Effective 28 June 2026
| Field | Value |
| Operator | Company name |
| Company number | Company number |
| Registered office | address |
| Trading name / brand | Picwave |
| Website | https://pic-wave.com |
| Contact / billing email | info@pic-wave.com |
| Card descriptor | PICWAVE.COM |
| Accepted payment methods | Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and others accepted by the PSP) |
| Billing currencies | USD (primary); EUR, GBP, AUD |
| Governing law | Laws of the Republic of Estonia; EU law where applicable |
| Document version | v1.0 |
| Effective date | 28 June 2026 |
| Important: Payments on Picwave are processed by an authorised, PCI-DSS compliant payment service provider. Company name does not store your full card number on its servers. All purchases are one-time transactions — there are no subscriptions or recurring charges. Payments on your card or bank statement will appear as PICWAVE.COM. Your statutory consumer rights are not affected by this Policy. |
1. Scope & Purpose
1.1 This Payment Policy sets out how Picwave accepts and processes payments for Digital Images and Token Packs purchased on pic-wave.com. It explains the payment methods accepted, how transactions are authorised and completed, the role of our payment service provider (PSP), and your rights and responsibilities in connection with payments.
1.2 This Policy applies to all purchases made through the Picwave checkout process and should be read alongside the Refund Policy, Terms & Conditions, and Cancellation Policy, all available at pic-wave.com.
1.3 Company name is the merchant of record for all transactions on Picwave. Payment processing is carried out by an authorised PSP engaged by Picwave.
2. Nature of Transactions
2.1 All purchases on the Picwave platform are discrete, one-time transactions. You purchase a specific Digital Image or Token Pack at a stated price; no ongoing payment obligation is created by a single purchase.
2.2 Picwave does not operate subscriptions, recurring billing plans, or auto-renewal arrangements. Each purchase is a separate, individually authorised transaction.
2.3 Tokens purchased as a Token Pack are non-expiring while your Account is active (see Terms & Conditions, Section 6), but the purchase of a Token Pack does not create any obligation on you to make further purchases or maintain a minimum spend.
3. Accepted Payment Methods
3.1 Picwave currently accepts the following payment methods through its PSP:
- Visa credit and debit cards.
- Mastercard credit and debit cards.
- Other card networks supported by the PSP at the time of your purchase (displayed at checkout).
3.2 The accepted payment methods displayed at checkout are authoritative. Picwave may add or remove payment methods at any time; the checkout page will always reflect the current options.
3.3 Payments made by card are subject to the terms and conditions of your card issuer. Picwave is not responsible for any fees, limits, or restrictions applied by your card issuer.
3.4 Prepaid cards, virtual cards, and commercial cards may be accepted subject to the PSP’s eligibility rules. If a card is declined, an alternative card or payment method should be used.
4. Billing Currencies & Pricing Display
4.1 The primary billing and display currency on the Picwave website is United States Dollars (USD). Additional display currencies available are Euro (EUR), Pound Sterling (GBP), and Australian Dollar (AUD), which can be selected using the currency switcher in the website header.
4.2 Prices displayed in EUR, GBP, or AUD are converted from the USD base price using an exchange rate updated periodically. The exact exchange rate applied at checkout is shown in your order summary before you confirm payment.
4.3 The currency in which your card is actually charged depends on: (a) the currency selected at checkout; and (b) your card issuer’s policies. If your card does not support the selected currency, your issuer may apply a foreign currency conversion at their own rate. Picwave is not responsible for foreign currency fees applied by your card issuer.
4.4 All prices are displayed excluding VAT unless the checkout summary states otherwise. Where applicable, VAT or other taxes are calculated and added at the checkout stage before you confirm your Order.
4.5 Picwave maintains consistent pricing between the product pages and the checkout. If you notice a discrepancy between the displayed price and the checkout amount, do not proceed with payment and contact info@pic-wave.com before completing the transaction.
5. Taxes & Charges
5.1 Where applicable, VAT is charged at the rate applicable to digital goods in the jurisdiction of supply, calculated at checkout. The total amount shown at checkout — including any applicable VAT — is the total you will be charged.
5.2 Picwave is registered (or will register when required) for VAT purposes in Estonia, and may collect and remit VAT on digital goods supplied to EU consumers in accordance with the EU VAT rules for electronically supplied services.
5.3 You are responsible for any taxes, duties, or levies applicable in your own jurisdiction that are not collected by Picwave at checkout (for example, withholding taxes or import duties in non-EU countries). Picwave is not a tax adviser; if you are uncertain about your tax obligations, please consult a qualified tax professional.
