01 Our approach
We want every engagement to feel fair on both sides. This policy explains how payments, cancellations, and refunds work for projects with Bytewren ("Bytewren", "we", "us", or "our"). It sits alongside our Terms & Conditions; where your signed proposal or statement of work says something different, that document takes precedence.
Because most of our work is custom and milestone-based, refunds are handled by the value of work already completed — not as a flat all-or-nothing rule.
02 Milestone payments
Projects are typically structured into milestones, each with its own deliverable and payment. This protects you: you only pay for the next stage once the previous one is delivered and approved.
- Each milestone is invoiced as it begins or is reached, as set out in your proposal.
- Payments for milestones that are completed and approved are non-refundable, since the work has been delivered.
- If you cancel mid-milestone, we calculate a fair amount for the work done so far on that milestone (see section 5).
03 Deposits
Most projects start with a deposit (typically 50% of the project fee) to reserve our time and begin work. The deposit is applied against your first milestone. Once we have started work, the deposit is generally non-refundable except as described in the first-deliverable guarantee below, because it covers planning, discovery, and the resourcing we set aside for you.
04 First-deliverable guarantee
If our very first deliverable doesn't match the agreed brief, you can ask for your money back on it. We'd rather fix it — but if we genuinely missed the mark on the first milestone, we'll make it right.
The first deliverable is the initial milestone defined in your proposal — for example, a first design concept, a homepage, or a working prototype. If you feel it does not reflect the brief we agreed, here's how it works:
- Tell us in writing within seven (7) days of receiving the first deliverable, explaining where it doesn't match the agreed brief.
- We'll first offer a revision round to bring it in line — most concerns are resolved here.
- If, after a fair attempt, it still doesn't match the brief and you choose not to proceed, we'll refund the amount you paid toward that first milestone.
This guarantee covers a genuine mismatch with the agreed brief. It does not cover a change of mind about scope or direction, requests outside what was agreed, or delays caused by missing content or feedback. On refund, any work delivered for that milestone remains our property.
05 Cancellation by you
You can cancel a project at any time with written notice. When you do:
- You pay for all milestones already completed and approved, and for work in progress on the current milestone, calculated fairly against the time and effort spent.
- Any amount you've paid that exceeds the value of work done to date is refunded to you.
- Any amount owed for work done beyond what you've paid is invoiced and due on cancellation.
We'll share a short summary of work completed so the calculation is transparent.
06 Cancellation by us
In rare cases we may need to end an engagement — for example, if the working relationship breaks down, scope can't be agreed, or payment terms aren't met. If we cancel for reasons that are not your fault, we'll refund any amount you've paid that is beyond the value of work delivered to date. If we cancel because of unpaid invoices or a material breach on your side, our standard cancellation terms above apply.
07 Retainers & ongoing services
Ongoing services such as SEO retainers, maintenance, or support are billed monthly in advance.
- You can cancel a retainer with the notice period stated in your agreement (commonly 30 days).
- The current month's fee is generally non-refundable once work for that month has begun, as time is reserved and ongoing work is performed throughout the month.
- You won't be billed for months after your notice period ends.
08 Non-refundable costs
Some costs are paid out to third parties on your behalf and cannot be recovered once spent. These are non-refundable regardless of cancellation, and include items such as:
- Domain names, hosting, and SSL or licence fees.
- Premium themes, plugins, fonts, stock assets, or paid APIs.
- Third-party subscriptions or ad spend purchased for your project.
09 How to request a refund
To request a refund or raise a concern, email us at hello@bytewren.com with your project name and a short description of the issue. We'll acknowledge it promptly, talk it through, and aim to reach a fair resolution quickly.
10 Refund processing
Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method where possible, usually within fourteen (14) business days of agreeing the amount. Depending on your bank or payment provider, it may take a little longer to appear on your statement.
11 Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The version that applies to your project is the one in force when you accepted your proposal. The "last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was most recently revised.
12 Contact
Questions about refunds or cancellations? We're glad to talk it through.