Refund and Cancellation Policy

Effective Date: June 10, 2026

Last Updated: June 10, 2026

Note: Plan Zinnia is in early launch. Cancellation tiers and vendor terms are under active review and may be updated. Bookings made under the current policy will be honored under the policy in effect at the time of booking.

1. Overview

This Refund and Cancellation Policy explains the terms and conditions for canceling bookings and requesting refunds on the Plan Zinnia platform. This policy applies to both Couples (who book services) and Vendors (who provide services).

Zinnia Events LLC, doing business as Plan Zinnia, operates a marketplace connecting Couples and Vendors. Plan Zinnia facilitates booking and payment processing, but the contract for services is between the Couple and the Vendor. Vendors, not Plan Zinnia, provide the services booked through the platform. Plan Zinnia does not guarantee any Vendor's performance, availability, quality, safety, licensing, insurance, or compliance with applicable laws. This policy describes how cancellations and refunds are handled across the platform.

1.1 Definitions

For purposes of this Policy:

"Booking" means a request by a Couple to reserve Vendor services through the Platform.

"Booking Request" means a Couple's submission of a request through the Platform to reserve Vendor services for a specified event date, time, scope, and price.

"Confirmed Booking" means a Booking that has been accepted by the Vendor through the Platform or otherwise confirmed in writing through Plan Zinnia-approved channels.

"Couple" means the person or persons who use the Platform to search for, request, book, modify, or cancel Vendor services, including any person acting on behalf of the individuals planning the event.

"Event Date" means the date on which the booked Vendor services are scheduled to be performed, as shown in the Confirmed Booking or as later modified in writing by the Couple and Vendor through the Platform.

"Payment Processor Rules" means the terms, policies, rules, procedures, and technical requirements of Stripe or any other third-party payment processor used by Plan Zinnia to process payments, refunds, chargebacks, holds, or payouts.

"Payout" means the transfer or release of amounts payable to a Vendor through the Platform payment flow, less applicable fees, refunds, chargebacks, adjustments, or other deductions permitted by this Policy, the Vendor Terms, Plan Zinnia's Terms of Service, or Payment Processor Rules.

"Plan Zinnia Platform Fee" or "Platform Fee" means the flat fee charged by Plan Zinnia to the Couple for use of the Platform in connection with a Booking, currently $3.99 unless otherwise disclosed at checkout.

"Platform" means the Plan Zinnia website, marketplace, messaging tools, booking tools, payment flow, and any other online services made available by Plan Zinnia for booking or managing Vendor services.

"Service Amount" means the amount charged by the Vendor for the booked services, excluding the Plan Zinnia Platform Fee, payment processing fees, taxes, gratuities, optional add-ons purchased separately, or any other fees or charges unless expressly included in the Vendor's listed service price at checkout.

"Vendor" means an independent third-party service provider who lists, offers, confirms, or provides services through the Platform.

"Vendor Terms" or "Booking Terms" means the cancellation, refund, scope, timing, pricing, and other terms applicable to a Vendor's services as disclosed in the Vendor's listing, checkout flow, Confirmed Booking, or other written agreement between the Couple and Vendor through the Platform.

2. Understanding Your Booking

2.1 Booking Process

1. Couple selects a service and submits a booking request
2. Payment is authorized through Stripe at time of booking (a hold, not a charge)
3. Vendor has 24 hours to confirm or decline the booking
4. If confirmed, the payment is captured and payout to the Vendor may be delayed through the platform payment flow
5. If declined or not confirmed within 24 hours, the booking expires, the hold is released, and the Couple is not charged

2.2 Payment Hold

Payment is authorized at time of booking and captured upon vendor confirmation.

Payments are processed through Stripe or another third-party payment processor, and payout to the Vendor may be delayed until after the event or otherwise handled according to the platform's payment flow, this Policy, applicable Vendor terms, and payment processor rules.

Plan Zinnia is not a bank, escrow agent, trustee, or money transmitter and does not hold funds in a fiduciary capacity unless expressly required by applicable law. This payment flow is intended to help administer refunds, cancellations, and vendor payouts through the platform.

2.3 Service Completion and Payout

After the event takes place, payout is released to the Vendor (less applicable Plan Zinnia fees) according to the platform's standard payout schedule and applicable payment processor rules. If a Couple raises a service issue before payout, Plan Zinnia may pause payout pending review as provided in Section 6 below.

2.4 24-Hour Booking Grace Period

You have 24 hours from the time you submit your booking request through the platform to cancel for a full refund of the service amount — no questions asked — regardless of how far in advance of the event you book. After this 24-hour grace period, the standard cancellation tiers in Section 3 apply. The $3.99 Plan Zinnia platform fee is non-refundable except as expressly stated in this Policy. To use the grace period, you must email info@planzinnia.co within 24 hours of submitting the booking request, with enough information to identify the booking.