6. Authorisation & Transaction Completion
6.1 When you submit your payment details at checkout, Picwave instructs the PSP to request authorisation from your card issuer. Authorisation involves your card issuer verifying that the card is valid, the transaction is within your available credit or balance, and the transaction is not flagged as suspicious.
6.2 Where required by applicable law (including the EU Payment Services Directive / Strong Customer Authentication requirements), the PSP may prompt you to complete an additional authentication step, such as a one-time passcode sent to your phone or in-app approval through your banking app (collectively referred to as 3-D Secure or SCA verification). This step is mandatory where required by law and protects your card against unauthorised use.
6.3 A transaction is complete when Picwave receives confirmation of authorisation and settlement from the PSP. At that point, your Order is confirmed, an order confirmation email is sent to your registered email address, and digital products are delivered.
6.4 Authorisation does not guarantee delivery; delivery is subject to the process described in the Digital Product Fulfilment Policy.
7. Use of Third-Party Payment Providers
7.1 All payment card transactions on Picwave are processed by an authorised, PCI-DSS compliant PSP. The PSP acts as an independent payment processor engaged by Company name to handle the technical and security aspects of card processing on Picwave’s behalf.
7.2 When you enter your card details at checkout, those details are submitted directly to the PSP’s secure environment. Company name does not receive, transmit, or store your full card number, CVV/CVC code, or card expiry date on its own servers.
7.3 The PSP provides Picwave with: (a) a transaction reference number; (b) a confirmation of success or failure; (c) the card type and last four digits for your order history; and (d) any relevant fraud signals.
7.4 The PSP is independently responsible for the security of your card data within its own environment and is subject to its own privacy policy. For questions specifically about card data handling by the PSP, please refer to the PSP’s documentation.
7.5 Picwave’s card descriptor — the name that appears on your card or bank statement against a Picwave transaction — is PICWAVE.COM. If you see this descriptor on your statement and do not recognise the transaction, contact us at info@pic-wave.com before raising a dispute.
8. Security, Verification & Fraud Controls
8.1 Picwave and its PSP operate fraud detection and prevention controls designed to identify and block suspicious transactions before they complete. These controls may include: velocity checks (flagging an unusually high number of transactions in a short period); card verification (comparing the billing address or card security code against issuer records); device fingerprinting; and IP address analysis.
8.2 Where a transaction is flagged by fraud controls, it may be declined automatically or subject to manual review. Picwave will notify you of a declined transaction by email or at checkout; we will not provide the specific reason for a decline for security reasons.
8.3 Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is applied to card transactions where required by EU law. Completion of the SCA step confirms that you are the authorised cardholder. Failure to complete SCA will result in the transaction being declined.
8.4 If you suspect that your card has been used fraudulently on Picwave, you must contact us immediately at info@pic-wave.com and notify your card issuer. See also Section 12 (Unauthorised Transactions).
9. User Payment Responsibilities
9.1 By submitting a payment at checkout, you confirm that: (a) you are the authorised holder of the payment card or have authority to use it for this transaction; (b) the payment details you provide are accurate and complete; (c) you are at least 18 years of age, or if under 18, a parent or guardian has authorised and is responsible for the transaction; (d) you are not using a card or payment method that is known to be stolen, fraudulently obtained, or otherwise unauthorised.
9.2 You are responsible for ensuring that sufficient funds or credit are available on your payment method before initiating a transaction. Declined transactions due to insufficient funds are not Picwave’s responsibility.
9.3 You are responsible for providing an accurate email address at checkout to receive order confirmation and, where applicable, download links. Failure to receive a confirmation due to an inaccurate email address does not constitute non-delivery by Picwave.
10. Declined, Failed or Reversed Payments
10.1 A payment may be declined for reasons including: insufficient funds or credit; card reported as lost or stolen; SCA verification not completed; flagging by fraud controls; card not accepted by the PSP; or technical issues at the card issuer.
10.2 Where a payment is declined, you will be informed at checkout or by email. No Order is created and no product is delivered. You may retry the payment with the same or a different payment method.
10.3 Where a payment initially succeeds (authorisation confirmed) but is subsequently reversed by the card issuer (a “chargeback” or “reversal”), Picwave will suspend delivery or revoke access to the relevant products pending resolution. If the reversal is in error, contact us at info@pic-wave.com.
10.4 Payment reversal for reasons within your control (for example, because you raised a chargeback for a purchase you authorised) constitutes a breach of the Terms & Conditions and the Acceptable Use Policy.
