Fees and Payments Policy – Bee Market (UK)

Version: 1.0 • Last updated: 27 September 2025

This Fees Policy explains how Bee Market charges for sales, delivery labels, and other transactions on the platform. It forms part of our Terms & Conditions and is incorporated by reference. By listing or selling on Bee Market, you agree to these fees.

1) Platform Fee

All payments on the Platform are collected by Bee Market from Buyer and, after fees and applicable holds, the balance is transferred to Seller according to these Terms. Payments are processed through our third-party provider (Stripe). Off-platform payments are strictly prohibited.

Bee Market charges a 7% + £0.20 platform fee per transaction, with a £0.30 minimum (whichever is greater).
The fee is calculated on the total amount paid by the Buyer (item price plus any buyer-paid delivery at checkout).
Platform fees are deducted from the Seller’s payout and are non-refundable for the Seller, even if the Buyer receives a refund after a return.

2) Delivery Cost Handling

Delivery labels are purchased by Bee Market. The label cost is deducted directly from the Buyer’s payment at settlement, before the Seller’s payout is calculated. This applies whether the listing shows “14-Day Return” or “Free Delivery”.

3) Payouts & Reserve Period

When a Buyer pays for an order, it is marked as Pending. At this stage, the sale is recorded for the Seller, but the funds remain held by Bee Market.

While the order is Pending and before the Seller has shipped, the Buyer may cancel the order. Once the Seller ships, cancellations are no longer possible and the order proceeds under the Seller’s stated return policy and UK law.

Once the order is shipped using a tracked delivery service, or the item is collected in person with proof of collection retained, the funds enter a 14-day frozen reserve period. During this time, depending on the return policy and consumer rights, the Buyer may request a return or open a dispute.

After the 14-day reserve period ends, and provided no active disputes or returns are pending, the funds are unfrozen. The Seller may then request a withdrawal or payout to their linked bank account.

Bee Market may withhold, delay, or reverse payouts in cases of fraud, policy breaches, chargebacks, or disputes.

Before any payout can be released, Sellers must successfully complete Stripe Connect onboardingthrough Bee Market and provide all information required under UK law (including identity, address, and bank details). Payouts will only be enabled once Stripe has verified and approved the Seller’s account. Bee Market cannot override Stripe’s decision, and funds remain on hold until such approval is confirmed.

4) First-time payout setup (Stripe Connect)

On your first payout, you’ll complete Stripe’s secure onboarding to create a Stripe Connected Account.

All onboarding and verification steps take place directly on Bee Market using Stripe’s official API. Sellers are not redirected off-platform, and their details are sent securely to Stripe for review. Creating a Stripe Connect account typically takes only a few minutes if the required information is provided correctly, although in some cases additional checks may extend the process.

You’ll be asked for standard KYC details: full legal name, date of birth, home address, email, mobile number, and your UK bank details (account number & sort code).

Stripe may also require photo ID (e.g., passport or driving licence) and, in some cases, proof of address and a short description of what you sell.

These details are submitted directly to Stripe. Bee Market does not store your verification documents or bank credentials — only your payout status and the last-4 of your account where applicable.

Once Stripe verification is approved, future eligible orders will auto-payout to your bank account after the 14-day reserve (subject to no freezes for disputes, chargebacks, or compliance checks).

If verification fails, expires, or you change key info (e.g., bank account), payouts may be paused until you re-verify with Stripe.

5) Refunds, Returns & Chargebacks

Refunds are governed by our Returns & Refunds Policy (UK). Where a refund is issued, the following applies:

• Refund source: All refunds are deducted from the Seller’s available balance, reserve, or future payouts.
• Platform fees & delivery label costs: Non-refundable, even if the order is returned or refunded.
• Return postage: Buyer pays return shipping by default. The Seller must cover it if the item is faulty, significantly not as described, substantially damaged on arrival, or never delivered.
• Chargebacks: If a Buyer raises a chargeback, Stripe will debit Bee Market, and Bee Market will recover the full amount plus processor fees from the Seller. Bee Market fees and delivery label costs remain payable. Sellers must cooperate with Stripe’s evidence requests. Bee Market’s determination is final and binding.

5) Prohibited Activity

Circumventing Bee Market’s checkout system is strictly forbidden and may result in suspension, removal of listings, or forfeiture of payouts. Bee Market may also place holds, reverse transfers, or suspend selling access to protect the platform and its users.