Complaints procedure

1. Our commitment

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our services, whether spoken or written, and whether or not it is justified. We aim to handle every complaint fairly, promptly and in confidence, and we do not treat anyone less favourably for making one.

This procedure is run by Tuppence AI Ltd, which operates Tuppence, at 38 Greenvale Road, London SE9 1PD, United Kingdom. Our director is responsible for how we handle complaints.

2. How to complain

You can complain in whichever way suits you:

• In Tuppence: choose “Get help” in the dashboard or the iPhone app, and tell us you would like to make a complaint.
• By email: contact@tuppence.ai, with “Complaint” in the subject line.
• By post: Complaints, Tuppence AI Ltd, 38 Greenvale Road, London SE9 1PD, United Kingdom.

You can also start from our contact page. If you would like someone else, such as your accountant, to complain on your behalf, please tell us so we can confirm their authority.

3. What to include

To help us resolve things quickly, please tell us:

• your name, business name and the email address on your account;
• what went wrong and when, including any payment, payout or card references and amounts;
• how it has affected your business;
• what you would like us to do to put it right.

Please never send us your password, API secret keys, full card number, CVC or PIN.

4. What happens next

1. We acknowledge it. We aim to confirm that we have received your complaint within two business days and to tell you who is handling it.
2. We investigate. We review what happened, looking at our records and speaking to the people involved. Where we can, someone who was not involved in the original issue does this. We may contact you for more information.
3. We respond. We aim to send you a final response in writing, explaining what we found, whether we uphold your complaint, anything we offer to put things right and, where it applies, where you can take your complaint next. If we resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within three business days, we may confirm that in a shorter written summary.

5. Response times

6. Payment processing and card complaints

Tuppence is not a bank, payment institution or electronic money institution, and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. The regulated payment services on Tuppence are provided by Stripe Payments UK Ltd, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 900461). It processes the card payments you take and issues Tuppence cards through Stripe Issuing.

You only need to contact us once. If your complaint is about the payment processing or a card rather than about Tuppence, we will tell you so and, with your permission, aim to pass it to Stripe within two business days and to keep you informed until it is resolved. Stripe, not Tuppence, is responsible for handling and resolving complaints about the services it provides. You can also complain to Stripe directly, through its complaints procedure.

7. Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free, independent service that settles disputes between financial businesses and their customers.

• Complaints about Tuppence’s own services cannot be referred to the Ombudsman, because Tuppence is not a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you are not satisfied with our final response, you may take the matter to the courts of England and Wales, as our Terms of Service describe, and we are open to discussing mediation.
• Complaints about the payment services or cards provided by Stripe Payments UK Ltd can be referred to the Ombudsman if you are not happy with Stripe’s final response, or if Stripe has not sent one within the time limits above, provided you are an eligible complainant. You normally need to do so within six months of Stripe’s final response.

Not every business is eligible. The Ombudsman can generally consider complaints from micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees, and annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million), from small businesses below its size limits, and from charities and trusts below its income or asset limits. The Ombudsman decides whether a complaint falls within its remit. You can check eligibility on the Financial Ombudsman Service website.

8. If you paid a business through Tuppence

If you paid a business through a Tuppence checkout page or payment link and are unhappy with what you bought, please contact that business first: it sold you the goods or services and is responsible for them. If you do not recognise a payment, or the business does not put things right, contact the bank or card issuer that issued your card, which can tell you about chargeback rights. You can also tell us about a business you think is misusing Tuppence, as our Acceptable Use Policy describes.

9. Extra support

If you need adjustments to make a complaint (for example, information in a different format, more time, or a call instead of email), tell us and we will try to help. Our accessibility statement explains the formats we can provide.

10. How we learn

We aim to record every complaint and what we did about it, and to review complaints regularly so that we can find and fix their root causes. We keep complaint records for at least three years after the final response, or for as long as our retention policy requires the related records to be kept, whichever is longer.

11. About this procedure

This procedure explains how we aim to handle complaints. It is not part of our Terms of Service or any other contract, and it does not create any obligation, warranty or right to compensation that the Terms do not give you. The times above are targets, not promises. Making a complaint does not extend the time limits for bringing a claim in section 21 of our Terms, and it does not affect any right you have that the law does not allow to be limited. We may change this procedure at any time.