11. Duplicate Charges & Technical Errors
11.1 Technical errors during checkout — including page refresh, browser crash, or network interruption after a payment is submitted — may in rare circumstances result in a duplicate charge or an incomplete Order. If you believe a duplicate charge has occurred: (a) check your Account order history at pic-wave.com/my-account to confirm the number of Orders created; (b) contact us at info@pic-wave.com with both transaction references; (c) do not submit the payment again until the first transaction has been investigated.
11.2 Where a duplicate charge is confirmed, Picwave will refund the excess charge promptly, in accordance with the Refund Policy. We will not require you to provide additional evidence for a verified duplicate charge.
11.3 A pre-authorisation shown on your bank account is not a charge. Pre-authorisations are temporary holds placed by your card issuer while a transaction is being processed. If the transaction is not completed, the pre-authorisation will drop automatically within the timeframe set by your card issuer (typically 1–7 business days).
12. Unauthorised Transactions & Security Reporting
12.1 If you notice a charge on your card or bank statement from PICWAVE.COM that you did not authorise, you must: (a) contact us immediately at info@pic-wave.com — include the transaction date, amount, and any reference shown on your statement; (b) notify your card issuer and request a replacement card.
12.2 Picwave will investigate all reports of unauthorised transactions. Where Picwave’s records indicate a transaction was properly authorised (order placed from your Account, SCA completed), we will provide this evidence to you and to your card issuer if a chargeback is raised.
12.3 If you cannot explain how the transaction arose and there is no record of Account access from your devices, the transaction may indicate Account compromise. In such a case, you should also change your Account password immediately.
13. Refunds & Relationship to the Refund Policy
13.1 Payment refunds are governed by the Refund Policy available at pic-wave.com. This Section provides a brief summary only.
13.2 All refunds are returned to the original payment method. Picwave does not issue refunds by cash, bank transfer, or to an alternative card.
13.3 Refund requests must be submitted by email to info@pic-wave.com. The process and timelines are described in the Refund Policy.
13.4 Approved refunds are processed within 1–3 business days of approval. The time taken for the refund to appear on your statement depends on your card issuer (typically 5–10 business days from the date of processing).
14. Chargebacks, Retrievals & Disputes
14.1 A chargeback is a payment reversal initiated through your card issuer’s dispute process under card scheme (Visa/Mastercard) rules. You have a right under card scheme rules to raise a chargeback for certain qualifying reasons.
14.2 Before raising a chargeback, we strongly encourage you to contact Picwave at info@pic-wave.com. Most issues — including non-delivery, defects, and duplicate charges — are resolved by Picwave faster than the chargeback process, which can take 4–8 weeks and may result in temporary account restrictions with your card issuer.
14.3 If a chargeback is raised, Picwave will respond to the card scheme within the required timeframe with evidence of: the order record and payment confirmation; delivery evidence (download log or Token crediting timestamp); product description and any communications with you about the transaction.
14.4 Raising a chargeback for a transaction that you authorised and for which Picwave has complied with its obligations constitutes misuse of the chargeback mechanism and is a breach of the Acceptable Use Policy. Such conduct may result in Account suspension, legal action, or reporting to relevant authorities. This provision does not apply to genuinely unauthorised transactions.
15. Timing of Delivery & Account Crediting
15.1 Digital Images are made available for download immediately upon payment confirmation, typically within seconds.
15.2 Token Packs are credited to your Account immediately upon payment confirmation. Your Token balance updates in real time.
15.3 In rare circumstances (platform load, network latency, PSP delay in confirming settlement), delivery may be delayed by up to one hour. If delivery has not occurred within one hour of a confirmed payment, contact info@pic-wave.com before initiating any dispute.
16. Payment Records & Audit Trail
16.1 Picwave retains records of all transactions — including order details, payment amounts, dates, currency, PSP transaction references, and delivery confirmations — for a minimum of 7 years from the transaction date. This retention is required by Estonian accounting and tax law and supports the investigation of any disputes or chargebacks.
16.2 You may access your own order history at any time by logging into your Account at pic-wave.com/my-account. Order history shows Order numbers, dates, amounts, and products purchased.
17. Geographic & Legal Restrictions
17.1 The Service is available to users in most countries worldwide, subject to the PSP’s geographic availability and applicable sanctions or export controls. Picwave does not accept payments from jurisdictions subject to EU, US, UN, or Estonian sanctions.
17.2 Picwave reserves the right to decline any Order where there are grounds to believe the payment or the user is located in a sanctioned jurisdiction, or where the transaction would violate applicable law.
