Payment & EMI Terms

These Payment & EMI Terms (“Payment Terms”) govern payments made for memberships, digital services, events and other paid offerings provided through Bharat Business Networks™.

These Payment Terms form an integral part of the Terms & Conditions of Bharat Business Networks™ and should be read together with the:

Terms & Conditions;

Privacy Policy;

Cancellation & Refund Policy;

applicable membership offer;

checkout terms; and

any specific payment or financing terms presented at the time of purchase.

By making a payment or selecting an EMI or financing option, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to these Payment Terms.

1. PLATFORM OWNER

Bharat Business Networks™ is owned and operated by:

References to “Bharat Business Networks™”, the “Platform”, “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our” shall, depending upon context, refer to BRIXTON & Co Consulting as the legal owner and operator of Bharat Business Networks™.

2. NATURE OF PAID SERVICES

Bharat Business Networks™ provides digitally delivered business, professional, networking and ecosystem Services.

Depending upon the applicable membership or offering, paid Services may include:

• Ecosystem Membership;
• digital membership identity;
• B.Cred™ verification;
• verified networking community;
• Member Dashboard;
• business discovery and lead access;
• business profile and catalogue management;
• marketplace participation;
• Member-to-Member chat;
• community feed;
• collaborations and partnership opportunities;
• summits, forums, meetups and networking experiences;
• editorial recognition opportunities;
• brand partnership opportunities; and
• other digital ecosystem features.
• Unless expressly stated otherwise, payment is made for access to the applicable membership or Service and not for any guaranteed commercial result.

3. ACCEPTANCE OF PAYMENT TERMS

By initiating or completing a payment, you confirm that:

• you are legally authorised to make the payment;
• the payment method used by you is valid and lawfully accessible to you;
• the information provided during payment is accurate;
• you have reviewed the applicable price before payment;
• you have reviewed the applicable membership or Service;
• you agree to the Cancellation & Refund Policy; and
• where EMI is selected, you also agree to the separate terms of the relevant bank, NBFC, card issuer or financing provider.

4. MEMBERSHIP PRICE

The applicable membership price shall be the price displayed or otherwise expressly communicated to you at the time of purchase.

Pricing may vary depending upon:

• introductory offers;
• Founding Circle offers;
• promotional campaigns;
• membership categories;
• corporate arrangements;
• partnership arrangements;
• limited-period offers;
• geographical campaigns;
• payment options; or
• future pricing revisions.
• The price confirmed at the time of a successfully completed transaction shall ordinarily apply to that transaction.

5. FUTURE PRICE CHANGES

Bharat Business Networks™ reserves the right to revise the price of future memberships, renewals, Services or offerings.

A subsequent increase or decrease in price does not retrospectively change a previously completed purchase.

A Member shall not ordinarily be entitled to:

• a refund;
• price difference;
• credit;
• adjustment; or
• compensation
• solely because another Member subsequently purchases a membership at a different promotional or regular price.

6. TAXES

Applicable taxes, including Goods and Services Tax (“GST”), shall be charged, included or disclosed in accordance with applicable law and the pricing presented at the time of purchase.

Where applicable, an invoice or tax invoice may be generated based on information provided by the Member.

Members are responsible for providing accurate:

• legal name;
• business name;
• billing address;
• GSTIN, where applicable; and
• other invoicing information.
• Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for consequences arising from incorrect tax or billing information supplied by the Member.

7. ACCEPTED PAYMENT METHODS

Subject to availability, payments may be accepted through methods including:

• UPI;
• credit cards;
• debit cards;
• net banking;
• authorised payment gateways;
• bank transfers;
• EMI;
• card-based instalments;
• third-party financing; and
• other payment methods introduced from time to time.

Availability of any payment method may vary depending upon:

• payment provider;
• issuing bank;
• transaction value;
• Member eligibility;
• location; and
• technical availability.

8. THIRD-PARTY PAYMENT PROCESSING

Payments may be processed by independent third-party payment gateways, banks, payment aggregators, card networks or other authorised payment service providers.

Bharat Business Networks™ does not control the internal processing systems of these providers.