3. Cancellation by Couples

3.1 Cancellation Timeline

The timing of your cancellation determines your refund eligibility for the service amount, unless the Vendor's listing or booking terms provide more generous cancellation or refund terms. The $3.99 Plan Zinnia platform fee is non-refundable in all cases except when the Vendor cancels the booking or fails to confirm, or where a refund is required by applicable law.

• 6 or more months before the event: Full refund of the service amount.
• 3 to 6 months before the event: 50% refund of the service amount; 50% retained by the Vendor under the applicable booking terms.
• Less than 3 months before the event: No refund of the service amount; the full service amount is paid to the Vendor under the applicable booking terms.

Amounts not refunded after cancellation may reflect the Vendor's reserved date, declined alternative bookings, planning time, custom work, administrative time, and other costs or losses associated with the booking. Individual Vendors may offer more generous cancellation terms; check the Vendor's listing and checkout disclosures.

3.2 How to Cancel

To cancel a booking, email info@planzinnia.co with your booking reference, the reason for cancellation, and enough information to identify the booking. A cancellation request is deemed submitted when Plan Zinnia receives a substantially complete written cancellation request at info@planzinnia.co. If Plan Zinnia requests additional information, the applicable refund tier will be determined based on the timestamp of the original substantially complete cancellation request.

Plan Zinnia will process your cancellation according to the tiers above and send email confirmation with refund details. A self-service cancellation flow is in development.

3.3 Refund Processing

• Refunds are issued to the original payment method
• Processing time: typically 5–10 business days
• Your bank may take additional time to credit your account
• You will receive email confirmation when the refund is processed

3.4 Special Circumstances

In extraordinary circumstances beyond your control (natural disasters, medical emergencies, military deployment, government-mandated event restrictions), Plan Zinnia may grant exceptions to the standard cancellation policy on a case-by-case basis. Plan Zinnia may request reasonable documentation and may consider the timing of the request, whether the Vendor has performed work or incurred non-recoverable costs, whether the event can be rescheduled, the Vendor's applicable terms, and other relevant circumstances. Contact info@planzinnia.co with documentation.

3.5 Vendor Cancellation

If a Vendor cancels a confirmed booking, the Couple receives a full refund regardless of timing — including the Plan Zinnia platform fee (see Section 4). Plan Zinnia may, but is not required to, assist the Couple in identifying alternative Vendors. Plan Zinnia is not responsible for any difference in price, availability, quality, or terms offered by any replacement Vendor.

4. Cancellation by Vendors

Vendors are expected to fulfill all confirmed bookings. Cancellation by a Vendor is treated as a serious breach of trust and may result in account warnings, suspension, or termination.

If a Vendor needs to cancel a confirmed booking, they must contact info@planzinnia.co immediately with a detailed explanation. The Couple will receive a full refund (including the platform fee). Plan Zinnia may, but is not required to, assist the Couple in identifying alternative Vendors. Plan Zinnia is not responsible for any difference in price, availability, quality, or terms offered by any replacement Vendor. Vendor account consequences are determined by Plan Zinnia based on circumstances and history.

A self-service vendor cancellation flow is in development.

5. Modifications and Changes

Date changes, scope adjustments, and other modifications to a confirmed booking should be discussed directly between Couples and Vendors through Plan Zinnia's messaging system. Both parties must agree to changes in writing. Significant modifications (date change, material scope change) should be communicated to info@planzinnia.co so booking records can be updated.

6. Service Issues and Disputes

If a Vendor fails to provide services as described, fails to appear, or there is another material service issue, contact info@planzinnia.co as soon as possible — ideally within 14 days of the event. Provide all relevant evidence (photos, messages, timeline).

Plan Zinnia may review the issue based on the information available through the platform and may, where appropriate, pause payout, facilitate a partial or full refund, issue a vendor warning, or suspend or terminate a Vendor account. Plan Zinnia's review is intended to help administer the platform and does not make Plan Zinnia the provider of the booked services.

Nothing in this Policy limits any rights or remedies that a Couple or Vendor may have under applicable law, payment-network rules, or a separate written agreement between the Couple and Vendor. A formal in-platform dispute system is in development.

7. Platform Fees

7.1 Plan Zinnia Platform Fee (Couples)

Couples pay a flat $3.99 Plan Zinnia platform fee at time of booking. Before submitting a booking request, Couples will be shown the service amount, the Plan Zinnia platform fee, and whether each amount is refundable or non-refundable. This fee is non-refundable in all cancellation scenarios except when the Vendor cancels the booking (Section 3.5), the booking is cancelled because the Vendor did not confirm within 24 hours (Section 2.1), or a refund is required by applicable law.

