How refunds and returns work.

Marka charges a 0% marketplace fee and never holds buyer funds — every payment goes directly between the buyer and the seller. How a refund happens depends on how you paid. This page explains exactly what Marka does and does not do, so there are no surprises.

Card payments (Stripe Checkout)

When you pay by card at checkout, Stripe charges the seller’s connected account directly — the seller is the merchant of record, not Marka. Refunds are issued back to your original card through Stripe:

• Seller-issued refunds. A seller can refund a card order in full or in part from their console. The refund is processed by Stripe and lands back on the card used at checkout.
• Rejected card pickups.If you reserved a local pickup and paid by card, you can mark the meetup as rejected in Marka chat. Marka flags the order for refund and, once the seller’s Stripe account confirms, the card charge is reversed. You are not charged for a pickup you declined.
• Bank timing. Once Stripe processes a refund it typically takes a few business days to appear on your statement — that timing is set by your bank and Stripe, not by Marka.

Cash and direct (off-platform) transactions

For local pickups paid in cash or e-transfer, and any other direct arrangement, no money touches Marka. We do not process, hold, escrow, or guarantee these payments, and we cannot issue a refund for them. If something goes wrong with a cash or e-transfer handoff, the refund is between you and the seller directly.

Our advice is the same as our Trust & Safety guidance: inspect the item before you pay, meet in public, and use card checkout when you want Stripe’s protections on the transaction.

Disputes and chargebacks

Because card payments settle to the seller’s Stripe account, a formal dispute (chargeback) is handled between your bank and the seller through Stripe’s standard process — the same protection any online card purchase carries. Marka does not arbitrate the outcome, but every order creates an immutable transaction record. On request, we provide those dispute logs to support a chargeback claim.

For pickup orders, no-shows and rejected meetups are logged against buyer and seller reliability so repeated bad behaviour is visible over time.

What Marka does not promise

Marka is a marketplace, not a payment guarantor. We do not offer a blanket money-back guarantee, and we do not hold funds in escrow. Your protections come from the payment method you choose — Stripe’s card rules for checkout orders, and your own judgement for cash and direct deals. Sellers may also state their own return terms on a listing; those are between you and the seller.

Reporting a problem

If a listing looks fraudulent or counterfeit, or a transaction went wrong, use the Report this listing action on the listing page, or email safety@joinmarka.com. We review reports within 24 hours and remove violating listings promptly.