Payment processing may therefore also be subject to the:

• payment provider's terms;
• issuing bank's terms;
• card network rules;
• security requirements;
• transaction limits; and
• applicable regulatory requirements.

9. PAYMENT SECURITY

Bharat Business Networks™ may use authorised third-party payment infrastructure to process transactions securely.

Bharat Business Networks™ does not ordinarily store complete card credentials such as:

• full card number;
• CVV;
• card PIN;
• internet banking password;
• UPI PIN; or
• OTP authentication credentials
• where those details are entered directly into the systems of authorised payment providers.

You should never send such credentials to Bharat Business Networks™ through email, chat, telephone or Member messaging.

Card and payment credential handling shall remain subject to applicable payment-system and security requirements.

10. PAYMENT AUTHORISATION

A membership or paid Service shall ordinarily be activated only after Bharat Business Networks™ receives successful payment confirmation from the relevant payment provider.

Submitting a payment request does not itself mean that payment has been successfully completed.

A transaction may be:

• authorised;
• successful;
• pending;
• failed;
• declined;
• reversed; or
• cancelled
• depending upon the response received from the relevant financial institution or payment provider.

11. MEMBERSHIP ACTIVATION

Membership may be activated after successful payment authorisation and completion of applicable onboarding requirements.

Activation may include one or more of the following:

• Member account upgrade;
• access to the Member Dashboard;
• commencement of B.Cred™ verification;
• issuance or processing of membership identity;
• business discovery access;
• lead-access functionality;
• marketplace functionality;
• Member networking features; or
• other paid membership benefits.
• Once membership is activated, the Cancellation & Refund Policy shall apply.

12. FULL PAYMENT

Where a Member chooses to pay the membership fee in full, the entire applicable amount becomes payable at the time of purchase.

Successful full payment does not guarantee:

• business leads;
• sales;
• revenue;
• partnerships;
• collaborations;
• investment;
• marketplace transactions;
• editorial recognition;
• brand partnerships; or
• any other particular commercial outcome.
• Payment provides access to the applicable Services described in the membership offering.

13. EMI PAYMENT OPTION

Bharat Business Networks™ may make available an Equated Monthly Instalment (“EMI”) payment option through eligible third-party financial institutions.

An EMI option is generally a payment mechanism for purchasing the applicable membership.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, EMI does not mean that Bharat Business Networks™ is providing a month-to-month membership.

14. BHARAT BUSINESS NETWORKS™ IS NOT A LENDER

BRIXTON & Co Consulting and Bharat Business Networks™ are not banks, NBFCs or lending institutions and do not independently provide credit or loans unless expressly stated otherwise and legally authorised.

Any EMI, loan or financing facility made available at checkout may be provided independently by:

• a bank;
• NBFC;
• card issuer;
• regulated financial institution;
• authorised lender; or
• payment provider acting in connection with such institution.

The relevant financing institution is responsible for its lending decision and financing terms.

15. EMI ELIGIBILITY

Availability of an EMI option does not guarantee that a Member will qualify for financing.

Eligibility may depend upon criteria determined by the relevant provider, including:

• credit profile;
• card eligibility;
• transaction amount;
• issuing bank;
• lender policies;
• repayment capacity;
• customer verification;
• credit history; or
• other underwriting criteria.
• Bharat Business Networks™ does not control or guarantee EMI approval.

16. EMI APPROVAL & REJECTION

An EMI application or transaction may be approved or rejected solely in accordance with the policies of the relevant financial institution.

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for:

• rejection of financing;
• credit-score decisions;
• credit limits;
• lender underwriting;
• financing eligibility;
• loan sanction decisions; or
• lender-specific verification requirements.
• Where EMI is declined, the Member may choose another available payment method.

17. EMI AMOUNT DISPLAYED

Where the Platform displays statements such as:

• “EMI starting from ₹___ per month”
• or similar wording, such amounts are indicative unless expressly stated otherwise.

