Subscriptions are processed by Paddle.com Markets Ltd (“Paddle”). In most jurisdictions Paddle is the Merchant of Record, which means the contract of sale is with Paddle and Paddle is the first point of contact for any billing or refund enquiry. In all other cases the contract is with China Food Map, with Paddle providing payment processing. The rules below apply in both cases, with this distinction understood.

Subject to your mandatory statutory rights (see section 7), all sales are final. Once a subscription payment is processed, the corresponding access period is non-refundable. We encourage you to explore the free tier first and to make use of the preview content on the subscription page so that you can make an informed decision before committing to a paid plan.

Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring monthly basis of US$2.00. Each charge covers the current billing period and unlocks the full collection of dishes for its duration. Your subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel before the end of the current period. Paddle will email you a transaction receipt each time your payment method is charged.

You may terminate the auto-renewal and cancel this agreement at any time, at no cost, without giving a reason, and without any penalty.

Cancellation prevents any future charges and does not affect access to premium content that you have already paid for — that access will continue until the end of the current billing period. We do not levy cancellation fees, we do not require a reason to cancel, and we will not require you to take any extra step (such as returning a code, calling by phone, or sending a signed notice) in order to stop the charges.

You can cancel from your account area, via Paddle’s customer portal, or by contacting us. If you cancel before the end of the current billing period, no pro-rata refund is given for the unused portion of that period (see section 2 for the general rule, and section 7 for genuine billing errors).

For subscribers residing in the United States, Paddle will email you a reminder ahead of each renewal in line with the U.S. Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (16 CFR Part 437) and the automatic renewal laws of California, New York, Illinois, and other applicable U.S. states. The reminder identifies the amount to be charged, the renewal date, and how to cancel. Paddle also sends a post-renewal confirmation email each time your payment method is charged.

If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you are normally entitled to withdraw from a digital purchase within fourteen (14) days under the EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU and the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

If, on the subscription page, you actively consented to immediate access to the digital content and acknowledged that you lose your 14-day right of withdrawal once access has begun, the right does not apply to your purchase.

If you did not give that consent, your 14-day right of withdrawal continues to apply in full, and you may exercise it by contacting us or Paddle within fourteen days of purchase. We will refund the full amount using the same payment method you used, without undue delay and at no charge to you.

While the general rule above is that payments are non-refundable, we are keen to make things right in the rare event of a genuine billing error on our part — for example, a duplicate charge or an amount that does not match the plan you selected. If you believe a charge falls into this category, please contact us within fourteen (14) days of the charge and we will investigate promptly.

If you have any concern about a charge, please write to us at chinafoodstory@163.com with your account email and the date of the charge. We will respond as quickly as we can, and in any case within seven (7) business days. For convenience, you may also manage your subscription directly through your account area or via the customer portal provided by Paddle.

Nothing in this policy is intended to limit any statutory rights that may be available to you under the laws of your jurisdiction. Where local consumer law provides for a right of withdrawal, refund, or other remedy that cannot be waived by contract, that right continues to apply. In the event of any conflict between this policy and your mandatory statutory rights, your statutory rights prevail.

We may revise this Refund Policy from time to time. Any change will apply prospectively and will not affect charges processed before the revision. The effective date at the top of this page indicates when the current version came into force.

For the full picture, please also review our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.