1. How bookings start
Bookings on StrictlyByIV are tied to an event. When you request a planner, vendor, or venue from an event workspace, the app can start the booking request for that event directly.
If you find a provider from global Explore, the app may first ask you to choose an existing event or create one. This keeps the request connected to the event date, location, scope, and team context.
- Submitting a request does not mean payment has been taken.
- The provider reviews the request before paid steps become available.
- Request details include exact service start and end times, amount, description, and notes.
- Provider-controlled terms, such as payment mode, 25–75% deposit, balance due days, and grace days, come from the provider profile.
2. Booking statuses
The app shows the current booking state and only displays actions that are available for that booking.
- Pending: The request is waiting for provider review. You may be able to edit, cancel, or message depending on the actions shown.
- Accepted: The provider has accepted the proposed terms and the booker can continue to any required payment step.
- Confirmed: The booking has moved into an active operational state after the required payment or confirmation rules are satisfied.
- Declined: The provider declined the request. The booking remains available for history.
- Cancelled: The booking has ended before completion. Available refund or review details depend on payment state and policy rules.
- Completed: The booker confirmed the service was delivered — which they can do at any time, including before the event — or the system completed the booking once its protection period passed without a dispute. A completed booking means the service window closed without objection; its payout may still be processing.
- Under review: The booking needs support or dispute review before it can continue or close.
3. Payments and refunds
Payment steps appear only when the booking is ready for them. Depending on the provider's setup, a booking may require full upfront payment or a deposit with a later balance.
StrictlyByIV uses hosted payment checkout when payment is required. After checkout, the app checks the latest payment schedule and booking state before showing the next action.
- Use the payment action shown in the booking detail screen when it is available.
- Initial full or deposit payment expires at the earlier of 24 hours after acceptance and service start.
- Balance deadlines are provider-controlled but cannot pass the start of the service date.
- Deposit-and-balance is unavailable with fewer than 24 hours before service; rush full payment may have a shorter refund window.
- A late payment does not reopen an expired booking and is reviewed for refund.
- Do not send payment outside the app for an in-app booking request.
- Self-service full refund ends at the earlier of 24 hours after payment and service start. The booking screen shows the exact available deadline.
4. Cancellation and disputes
If self-serve cancellation is available, the booking detail screen shows a cancellation action. This usually means the booking can be cancelled without support review, such as before successful payment or within an eligible refund window.
If the booking is paid and no longer self-serve cancellable, the app may show an open-dispute or support-review action instead. You will choose whether the service was not provided, was not as agreed, involves a payment or refund issue, or is another issue, then describe what happened.
If a provider cannot deliver. A provider cannot cancel a confirmed booking themselves — once you have paid, unwinding it is not their decision alone. They should message you through the app to explain, and either of you can contact support. If support does unwind the booking, everything StrictlyByIV still holds is refunded to you in full and the provider keeps none of it. Anything already transferred to them beforehand needs support review, since transfers cannot be reversed automatically.
If a balance goes unpaid. On a deposit-and-balance booking, a balance left unpaid past its deadline does not end the booking by itself. The provider chooses: extend the deadline (at most twice, seven days at a time, never past the event) or close the booking. If nobody acts, it closes automatically when the service starts — except while the booking is under review, when the balance is paused. On a close, the provider keeps the deposit you have already paid, up to a ceiling of 50% of the total booking value, and anything above that ceiling returns to you. The ceiling is measured against the whole booking rather than against the deposit, so on the more common deposits — half the booking or less — the provider keeps all of it and nothing comes back. The deposit is what holds your date. A payment still inside its own 24-hour refund window is returned in full and is not affected by this.
- Review the confirmation copy before cancelling or opening a dispute.
- When a booking is under review, unsubmitted payout is held while support reviews the issue, and any balance still due is paused: it can't be paid and its deadline doesn't run.
- Support decides whether the booking goes ahead, is completed, or is cancelled, and how held money is divided — all to one side, or split. Refunds and the provider's share are released when the review is decided; a booking that goes ahead returns to its normal payout timing. If the booking is marked completed with a balance still unpaid, that balance stays payable for 7 days.
- A deposit that was already released to the provider is not refunded by this dispute workflow.
- Cancelled bookings may still remain visible for history, payment records, or support context.
5. Completion
Completion actions become available once required payments succeed — the booker does not have to wait for the event. The booker may use Confirm Booking Complete at any time, including before the event, to authorize immediate processing of all eligible held payment, including the retained share that would otherwise wait until after the service. Releasing this way is final and cannot be refunded or disputed, so the app asks the booker to acknowledge before confirming. If a payment is still inside its 24-hour refund window, its release is authorized but only processed once that window closes.
The provider may use Request Payout to record fulfillment and ask the booker to confirm — including before the event and while a balance is still outstanding. Provider request is optional, moves no money, and does not start, delay, or reset automatic payout. If no financial block exists and the booker does not confirm, the funds still held after any early instalments (see the payout policy) become payout-eligible 24 hours after service ends.
If anything is incomplete, incorrect, or needs review, do not confirm completion or request payout. Message the other party or open support review before funds are released.
6. Messages
Booking-linked messages are for context and coordination. Booking actions such as accept, decline, cancel, pay, complete, or dispute stay inside the booking screens.
If you contact support, include the booking ID if it is visible in the app.