The actual EMI may depend upon:

• total membership price;
• tenure;
• lender;
• bank;
• card issuer;
• interest rate;
• processing charges;
• taxes;
• promotional financing;
• down payment, where applicable; and
• other lender-specific terms.
• The final amount shown and accepted through the financing provider shall govern the financing arrangement.

18. EMI TENURE

Available EMI tenures may vary depending upon the financing provider.

Possible instalment periods displayed by a lender or payment provider do not constitute a promise by Bharat Business Networks™ that every Member will receive every tenure option.

The Member should review the final tenure before completing the transaction.

19. INTEREST & FINANCING CHARGES

Depending upon the financing option, the Member may be charged:

• interest;
• processing fees;
• documentation charges;
• taxes;
• convenience charges where legally permissible;
• foreclosure charges;
• late-payment charges; or
• other financing costs.
• Such charges are determined by the relevant financing provider and not by Bharat Business Networks™, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Members should review all financing charges before confirming an EMI transaction.

20. NO-COST EMI

Where a “No-Cost EMI” or similar arrangement is specifically offered, the exact financial structure, eligibility and applicable terms shall be those communicated by the relevant provider at checkout.

The expression “No-Cost EMI” should not be interpreted as eliminating:

• GST on applicable charges;
• processing fees;
• lender charges;
• card-related charges; or
• other amounts
• unless the applicable financing offer expressly confirms that such charges are waived.

21. FINANCING AGREEMENT

Where EMI involves a loan or financing arrangement, the agreement relating to the financing is ordinarily between the Member and the financing institution.

That agreement may govern matters including:

• loan amount;
• annual percentage rate;
• interest rate;
• EMI amount;
• tenure;
• processing fees;
• repayment schedule;
• late-payment charges;
• prepayment;
• foreclosure;
• default;
• credit reporting;
• cancellation; and
• grievance redressal.
• Members should carefully review those terms before proceeding.

22. SETTLEMENT TO BHARAT BUSINESS NETWORKS™

In some EMI or financing transactions, the relevant provider may settle the entire or applicable purchase amount to Bharat Business Networks™ at or around the time of purchase.

Where such settlement occurs, the membership purchase may be treated as a completed transaction from Bharat Business Networks™' perspective, even though the Member continues paying instalments to the financing provider.

23. EMI REPAYMENTS

Repayment of EMI instalments is the responsibility of the Member under the separate arrangement with the relevant financing institution.

Bharat Business Networks™ is not ordinarily responsible for collecting or managing lender-side monthly repayments where those repayments are due directly to the financing institution.

Questions concerning:

• EMI due dates;
• auto-debit;
• loan statements;
• lender interest;
• late-payment fees;
• repayment failures;
• credit reporting; or
• loan closure
• should ordinarily be directed to the relevant financing provider.

24. MISSED EMI PAYMENTS

Failure to make an EMI payment may result in consequences determined by the relevant financing institution, which may include:

• late fees;
• penal charges;
• collection activity;
• account classification consequences;
• credit-score impact;
• reporting to credit information companies; or
• other remedies permitted under the financing agreement and applicable law.

Bharat Business Networks™ does not control such lender-side actions.

25. CANCELLATION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY CANCEL EMI

A Member expressly acknowledges that:

• cancelling, discontinuing, not using, suspending or closing a Bharat Business Networks™ membership does not automatically cancel an EMI, loan or financing agreement.

Financing obligations remain governed by the agreement between the Member and the relevant financing provider.

This includes situations where a Member voluntarily stops using the Platform.

26. REFUNDS ON EMI TRANSACTIONS

Refund eligibility is determined according to the Cancellation & Refund Policy of Bharat Business Networks™ and applicable law.

Where a refund for an EMI-funded transaction is approved, Bharat Business Networks™ may initiate the refund through:

• the original payment route; or
• another legally permissible process.
• The financing provider will determine how the refunded amount is applied against the Member's financing arrangement.

27. EMI AFTER AN APPROVED REFUND

Even after Bharat Business Networks™ initiates an approved refund:

• EMI adjustments may not occur immediately;
• one or more scheduled instalments may temporarily remain payable;
• the lender may require processing time;
• interest already charged may be treated according to lender policy;
• processing fees may be non-refundable under lender terms; and
• foreclosure or loan-closure procedures may apply.
• The Member should contact the relevant financing provider for confirmation of the adjusted repayment schedule.

