Payment policy

How you can pay

We accept all major credit and debit cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay — as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay and PayPal. The methods live on this store are shown at checkout, and that list is the definitive one.

Your card details are never held by us

Checkout runs on Shopify's PCI DSS compliant payment platform. Your card number is encrypted in transit, processed by the payment provider, and is never stored on our servers or visible to anyone at Lightden. We see only the last four digits and the card brand, which is what appears on your order record.

When you are charged

Payment is taken in full when you place your order, and you receive an order confirmation by email straight away. If your bank declines the payment, no order is created and no funds are taken — any pending authorisation your bank shows will drop off on its own, usually within a few business days.

Authorisation holds

Some banks place a temporary hold matching the order total before the charge settles. This is your bank's process, not a second charge, and it clears automatically.

Currency

All prices are shown and charged in US dollars (USD). We ship within the United States only, so orders are domestic and we add no currency conversion or foreign transaction fees. If you pay with a card issued outside the US, your own bank may still add a conversion fee — that is set by your bank, not by us.

Sales tax

Sales tax, where it applies to your state, is calculated at checkout and shown before you pay. Because we ship domestically only, there are no import duties, customs charges or brokerage fees on any order.

Refunds

Refunds are returned to the original payment method — we cannot refund to a different card or as store credit unless you ask. Once processed, a refund usually appears on your statement within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank. See our Return and Refund Policy for how to start a return.

Failed or declined payments

A decline almost always comes from your bank rather than from us, and we are not told the reason. Check the card details, billing address and available balance, then try again or use another method.

Problems with a charge

If a charge on your statement looks wrong, or you were charged twice, email us before contacting your bank — we can almost always resolve it faster than a chargeback, and a chargeback locks the order while it is investigated. Send your order number and we will come back to you within one business day.

Pricing errors

If an item is listed at an obviously incorrect price, we reserve the right to cancel the order and refund you in full rather than fulfil it. We will always contact you first.