7.2 Stripe Processing Fees

Payment processing fees charged by Stripe are handled per Stripe's terms.

7.3 Vendor Transaction Fees

Vendors are charged a transaction fee on each completed booking, applied to the vendor payout:

• Free tier vendors: 5%
• Subscribed vendors: 1%

These fees are deducted from the vendor's payout, not from the Couple's payment.

7.4 Refund Calculation Example

Example: A $2,500 photography booking is cancelled by the Couple 4 months before the event.

• Original booking: $2,500.00 (service) + $3.99 (platform fee) = $2,503.99 paid by Couple
• Refund tier (3–6 months): 50% of service amount
• Refund to Couple: 50% × $2,500 = $1,250.00
• Retained by Vendor: 50% × $2,500 = $1,250.00
• Plan Zinnia platform fee: $3.99 (non-refundable)
• Total refunded to Couple: $1,250.00

8. Force Majeure

If a confirmed event cannot proceed due to circumstances beyond either party's control — including natural disasters, extreme weather, wildfires, government-mandated restrictions, pandemics, or venue closures — Plan Zinnia may facilitate communications between the Couple and Vendor and help administer any platform-facilitated refund or rescheduling consistent with this Policy, the applicable Vendor terms, and payment processor rules. Nothing herein shall render Plan Zinnia liable for any cancellation due to natural disasters, extreme weather, wildfires, government-mandated restrictions, pandemics, or venue closures: Plan Zinnia will be deemed to have met its obligations and earned its fees upon facilitating such communications or rescheduling.

8.1 What counts as force majeure

A force majeure event is an extraordinary circumstance that is:

• Beyond either party's reasonable control
• Not foreseeable at the time of booking
• Not caused by either party's negligence or fault

8.2 Rescheduling first

Where both parties agree, Plan Zinnia encourages rescheduling over cancellation. Rescheduling must take place within 12 months of the original event date. Plan Zinnia will transfer the booking to the new date at no additional platform fee.

8.3 If rescheduling isn't possible

If the couple and vendor cannot agree on a reschedule date within 12 months of the original event date, or if the vendor is unable to accommodate the new date, Plan Zinnia may facilitate a platform resolution. Any refund issued may take into account the timing of cancellation, amounts already paid, documented work performed, non-recoverable vendor costs, whether services can be rescheduled, communications between the parties, applicable Vendor booking terms, and work already performed by the vendor — such as engagement sessions, consultations, custom orders, or other pre-event services that the vendor cannot recover costs for. Plan Zinnia will act as a mediator in the event of a dispute in order to reach a fair outcome in accordance with the Vendor's terms and conditions, but does not guarantee any particular outcome.

8.4 How to request a force majeure review

Email info@planzinnia.co with your booking ID, a description of the circumstances, and supporting documentation (news reports, government orders, venue communication). Plan Zinnia will review and respond within 5 business days.

Plan Zinnia will facilitate communications and attempt to mediate in good faith. Documentation of the force majeure event will be required. Any platform-facilitated resolution is limited to the booking transaction on Plan Zinnia and does not determine either party's legal rights outside the platform.

9. Communication Requirements

All cancellation requests must be made in writing by email to info@planzinnia.co unless and until Plan Zinnia offers a self-service cancellation flow. Verbal cancellations are not binding. A cancellation request is deemed submitted when received by Plan Zinnia with enough information to identify the booking. Cancellation requests are typically acknowledged within 24 hours, and refunds are processed within 5–10 business days of approval.

10. Policy Updates

This policy may be updated. Material changes will be communicated by email to active users and by an updated "Last Updated" date on this page. Bookings made before policy changes are governed by the policy in effect at the time of booking, unless the updated policy includes a change required by applicable law. This Policy is incorporated into and forms part of Plan Zinnia's Terms of Service.

11. Consumer Rights and Severability

Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit, waive, or exclude any rights that cannot be limited, waived, or excluded under applicable consumer-protection, payment-card, or other laws. If any provision of this Policy is found unenforceable or would otherwise violate any applicable law or ordinance, the remaining provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law, and shall be modified only to the extent that such modification is necessary to ensure compliance with any applicable law.

12. Contact

Zinnia Events LLC (dba Plan Zinnia)

1601 Dempster Street, Evanston, IL 60201

• Email: info@planzinnia.co
• Response time: within 24 hours

By booking services through Plan Zinnia, you agree to this Refund and Cancellation Policy.