28. FAILED PAYMENT

A payment may fail because of circumstances including:

• insufficient funds;
• card restrictions;
• bank decline;
• incorrect authentication;
• payment-provider downtime;
• network interruption;
• transaction limits;
• security controls; or
• technical errors.
• A failed transaction does not ordinarily activate membership.

29. AMOUNT DEBITED BUT PAYMENT NOT CONFIRMED

A Member may occasionally see an amount deducted from their account even though Bharat Business Networks™ has not received successful payment confirmation.

Such transactions may be automatically reversed by the relevant bank or payment provider.

If the transaction remains unresolved, the Member should contact the relevant bank or payment provider and may also contact Bharat Business Networks™ with the transaction details.

30. PENDING PAYMENTS

Where payment status is marked as pending, Bharat Business Networks™ may wait for final confirmation from the relevant payment provider before activating the membership.

Bharat Business Networks™ is not required to activate paid Services while payment remains unconfirmed.

31. DUPLICATE PAYMENTS

Where a Member is charged more than once for the same intended purchase because of a verified payment or technical error, the duplicate transaction may be refunded after verification.

The Member may be requested to provide:

• registered name;
• registered email address;
• payment date;
• amount;
• transaction ID; and
• payment evidence.
• Duplicate-payment refunds shall be processed in accordance with the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

32. PAYMENT RECEIPTS & INVOICES

Following successful payment, Bharat Business Networks™ may issue:

• payment confirmation;
• receipt;
• invoice;
• tax invoice; or
• other transaction documentation.
• Members should verify the billing details submitted before completing payment.

Requests to change invoice details after generation may be subject to applicable tax and accounting requirements.

33. MEMBERSHIP PURCHASE FOR AN ORGANISATION

Where a membership is purchased on behalf of a company, LLP, partnership, institution or other organisation, the person completing the transaction represents that they have authority to:

• make the purchase;
• use the payment method;
• provide the organisation's billing information; and
• accept the applicable terms on behalf of the organisation where relevant.

34. PAYMENT THROUGH ANOTHER PERSON

Where payment is made by a person other than the Member, the Member and payer are responsible for ensuring that:

• the payment is authorised;
• the payment method is lawfully used;
• the payer understands the transaction; and
• there is no unauthorised use of financial credentials.

A third-party payer does not automatically become the holder of the membership.

35. PAYMENT PROVIDER OUTAGES

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for temporary payment failures caused solely by:

• issuing banks;
• payment gateways;
• UPI systems;
• card networks;
• lender systems;
• payment aggregators;
• telecom networks; or
• other independent payment infrastructure.
• Where possible, Members may retry the transaction or use another available payment method.

36. FRAUDULENT OR UNAUTHORISED PAYMENTS

Bharat Business Networks™ may investigate transactions reasonably suspected of:

• fraud;
• stolen payment credentials;
• identity misuse;
• unauthorised card use;
• payment manipulation;
• fraudulent chargebacks; or
• other unlawful activity.
• Where reasonably necessary, Bharat Business Networks™ may:
• delay activation;
• suspend access;
• request verification;
• preserve transaction records;
• cancel fraudulent transactions; or
• cooperate with payment providers and lawful authorities.

37. CHARGEBACKS & PAYMENT DISPUTES

Members who believe a payment has been incorrectly processed are encouraged to contact Bharat Business Networks™ promptly.

Nothing in these Payment Terms prevents a Member from exercising a lawful right through their bank or payment provider.

However, knowingly filing a false, deceptive or fraudulent chargeback may result in:

• suspension of membership;
• investigation;
• submission of transaction evidence to the payment provider;
• recovery proceedings; or
• other lawful action.

38. MEMBERSHIP SUSPENSION FOR PAYMENT REVERSAL

Where a payment used to activate membership is subsequently:

• reversed;
• charged back;
• cancelled;
• determined to be fraudulent; or
• otherwise not received by Bharat Business Networks™,
• Bharat Business Networks™ may suspend the associated paid access while the payment issue is investigated.

