All booking payments on Avarice are made through the platform and processed by Stripe. Funds are held and released on the schedule below. This policy sets out that schedule and what happens to those funds if a booking is cancelled or disputed.

When a planner accepts a supplier quote through Avarice, the agreed amount is split into two stages:

Avarice deducts its platform commission before releasing funds to the supplier.

The deposit may be released to the supplier ahead of the event, on the supplier's release terms shown at quote acceptance (typically 14 days before the event date), to cover preparation and hire costs.

The balance is released to the supplier within 72 hours of the event end date, provided no dispute has been raised. Once the event end date has passed, both the planner and supplier will receive a confirmation from Avarice.

Every quote carries a cancellation policy chosen by the supplier — Flexible, Standard or Strict — shown to the planner before the quote is accepted and fixed on the booking from that point. The policy determines how much of the deposit is refunded, based on how far before the event the cancellation is made:

Any deposit amount not refunded is released to the supplier as a cancellation fee. Any balance already paid is refunded whatever the policy and notice period, subject to the processing-cost deduction below.

48-hour cut-off. Cancellations cannot be submitted through the platform within 48 hours of the event date. By that point the supplier's crew, kit and logistics are committed. If you need to cancel inside this window, contact Avarice directly and we will work through it with both parties; any refund inside this window is at Avarice's discretion.

Payment processing costs. Card processing fees charged by our payment provider on the original payment are not returned to Avarice when a payment is refunded. Refunds on planner-initiated cancellations are therefore made net of the non-recoverable payment processing costs attributable to the amounts refunded. The exact deduction is shown before you confirm the cancellation.

Cancellations are submitted through the platform. Where the entitlement is clear under the applicable policy, Avarice confirms it and processes the refund to the original payment method automatically at the point of cancellation; bookings with amendments, disputes or funds already released to the supplier are reviewed by the Avarice team first. Refunds typically appear on the original payment method within 5–10 working days of being processed.

If a supplier cancels a confirmed booking, the planner receives a full refund of all amounts paid through Avarice — no cancellation policy tiers and no processing-cost deduction apply, and refunds typically appear on the original payment method within 5–10 working days. The planner's brief is reopened so previously received quotes and conversations with other suppliers can be picked back up, and Avarice will make every reasonable effort to help find an alternative supplier at short notice.

Costs of a supplier cancellation. The costs a supplier cancellation creates — the non-recoverable payment processing fees on the refunded amounts, and any booking funds already released to the supplier — are owed by the cancelling supplier to Avarice. These are recorded against the supplier's account and recovered by deduction from the supplier's future payouts through the platform, or invoiced directly.

Suppliers who cancel confirmed bookings without reasonable cause may be suspended from the platform.

If an event is postponed rather than cancelled, Avarice will transfer the existing payment to the new event date at no additional charge, provided both parties agree in writing. If agreement cannot be reached, the cancellation terms above apply based on the original event date.

If either party raises a concern within the 72-hour window after the event, Avarice will pause the payment release and contact both parties. Avarice will act as a neutral mediator and aim to reach a resolution within 5 business days.

Where resolution cannot be reached, Avarice reserves the right to make a final determination based on the evidence provided by both parties. Disputes raised after the 72-hour window has closed will be considered at Avarice's discretion.

In the event of circumstances beyond either party's control — including extreme weather, venue closure, or government restrictions — Avarice will work with both parties to reach a fair outcome. Avarice does not accept liability for losses arising from force majeure events but will facilitate refunds or transfers where possible.

For any questions about a payment or to raise a concern, contact us at hello@avarice-av.co.uk. Please include your booking reference in any correspondence.