Payment, Cancellation, Refund & Rescheduling Policy

Last Updated: 30 September 2026

StepMerit Learning (“StepMerit”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) aims to maintain transparent and fair payment, cancellation, refund, and rescheduling practices for all training programmes.

By purchasing, booking, or registering for a StepMerit course, training programme, examination, certification, or related service, the customer agrees to this policy together with the applicable Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

1. Payment Policy

Course fees must be paid according to the payment terms communicated during booking or shown on the StepMerit website.

StepMerit may accept payment through available methods including:

• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• UPI
• Net banking
• Bank transfer
• Approved online payment gateways
• Other payment methods displayed during checkout

A booking is considered confirmed only after the required payment has been successfully received or written credit/payment terms have been approved by StepMerit.

For corporate customers, universities, government organisations, and other approved organisations, separate payment terms may be provided through a quotation, proposal, purchase order, statement of work, or written agreement.

2. Taxes

Applicable taxes will be charged according to the customer's billing location and relevant tax regulations.

For Indian transactions, GST or other applicable taxes may be added as required by law.

For international transactions, applicable taxes, duties, withholding taxes, bank charges, or similar charges will be handled according to applicable law and the commercial terms agreed with the customer.

3. Currency and International Payments

StepMerit may display prices in INR, USD, or other supported currencies.

Where currency conversion is provided on the website, displayed converted prices may be indicative and can vary because of:

• Exchange-rate movements
• Payment gateway conversion rates
• Bank conversion rates
• Card issuer charges
• International transaction charges

StepMerit is not responsible for additional currency-conversion or international transaction fees charged independently by a customer's bank, card provider, or payment service.

4. Booking Confirmation

After successful registration and payment, StepMerit will normally provide a booking confirmation electronically.

The confirmation may contain:

• Course name
• Training dates
• Training mode
• Batch information
• Joining instructions
• Payment confirmation
• Invoice or receipt
• Examination information, where applicable

Customers should verify the booking information and promptly inform StepMerit of any discrepancy.

5. Customer Cancellation – Instructor-Led Training

The following standard cancellation policy applies to public instructor-led classroom and live virtual training unless different conditions were expressly agreed at the time of booking.

Cancellation within 3 Days of Purchase

A customer may request a 100% refund within 3 calendar days from the date of purchase, provided:

• The training has not started;
• The scheduled training is more than 14 days away;
• Course materials or licensed digital content have not been substantially accessed or downloaded;
• An examination voucher has not been ordered, issued, activated, redeemed, or registered; and
• StepMerit has not already incurred a non-refundable third-party charge relating to the booking.

Cancellation 15 or More Days Before Training

For cancellations received 15 or more calendar days before the scheduled training date, StepMerit may provide a refund after deducting:

• Payment gateway/banking charges, where non-recoverable;
• Examination or certification charges already committed;
• Third-party licence/courseware costs already incurred; and
• A reasonable administration charge, where applicable.

Instead of requesting a refund, customers may choose to transfer the eligible course fee to another available StepMerit batch.

Cancellation 0–14 Days Before Training

Cancellations received 14 calendar days or fewer before the scheduled training date are normally non-refundable.

StepMerit may, at its discretion, allow the learner to transfer to another available batch subject to the rescheduling provisions below.

6. Examination and Certification Fees

Many StepMerit programmes include examinations, certification vouchers, digital courseware, laboratory access, membership, or materials supplied by external certification organisations.

Once an examination voucher, certification registration, licence, membership, digital courseware, or similar third-party item has been:

• Ordered
• Allocated
• Issued
• Activated
• Registered
• Redeemed

the corresponding amount is non-refundable, unless the relevant certification or examination provider itself permits cancellation and refunds the amount to StepMerit.

Any refund otherwise due to the customer may therefore exclude these committed third-party costs.

7. Self-Paced and Digital Courses

For self-paced e-learning, recorded courses, digital learning products, online laboratories, and downloadable courseware, refund eligibility may end once substantial access has been provided.