Access may be restored after successful resolution or payment.

39. RECURRING OR AUTO-RENEWAL PAYMENTS

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not automatically treat a one-time membership payment as permission for recurring billing unless an auto-renewal or recurring-payment arrangement is expressly disclosed and authorised.

Where recurring payments are introduced, the applicable:

• frequency;
• amount or pricing basis;
• cancellation mechanism; and
• renewal conditions
• shall be communicated in accordance with applicable law and payment-system requirements.

40. PAYMENT INFORMATION & PRIVACY

Payment-related personal data is processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy of Bharat Business Networks™.

Third-party payment providers may independently process financial information in accordance with:

• their privacy policies;
• applicable RBI requirements;
• payment-system requirements; and
• applicable law.
• Bharat Business Networks™ may retain transaction information reasonably required for:
• membership administration;
• accounting;
• taxation;
• reconciliation;
• refunds;
• fraud prevention;
• dispute resolution; and
• legal compliance.

41. NO GUARANTEE OF CREDIT

The presence of an EMI option, financing logo, monthly instalment illustration or payment-provider integration does not constitute:

• a promise of credit;
• credit approval;
• financial advice;
• a lending recommendation; or
• a representation that a particular financing product is appropriate for every Member.

Members remain responsible for evaluating whether any financing arrangement is suitable for them.

42. RESPONSIBILITY FOR REVIEWING FINANCING TERMS

Before selecting EMI, Members should review the final financing information provided by the relevant institution, including where applicable:

• identity of the lender;
• principal amount;
• annual percentage rate;
• interest rate;
• tenure;
• EMI amount;
• processing charges;
• taxes;
• repayment schedule;
• prepayment or foreclosure conditions;
• late-payment consequences; and
• grievance mechanism.

Where the financing provider's final terms differ from an illustrative amount shown on Bharat Business Networks™, the terms expressly accepted with the financing provider shall govern the financing arrangement.

43. BHARAT BUSINESS NETWORKS™ DOES NOT CONTROL CREDIT REPORTING

Where financing is independently provided by a bank, NBFC or other regulated lender, that institution may report credit information according to applicable law and its regulatory obligations.

Bharat Business Networks™ does not independently determine:

• credit bureau reporting;
• credit scores;
• loan classification;
• repayment reporting; or
• corrections to a lender's credit records.
• Such matters should be addressed with the relevant lender.

44. PAYMENT DISCOUNTS & PROMOTIONAL OFFERS

Bharat Business Networks™ may offer promotional:

• discounts;
• coupon codes;
• introductory prices;
• payment offers;
• partner offers; or
• limited-period campaigns.
• Such offers:
• may be subject to eligibility conditions;
• may have expiry dates;
• may not be combinable;
• may be withdrawn for future transactions; and
• ordinarily have no cash value unless expressly stated otherwise.

Promotional offers do not create a right to retrospective discounts on completed purchases.

45. THIRD-PARTY BANK & CARD OFFERS

Certain discounts, cashback programmes or EMI promotions may be offered independently by:

• banks;
• card issuers;
• payment providers;
• lenders; or
• other financial institutions.
• Such promotions are subject to the relevant provider's terms.

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for failure by a third-party financial institution to provide cashback, reward points or another independently administered benefit.

46. CURRENCY

Unless otherwise expressly stated, prices displayed for Bharat Business Networks™ in India shall ordinarily be denominated in Indian Rupees (INR/₹).

Where international payment options are made available, currency-conversion rates or international transaction charges may be determined by the relevant bank, card network or payment provider.

47. PAYMENT LIMITS

Transaction limits may be imposed by:

• issuing banks;
• UPI providers;
• card issuers;
• lenders;
• payment gateways; or
• applicable regulation.
• Bharat Business Networks™ does not guarantee that every payment method will support every transaction amount.

48. NO CASH REFUNDS

Unless expressly approved or legally required, refunds will ordinarily not be provided in cash where the original transaction was made electronically.

