding the eligibility and amount of any refund will be based on the payment record, manuscript status, services performed, and circumstances of the request.

10. No Automatic Refund

Submission, withdrawal, rejection, acceptance, or non-publication of a manuscript should not be interpreted as creating an automatic right to recover payments made to International Prime Publications Inc.

Authors are therefore encouraged to review the applicable fees and policies carefully before making payment and to contact the publisher if clarification is required before proceeding.

International Prime Publications Inc. reserves the right to update this Refund Policy when necessary to reflect changes in its publishing procedures, payment arrangements, or applicable requirements.