A refund may not be available where:

• Login credentials have been issued and substantially used;
• A significant portion of the course has been accessed;
• Digital materials have been downloaded;
• Laboratory access has been activated;
• Licensed third-party content has been activated; or
• An examination voucher has been issued or redeemed.

Any additional refund rights required by applicable consumer law will continue to apply.

8. Rescheduling by the Learner

StepMerit understands that circumstances can change.

For eligible instructor-led courses, learners may request transfer to another scheduled batch.

The standard rescheduling structure is:

7 or more days before training:
10% of the course/training fee may be charged as a rescheduling fee.

5–6 days before training:
50% of the course/training fee may be charged.

3–4 days before training:
75% of the course/training fee may be charged.

Less than 3 days before training:
Rescheduling is normally not permitted.

Where StepMerit approves rescheduling, the replacement training should normally be completed within three months of the original training date.

All rescheduling is subject to:

• Availability of seats
• Availability of the selected course
• Trainer availability
• Price differences
• Examination-provider conditions
• Certification-provider conditions

If the new course or batch costs more than the original booking, the customer must pay the difference.

9. Course Replacement or Participant Substitution

For eligible instructor-led courses, StepMerit may allow a registered participant to be replaced by another participant.

The request should normally be submitted at least 3 business days before training.

Participant substitution may not be possible after:

• Examination registration
• Certification registration
• Voucher issuance
• Licensed courseware allocation
• Named membership registration

Any third-party charges resulting from the substitution will be payable by the customer.

10. Non-Attendance

Failure to attend a confirmed training programme without an approved cancellation or rescheduling request will be treated as a no-show.

No refund will normally be provided for non-attendance.

This includes:

• Failure to join virtual training
• Failure to attend classroom training
• Partial attendance
• Leaving a programme before completion
• Failure to attend because of personal scheduling conflicts

Where reasonable and operationally possible, StepMerit may offer transfer to another batch subject to additional charges.

11. Cancellation or Rescheduling by StepMerit

StepMerit makes reasonable efforts to deliver training according to published schedules.

However, training may occasionally need to be cancelled, postponed, relocated, or rescheduled because of circumstances including:

• Trainer illness or unavailability
• Insufficient enrolment
• Venue issues
• Technical problems
• Certification-provider changes
• Government restrictions
• Travel disruptions
• Natural events
• Circumstances outside StepMerit's reasonable control

Where StepMerit cancels a training programme, the learner may normally choose between:

1. Transfer to another available batch at no additional training fee;
2. Transfer the amount paid as credit toward another eligible StepMerit course; or
3. Receive a 100% refund of the eligible amount paid to StepMerit.

Amounts already irreversibly committed to third parties may be handled according to the applicable provider's rules.

12. Training Rescheduled by StepMerit

If StepMerit changes the training date and the new date is unsuitable, the customer may request:

• Another available batch;
• An alternative delivery method where available;
• Course credit; or
• A refund of the eligible training fee.

No StepMerit rescheduling fee will apply where the schedule change was initiated by StepMerit.

13. Corporate and Private Training

Corporate, onsite, private, university, government, and customised training programmes may involve:

• Trainer reservations
• Travel bookings
• Accommodation
• Venue bookings
• Customised materials
• Certification registrations
• Equipment
• Third-party services

Therefore, the cancellation and refund terms stated in the applicable quotation, proposal, purchase order, contract, or Statement of Work may override the standard public-course policy.

Non-refundable travel, accommodation, venue, certification, and third-party expenses already incurred may be charged to the customer where permitted by the applicable agreement and law.

14. Promotional, Combo and Discounted Courses

Courses purchased through:

• Promotional offers
• Coupon codes
• Combo packages
• Group discounts
• Corporate discounts
• Special campaigns

may be subject to specific cancellation conditions communicated at the time of purchase.

For combo packages, any refund calculation may take account of courses already attended, activated, accessed, or completed.

Exam vouchers and third-party components remain subject to their respective provider conditions.

