Payment, Milestones & Refund Policy

Payment, Phases & Refund Policy

This policy explains how payments, service phases, follow-up, and refunds are handled by Independent OJS, OMP, and OPS Technical Support Center.

Because technical support projects vary in complexity, final prices and payment terms are confirmed only after reviewing the client’s platform, technical issue, hosting environment, access requirements, urgency, and expected deliverables.

1. Price Estimates and Final Quotes

Prices listed on the website are starting prices or general guidance. A final quote is provided after reviewing the request and understanding the required technical service.

Final pricing may depend on:

  • Type of service requested
  • Platform type: OJS, OMP, OPS, or related system
  • Current platform version
  • Hosting environment and server access
  • Number of journals or platforms involved
  • Database size and file volume
  • Plugin or theme complexity
  • Urgency and preferred delivery time
  • Backup availability and quality
  • Required testing, reporting, or training
  • Any third-party costs, when applicable

2. Full Payment Before Work Begins

As a general rule, all technical support services require full payment before work begins.

Work begins only after the client approves the scope of work, timeline, deliverables, access method, price, and payment terms, and after the agreed payment has been received.

This policy applies to one-time services, troubleshooting, urgent support, installation, upgrade, migration, plugin setup, email configuration, technical assessment, customization, backup or restore support, training, managed hosting, and annual support services.

3. Large and Institutional Projects

Large, complex, or institutional projects may be divided into clear service phases. Each phase will have its own scope, deliverables, timeline, and price.

Each approved phase must be paid in full before work begins on that phase. Starting a later phase does not occur automatically and requires separate approval and payment.

This approach helps keep the service clear, reduces misunderstanding, and allows the client to review progress before approving any additional phase.

4. Services Requiring Full Payment in Advance

The following services require full payment before work begins:

  • Technical consultation
  • Initial OJS, OMP, or OPS assessment
  • Installation and basic setup
  • Upgrade or migration work
  • Plugin setup and configuration
  • SMTP or email configuration
  • Troubleshooting and bug fixing
  • Theme or interface customization
  • Metadata, XML, DOI, or Crossref readiness support
  • Backup, restore, or database-related work
  • Urgent or priority technical support
  • Training sessions
  • Managed hosting and annual support plans

5. Annual Support and Managed Hosting Payments

Annual support and managed hosting plans are paid in full before the plan is activated, unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.

Renewal, cancellation, included support limits, hosting resources, response expectations, and any additional service fees should be confirmed before the annual plan starts.

Third-party fees such as domain renewal, hosting provider fees, DOI/Crossref fees, paid plugins, software tools, or payment gateway fees are not included unless clearly stated in the quote.

6. Urgent Work and Additional Fees

Urgent requests may require additional fees when the requested timeline requires priority scheduling, extended working hours, emergency troubleshooting, or rapid specialist assignment.

The client will be informed of any urgent-work fee before work begins. Urgent work requires full payment in advance.

7. Changes in Scope

Any major change after work begins may require a revised quote, a new service phase, and a new timeline. Examples include:

  • Adding extra journals, platforms, or websites
  • Requesting a different service after work begins
  • Changing the hosting provider or server environment
  • Adding new plugins, themes, or integrations
  • Requesting major redesign or customization
  • Discovering serious database, backup, or file problems not included in the original scope
  • Requesting additional training, reports, or documentation

Any additional approved work must be paid in full before that additional work begins.

8. Delivery of Work

Deliverables are provided according to the agreed scope and payment conditions.

Deliverables may include completed configuration, migration results, technical fixes, plugin setup, training, documentation, technical notes, or reports according to the agreed scope.

Full access handover, final reports, final configuration confirmation, or final project files may be withheld until all agreed payments and third-party costs, if any, are completed.

9. Follow-Up and Minor Corrections

Some services may include limited follow-up or corrections within the agreed scope. These may cover:

  • Minor corrections related to the original request
  • Clarification of delivered technical notes
  • Small configuration adjustments
  • Testing of the agreed service outcome
  • Corrections based on original instructions

Follow-up does not include new services, unrelated technical problems, new platforms, additional journals, new plugins, major redesign, new hosting issues, or requests outside the original scope unless agreed separately and paid in full before work begins.

10. Refund Eligibility

Refund eligibility depends on the service stage, service type, and amount of work already completed or assigned.

A refund may be considered when:

  • Payment was made by mistake
  • The same payment was duplicated
  • The service has not started and no specialist has been assigned
  • The request cannot be accepted after initial review
  • Both parties agree to cancel before substantial work begins

11. Non-Refundable Services

Certain services may be non-refundable once work has started, been assigned, or been delivered, including:

  • Completed technical consultations
  • Initial assessments already prepared
  • Troubleshooting work already performed
  • Plugin setup already started or completed
  • Email configuration already started or completed
  • Migration or upgrade work already started
  • Backup, restore, or database work already performed
  • Training sessions already scheduled or delivered
  • Urgent work already assigned or completed
  • Third-party costs already paid or committed

12. Partial Refunds

If a project is canceled after work has started but before completion, a partial refund may be considered after deducting the value of work already completed, time spent, specialist assignment, administrative processing, and any third-party fees.

Partial refunds are reviewed case by case and are not automatic.

13. No Refund for Technical Limits or Third-Party Decisions

No refund is provided because of journal indexing decisions, publication outcomes, editorial decisions, hosting provider limitations, server restrictions, unavailable backups, incompatible plugins, outdated environments, or third-party service decisions.

We do not control PKP, hosting providers, indexing databases, Crossref, DOI agencies, plugin developers, server providers, journals, publishers, or other third parties.

14. Third-Party Fees

Domain fees, hosting fees, server fees, paid plugins, Crossref or DOI fees, payment gateway fees, bank transfer fees, software fees, and other third-party costs are not included unless clearly stated in the quote.

Whenever possible, clients should pay third-party providers directly.

15. Payment Issues and Disputes

If a client has a concern about payment, delivery, or refund eligibility, they should contact us as soon as possible with the project details, payment proof, and reason for the request.

We aim to review payment and refund concerns fairly according to the agreed scope and this policy.

16. Contact

For payment, phase, or refund questions, please contact us:

Email: info@isrra.org
P.O.Box: 255, Postal Code: 11941
Location: Amman, Jordan
WhatsApp: 00962788780593
Office Hours: 24 hours