Approved refunds shall generally follow the original payment method or another legally permissible route.

49. REFUND PROCESSING

Any refund approved by Bharat Business Networks™ shall be governed by the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

Once a refund has been initiated, the final time required for credit may depend upon:

• issuing bank;
• payment gateway;
• card network;
• UPI provider;
• lender; or
• other financial institution.
• Bharat Business Networks™ does not control delays occurring solely within those third-party systems.

50. PAYMENT SUPPORT

For payment-related assistance, Members may contact:

• Email: connect@bharatbusinessnetworks.com
• Where applicable, please provide:
• full name;
• registered email address;
• registered mobile number;
• transaction ID;
• payment date;
• amount paid;
• payment method; and
• description of the issue.
• Members should not provide passwords, OTPs, CVVs, PINs or complete card credentials.

51. LENDER & EMI GRIEVANCES

Complaints relating specifically to:

• EMI approval;
• interest;
• loan statements;
• repayment schedules;
• lender charges;
• credit reporting;
• foreclosure;
• late-payment charges; or
• loan servicing
• should ordinarily be raised directly with the relevant lender or financing institution through its grievance mechanism.

Bharat Business Networks™ may provide reasonable transaction information available to it where necessary to assist with a genuine payment issue.

52. APPLICABLE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Payment and financing arrangements may be subject to applicable Indian laws and regulations, including requirements issued from time to time by the Reserve Bank of India for regulated banks, NBFCs, payment-system participants, payment aggregators and digital lending arrangements.

Where financing is provided by an RBI-regulated institution, that institution remains independently responsible for complying with regulatory requirements applicable to its lending activities.

Nothing in these Payment Terms represents Bharat Business Networks™ as a regulated lender merely because a third-party EMI option is made available.

53. LIMITATION RELATING TO THIRD-PARTY PAYMENT SERVICES

To the extent permitted by law, Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for losses caused solely by independent acts or failures of:

• banks;
• lenders;
• NBFCs;
• card issuers;
• payment gateways;
• payment aggregators;
• UPI providers;
• card networks; or
• other third-party financial-service providers.
• Nothing in this clause excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

54. CONFLICT WITH LENDER TERMS

These Payment Terms govern the purchase of Services from Bharat Business Networks™.

A separate financing agreement governs the lending relationship between a Member and the relevant lender.

Accordingly:

• Bharat Business Networks™ determines membership and Service terms;
• the financing institution determines loan or EMI financing terms; and
• each party remains responsible for matters within its respective contractual and legal role.

55. CHANGES TO THESE PAYMENT TERMS

Bharat Business Networks™ may update these Payment Terms from time to time to reflect:

• new payment methods;
• new financing options;
• payment-provider requirements;
• regulatory changes;
• membership changes;
• security requirements; or
• operational developments.
• The latest version shall display a revised “Last Updated” date.

Changes shall apply prospectively to the extent required by applicable law and shall not unlawfully alter completed transactions retrospectively.

56. RELATIONSHIP WITH CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY

These Payment Terms explain how payments and EMI arrangements operate.

Eligibility for cancellation or refund is governed separately by the Cancellation & Refund Policy of Bharat Business Networks™.

A Member's obligation to a financing institution may continue independently even where membership access is cancelled, suspended or terminated.

57. RELATIONSHIP WITH TERMS & CONDITIONS

These Payment Terms form part of the contractual framework governing use of Bharat Business Networks™.

They should be read together with:

• Terms & Conditions;
• Privacy Policy;
• Cancellation & Refund Policy;
• applicable membership offer;
• invoice or checkout information;
• event-specific terms; and
• financing-provider terms, where applicable.
• Where a specific payment condition is clearly disclosed and accepted at checkout, that condition shall apply to the relevant transaction subject to applicable law.

58. GOVERNING LAW

These Payment Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of India.

Disputes involving Bharat Business Networks™ shall be subject to the dispute-resolution provisions contained in the Terms & Conditions.

Any dispute exclusively concerning an independent lender's financing arrangement may additionally be governed by the lender's agreement and applicable regulatory framework.

59. CONTACT INFORMATION