Planda Portal: Payment Service Terms & Conditions

1. PAYMENT STRUCTURE & FEES

1.1 Your payment may comprise up to three parts:

(a) Planda Service Fee: our charge for platform use, application preparation support, validation assistance, communication management, dashboard access, and agency submission services.

(b) LPA Statutory Fee: the planning application fee set by the relevant Local Planning Authority or by applicable legislation.

(c) Third-Party Submission, Portal, Gateway, or Payment Charge: where applicable, any charge imposed by a third-party portal, gateway, platform, payment provider, intermediary service, or other submission system used in connection with lodging, paying for, or managing the application.

Any applicable third-party charge will either be shown to you before payment, included within the total amount payable, deducted from sums held by us on your behalf, or absorbed by us, depending on the checkout, invoice, or payment process used for your application.

1.2 Service Fee:
Covers all platform use, validation, communication management, and dashboard access.

1.3 Service Fee Changes:
We reserve the right to change the Service Fee.

1.4 LPA Fee Changes:
If an LPA increases its statutory fee after you pay us but before we submit, you are liable for the additional amount. We will pause submission and request the difference.

2. PAYMENT METHODS & PROCESSING

2.1 Accepted Methods:
Debit Card | Credit Card (including Amex) | BACS / Faster Payments

2.2 When Payment is Complete:
Payment is complete when funds have cleared in our bank account. We will not submit your application until funds are cleared.

2.3 Clearance Times:

We accept no liability for banking delays.

2.4 Fraud:
We reserve the right to refuse processing if we suspect fraud or illegality.

3. SUBMISSION & DEADLINES

3.1 Submission:
Upon receipt of cleared funds and all required information, we will submit your application to the LPA within 1 business day.

3.2 Planning Decisions:
Decision timelines start when the LPA receives your application and payment.

3.3 Submission Methods:
We choose the method for each LPA: Online Portal, Email, or Post. We may choose the submission route for each application at our discretion. This may include submission directly to the relevant Local Planning Authority by email, post, LPA online system, back-office integration, API, or through any third-party planning application submission portal, platform, gateway, payment system, or intermediary service.

You authorise us to use any such submission route as your appointed agent where we consider it appropriate or necessary to progress, lodge, validate, pay for, or manage your application.

3.4 Third-Party Submission Portals and Gateways

Where we submit an application through a third-party portal, gateway, platform, payment system, or intermediary service, you authorise us to enter application data, upload plans and supporting documents, make declarations, complete forms, select application types, provide contact details, pay or arrange payment of application fees, and take any other reasonable administrative step required to submit or progress the application.

A submission made through a third-party portal, gateway, platform, or intermediary service will be treated as submitted once the application has been successfully transmitted to, lodged with, accepted by, or made available to the relevant Local Planning Authority through that system, depending on the technical process used.

We are not responsible for any delay, outage, rejection, failed transmission, technical issue, account restriction, service change, payment processing issue, additional request, validation delay, or other act or omission caused by any third-party portal, gateway, platform, payment provider, intermediary service, or Local Planning Authority, except to the extent caused by our own failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

3.5 Deadline Exclusion:
We exclude liability for missed statutory deadlines where:
(a) The application was submitted to us less than 72 hours before the deadline; OR
(b) Funds did not clear due to your bank or your payment method choice.

4. ERRORS & DISPUTES

4.1 Our Errors:
We commit to absolute accuracy in processing. If we make a processing error, we will correct it at no cost and notify you within 5 business days.

4.2 Your Errors:
We are not liable for errors caused by incorrect information you provide.

4.3 Dispute Deadline:
Notify us of any payment dispute within 5 business days of submission. Claims after this period will not be considered.

5. REFUNDS

5.1 Cancellation Rights:
You have a 14-day cooling-off period only if service has not started. By clicking Complete Payment, you request immediate service, which waives this right once we begin work.

5.2 Planda Service Fee Refunds:

5.3 LPA Fee Refunds:
If the LPA grants a refund, they send it to us (as the original payer). We pass it to your original payment method within 7 working days, minus a £15 processing fee.

If the LPA refuses a refund, we have no authority to override their decision.

6. LIABILITY

6.1 Liability Cap:
Our total liability for any breach is limited to 150% of the Service Fee.

6.2 What We're Not Liable For:

(a) Indirect or consequential losses.

(b) Loss of profit, business opportunity, or property value.

(c) Builder delays or construction costs.

(d) LPA system failures or delays.

(e) Payment processor failures or your bank refusing/delaying payment.

7. DATA & IP

7.1 Your Use:
Plans and data are for your planning application only. Do not copy, redistribute, or reuse without permission.

7.2 Indemnity:
You indemnify us against third-party claims from your misuse of data or plans.

8. GENERAL

8.1 Entire Agreement:
These Payment Terms, plus the Website & Agency Service Terms & Conditions, form the entire agreement.

8.2 Governing Law:
Governed by English law. Courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.