Refund & Cancellation Policy

Effective date: Coming Soon

1. Purpose and scope

This policy explains when FoodChain customers can cancel an order or get a refund, and how the process works.

It covers:

  • Marketplace orders from participating restaurants, grocery businesses and pharmacies
  • Request a Rider deliveries arranged without a marketplace purchase

Nothing in this policy limits any right you have under Nigerian consumer protection law.

2. When you get a refund

You are entitled to a refund, after verification, in any of these cases:

  • You were charged but no valid order was created
  • You were charged more than once for the same order
  • You cancelled within the cancellation rules in Section 4
  • An item was unavailable after you paid and you did not accept a replacement
  • Your order was not delivered
  • An item was materially incorrect, damaged, spoiled or defective
  • A Request a Rider delivery was not completed
  • A refund is required by law or by payment rules

For a partly affected order, the refund covers the affected items and any related delivery fee, not the whole order.

3. When a refund is not given

Refunds are generally not available when:

  • You changed your mind after the merchant started preparing or packing the order
  • The order was correctly delivered to the address you gave and you were unavailable to receive it
  • The wrong address or phone number was provided by you
  • A food or grocery issue is reported after the reporting window in Section 5
  • You consumed or used the item, unless it was unsafe, spoiled or materially different from what was listed
  • A Request a Rider delivery was completed as requested
  • The claim cannot be supported by the order records, delivery evidence or reasonable proof

Pharmaceutical products. For safety reasons, medicines that have been delivered cannot be returned or resold. A refund is considered only where the wrong product was supplied, the product is damaged or expired, or the law requires it.

These exceptions never reduce rights you have under mandatory consumer law.

4. Cancellations

Whether you can cancel for a refund depends on how far the order has progressed.

  • Before the merchant accepts or starts preparing the order: you may cancel and receive a full refund.
  • After the merchant has started preparing or packing the order: the order cannot normally be cancelled for a refund, because the goods are already made or set aside.
  • Once a rider has collected the order: the order cannot be cancelled.
  • Cancelled by the merchant or by FoodChain (for example, the merchant cannot fulfill it, or no rider is available): you receive a full refund.
  • Request a Rider: you may cancel for a full refund before a rider has been assigned. After assignment, a cancellation fee may apply to cover the rider's time.

To cancel, contact FoodChain support as soon as possible with your order reference.

5. How to request a refund

Contact FoodChain support through support@foodchain.com.ng and include:

  • Your order or transaction reference
  • The name and phone number on the order
  • A short description of the problem
  • Photos or other evidence, where relevant (for example, a damaged or wrong item)

Reporting window. Please report problems promptly so they can be checked while the facts are fresh:

  • Food and groceries: within 24 hours of delivery
  • Pharmaceutical products: immediately on delivery, and no later than 24 hours
  • Undelivered orders and duplicate or failed-order charges: within 7 days of the payment
  • Request a Rider: within 24 hours of the scheduled delivery

Late reports are still reviewed, but may be declined if they cannot be verified.

6. How requests are assessed

FoodChain reviews every request fairly, using the facts of the order.

  1. Acknowledgement: we confirm receipt and give you a case reference.
  2. Review: we check the payment record, the merchant's fulfillment details and the delivery record, and we may ask the merchant, rider or you for more information.
  3. Decision: we approve the refund in full, approve it in part, offer a replacement or correction, or decline with a reason.

We aim to give you a decision within 3 business days of receiving your complete request. If we decline, you may reply with further evidence and we will review it again.

7. How refunds are paid

Approved refunds go back to the payment method you used, through FoodChain's payment provider, Paystack.

  • FoodChain starts the refund within 3 business days of approving it.
  • Your bank or card issuer then needs time to credit it. This usually takes up to 7 to 10 business days, and can be longer depending on the bank.
  • If the original payment method can no longer receive the refund, contact support and we will agree an alternative with you.

FoodChain will tell you when the refund has been started so you can follow it up with your bank.

8. Refunds and vendor settlement

FoodChain collects customer payments centrally and settles merchants on a daily cycle. This does not change what you are owed.

  • While an order is under dispute or review, FoodChain may hold back the related amount from the merchant's daily settlement until the case is resolved.
  • If a refund is approved after a merchant has already been paid, FoodChain pays the refund to you and recovers the amount from the merchant's later settlements or by direct claim.
  • Merchants cannot refuse an approved refund by pointing to a payout that has already been made. Your refund is decided on the facts of the order.

FoodChain is not an escrow service and does not guarantee that funds are held until delivery is confirmed. The rules in this policy, not the settlement timing, decide whether you receive a refund.

9. Payment disputes and chargebacks

Please contact FoodChain support first, because most problems can be solved faster that way.

If you raise a dispute or chargeback with your bank or card issuer, FoodChain will cooperate with Paystack's dispute process and provide the relevant order, payment and delivery records within the required timelines. FoodChain may suspend an account while a dispute is open, and may decline refund requests that duplicate a payment dispute already raised with your bank.

10. Contact and changes

FoodChain may update this policy from time to time. The version on its website is the current one, and changes apply to orders placed after the update.

Support: support@foodchain.com.ng

FoodChain Services
Business address: 97 Allen Avenue Ikeja, Lagos.

Chat with FoodChain