💡 Transparency Note: Understanding the Convenience Fee

At HostelBazar, we believe in radical transparency. You might notice a small platform/convenience fee added to online transactions and a subscription fee charged from sellers.

• Platform Fee: 2.5% per transaction from sellers.
• Convenience Fee: 2.5% per transaction from buyers.
• Subscription Fee for Sellers:
  • Monthly: 300/month
  • Quarterly: 500/qtr
  • Annual: 999/year

“Why am I being charged this fee?” We run HostelBazar as a student initiative, but keeping a secure website running costs real money. We do not take a profit from your sales; this fee is strictly to keep the lights on.

Here is exactly where that money goes:

1. Payment Gateway Charges: Banks and payment processors (like PhonePe/Razorpay) charge a fee to process every secure online transaction. This fee goes directly to them, not us.

2. Server & Security Costs: To keep your data safe and the website fast, we pay for high-performance cloud hosting and SSL security certificates.

3. Platform Maintenance: It funds the technical tools we use to verify student IDs and block spam/fraud.

By paying this small fee, you are helping us maintain a safe, ad-free, and scam-free marketplace for the entire community.

Refund & Return Policy: We do not provide any kind of refund/return. Customers will directly deal with the seller through our platform.