15. Requesting a Cancellation, Refund or Rescheduling

Requests should be submitted from the email address associated with the StepMerit booking.

Please contact:

support@stepmerit.com

The request should include:

• Customer/learner name
• Registered email address
• Course name
• Order or booking number
• Invoice number, if available
• Original training date
• Reason for the request
• Whether a refund, rescheduling, or course credit is requested

StepMerit may request additional information reasonably necessary to verify the booking and process the request.

16. Refund Processing

Once a refund has been reviewed and formally approved, StepMerit will initiate the refund as soon as reasonably practicable.

Customers should generally allow 7–15 business days after approval for processing, although the actual time required for funds to appear may depend on:

• Payment method
• Payment gateway
• Customer's bank
• Card issuer
• Country
• Currency
• International banking arrangements

Where practical, refunds will be returned using the original payment method.

17. Bank and Payment Gateway Charges

Original payment gateway fees, international banking fees, foreign exchange charges, and other third-party transaction costs may be non-refundable where StepMerit cannot recover them.

StepMerit is not responsible for exchange-rate differences between the original transaction and the refund date.

18. Duplicate or Incorrect Payments

If a customer is charged twice for the same transaction or an incorrect amount is charged because of a verified StepMerit/payment-processing error, the customer should contact:

support@stepmerit.com

After verification, any amount incorrectly collected will be refunded or adjusted as appropriate.

19. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Customers are encouraged to contact StepMerit before initiating a payment dispute or chargeback so that the matter can be investigated and, where possible, resolved.

Fraudulent, duplicate, or abusive chargebacks may result in suspension of course access, examination processing, certification processing, or related services where legally permitted.

20. Course Materials

Physical and digital course materials supplied as part of a programme are intended for the registered learner.

Refunds will not normally be provided solely because physical materials are delayed where StepMerit can provide temporary electronic materials or reasonably arrange replacement materials.

21. Travel and Accommodation

Unless specifically included in a written StepMerit quotation, customers are responsible for their own:

• Flights
• Hotels
• Visas
• Local transportation
• Meals
• Personal expenses

Customers attending classroom training are advised not to make non-refundable travel arrangements until their training schedule has been confirmed.

Except where required by applicable law or expressly agreed in writing, StepMerit is not responsible for independently booked travel or accommodation costs resulting from a course schedule change.

22. Force Majeure

StepMerit will not be responsible for delays, interruptions, or cancellations caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

Where possible, StepMerit will attempt to provide reasonable alternatives such as:

• Rescheduled training
• Virtual training
• Alternative batches
• Course credit

Any refund entitlement will be determined according to this policy, applicable contractual terms, third-party commitments, and applicable law.

23. Statutory Consumer Rights

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict, or override consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.

Where mandatory consumer-protection legislation provides a customer with rights greater than those described in this policy, the applicable statutory rights will prevail.

24. Policy Updates

StepMerit may revise this Payment, Cancellation, Refund & Rescheduling Policy periodically to reflect changes in:

• Services
• Certification-provider requirements
• Payment methods
• Operational procedures
• Applicable laws and regulations

The version published on the StepMerit website at the relevant time will identify its latest revision date.

25. Contact

For payment, cancellation, refund, invoice, or rescheduling queries:

StepMerit Learning
Website: stepmerit.com
Email: support@stepmerit.com

Important Summary

For instructor-led public courses:

100% refund: Eligible cancellations within 3 days of purchase where training is more than 14 days away and no non-refundable services have been activated.

15+ days before training: Refund may be provided after applicable administration and committed third-party costs.

0–14 days before training: Normally no refund.

Exam vouchers: Non-refundable once ordered, issued, activated, registered, or redeemed, subject to the examination provider's terms.

StepMerit cancellation: Transfer, course credit, or refund of the eligible amount.

Approved refunds: Normally initiated within 7–15 business days.

Rescheduling: Available subject to notice period, seat availability, applicable fees, and certification-provider restrictions.