How does payment work for Partner Auctions?

Why do I have to pay for Partner Products on a separate website, instead of within Tophatter? 

This helps us partner with sellers who already have stores on established platforms, to bring a wider variety of items to you. It also gives you a way to get familiar with the partner seller's other products and their brand.

We hand-select sellers for acceptance into the Partner Auction program, so you can feel confident that these are quality products. Ratings for Partner Products are monitored for quality and shipping issues, and partner sellers exhibiting excessive one-star ratings will be removed from the program.

How do I get back to an invoice for a Partner Product that I want to pay later?

The invoice can be accessed from the My Orders page, or by checking your email for a link to the invoice from the partner store.

What payment methods are accepted?

This is dependent on the partner seller, who determines which payment methods to accept on their store website; however, we select sellers that accept most major payment methods and digital wallets such as PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

Is payment secure?

Yes! We only partner with these platforms that are Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant: 

Why did my payment decline or fail?

We don't have insight into why your payment might have failed because the checkout takes place on the third-party merchant's website; however, there may be an error code that offers you more details. Here are some general suggestions when you try your payment again:

  • Make sure the card has a sufficient balance to cover the purchase.
  • Make sure you entered the card number, expiration date, and the CVV on the back correctly without any typos, and that the card is not expired.
  • Make sure that your shipping address is entered correctly and free of typos, and that it is the same as your credit card billing address. If you've recently moved, be sure your billing address has been updated with your card-issuing bank. Address verification services (AVS) are used to protect buyers and sellers from credit card fraud and often require that your billing and shipping address match.
  • Your bank's fraud rules may have blocked the transaction. If the error code suggests this has occurred, please contact your bank to let them know that you authorize the purchase and ask them for more details.

What if I need to cancel an unpaid order?

From My Orders, click View Details click More, and then click Cancel Order.

What if I need a refund?

Tophatter is not the merchant of record for Partner Products, and refunds are handled by the third-party merchant. Any issues such as refunds, returns, non-delivery or shipping disputes, payment questions or discrepancies, and other customer support are handled through the seller's store on the third-party website rather than on Tophatter. 

We always recommend reaching out to resolve the issue with the merchant first; however, credit and debit cards, PayPal, and digital wallets offer buyer protection. In case you are ever unable to resolve an issue with the seller's store, you have the ability to dispute or chargeback directly with your payment method.