18. Minors & Payment Authority
18.1 The Service is intended for users who are at least 18 years of age. If you are under 18, any payment made through your Account must be authorised by a parent or legal guardian who accepts responsibility for the transaction.
18.2 A parent or guardian who authorises a payment on behalf of a minor confirms that they are the authorised holder of the payment card used and accepts these Terms on behalf of the minor.
19. Changes to Prices, Methods & Rules
19.1 Picwave reserves the right to change prices for Digital Images and Token Packs at any time. Price changes apply to new purchases from the date the change is published on the website; they do not retroactively affect completed Orders or purchased Tokens.
19.2 Picwave may add or remove accepted payment methods at any time. Notice of material changes to accepted methods will be provided on the checkout page and, where practicable, by website notice.
20. Service Interruptions & Processor Downtime
20.1 Payment processing depends on the availability of our PSP. Picwave will notify users of known PSP maintenance windows where possible. If you are unable to complete a payment due to a payment system outage, please try again after 30 minutes or contact info@pic-wave.com for assistance.
20.2 Picwave is not liable for losses arising from PSP downtime, card issuer outages, or other technical failures outside its reasonable control.
21. Contact & Complaint Route
21.1 For all billing enquiries, payment disputes, or questions about this Policy:
Email: info@pic-wave.com | Subject: “Payment Enquiry — [Order Number]”
Response time: acknowledgement within 2 business days.
21.2 The card descriptor for all Picwave transactions is PICWAVE.COM. If you cannot identify a charge bearing this descriptor, contact us before raising a dispute.
21.3 Escalation. If your complaint is not resolved by Picwave, you may escalate to the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) at https://ttja.ee, or to the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
22. Updates
22.1 This Payment Policy may be updated from time to time. Material changes will be notified by email or website notice at least 14 days before taking effect. The current version is always available at pic-wave.com.
Practical Payment Lifecycle Overview
The following table describes each stage of a typical Picwave payment, what normally happens, the typical status shown to the user, and the key risks or controls at each stage.
| Stage | What normally happens | Typical status | Key risk / control |
| 1 — Product selection | User adds a Digital Image or Token Pack to cart and proceeds to checkout. | Cart — pending | Correct product and variant selected; price displayed clearly. |
| 2 — Currency / tax display | User selects display currency (USD/EUR/GBP/AUD); VAT calculated and shown in order summary. | Checkout — order summary | Currency rate applied; VAT included where applicable; total shown before confirmation. |
| 3 — Payment details entry | User enters card details on the PSP-hosted payment form. | Checkout — payment form | PCI-DSS compliant PSP captures card data; Company name does not receive card numbers. |
| 4 — SCA / 3-D Secure | PSP redirects user to card issuer’s SCA page (one-time code, app approval, etc.) where required by law. | Checkout — authentication | Mandatory under EU SCA rules; failure to complete = transaction declined. |
| 5 — Authorisation | PSP sends authorisation request to card network; card issuer approves or declines. | Processing | Issuer checks: available balance, card status, fraud signals. Approval triggers settlement. |
| 6 — Settlement | Card issuer confirms settlement; PSP notifies Picwave. | Confirmed | Funds move from card to PSP settlement account; Picwave receives confirmation. |
| 7 — Delivery | Digital Image download link generated or Token balance credited to Account. | Order confirmed | Delivery is immediate upon settlement confirmation. Confirmation email sent. |
| 8 — Post-delivery | User downloads image or uses Tokens for generation. Order record saved. | Complete | Order history updated in My Account. Refund window begins. |
| 9 — Chargeback window | Card scheme allows cardholder to raise a chargeback (typically within 120 days of statement date). | Active | Picwave retains delivery evidence for minimum 7 years for representment. |
Good Practice for Users Before Submitting Payment
The following guidance helps avoid common payment issues:
- Check the total shown at checkout — including currency and any VAT — before confirming payment.
- Ensure you are using a card registered to you and that sufficient funds or credit are available.
- Do not press the back button or refresh the browser after submitting payment — wait for the confirmation page.
- Keep your order confirmation email, which contains your order number and a record of what was purchased.
- If the checkout page does not load or shows an error after you submitted payment, check your Account order history before re-submitting — a charge may have been processed.
- Contact info@pic-wave.com before raising a chargeback — we resolve most billing issues faster and the resolution will not affect your card account standing.
- Save the descriptor PICWAVE.COM so you can recognise Picwave charges on your statement.
Picwave · Payment Policy · v1.0 · Effective 28 June 2026. Published at pic-wave.com. This document is subject to update; the current published version governs. Operated by Company name, address. Company no. Company number.