Refund Policy

The Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB) maintains transparency and fairness in all financial transactions related to Article Processing Charges (APCs). This Refund Policy outlines the conditions under which authors may be eligible for a refund, partial refund, or ineligible for reimbursement. It aligns with international open-access publishing standards, ensuring ethical and responsible financial practices.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide authors and contributors with clarity about refund eligibility, cancellation timelines, and dispute handling procedures for APCs and other service-related charges associated with publication in APB.

2. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

APCs cover the costs of manuscript processing, peer review, DOI registration, online hosting, indexing, digital preservation, and editorial management. Payment is required only after the article is accepted for publication and an invoice is issued.

All authors are expected to review and approve the APC details before proceeding with payment.

3. Eligibility for Refund

Refunds are considered in the following scenarios:

• Duplicate payment made due to technical or processing error.
• Article withdrawn before the initiation of peer review or typesetting.
• APB’s internal error (e.g., incorrect billing, payment reversal).
• Exceptional cases where publication is canceled by the publisher before DOI assignment.

4. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued under the following circumstances:

• Article has been accepted, typeset, or published online.
• Withdrawal initiated after DOI assignment or indexing.
• Article rejected after peer review (since editorial and review costs have been incurred).
• Author requests withdrawal for personal or institutional reasons after acceptance.
• Delay in publication caused by author’s non-responsiveness or incomplete submission.

5. Partial Refunds

In specific situations, the journal may consider partial refunds, typically up to 50% of the total APC, depending on the stage of processing. For example:

• Withdrawal after peer review but before typesetting – 50% refund.
• Technical duplication of payment – 100% refund (upon verification).
• System error or failed publication initiated by publisher – 75–100% refund.

6. Refund Request Procedure

Authors seeking a refund must follow these steps:

1. Submit a written refund request to [email protected] with the payment reference and invoice ID.
2. Specify the reason and attach supporting documentation (e.g., transaction proof, withdrawal letter).
3. Await verification and communication from the journal’s Finance Office within 15 business days.

Refund approvals are issued only after full validation by the finance and editorial departments.

7. Withdrawal and Refund Relationship

Refund eligibility depends on the withdrawal stage of the article as defined in the Withdrawal Policy. The table below summarizes refund eligibility at each stage:

8. Refund Timeframe

Approved refunds are processed within 30 business days of receiving complete documentation. International transactions may take longer depending on banking or currency regulations.

9. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute regarding APC payments, refund delays, or payment errors must be raised within 60 days of the transaction date. Disputes submitted beyond this period will not be considered.

The Finance and Editorial Offices jointly review all refund-related disputes to ensure fair outcomes.

10. Policy Review

This Refund Policy is reviewed annually to reflect updates in open-access best practices and financial compliance standards under GDPR and PCI DSS frameworks.

11. Contact Information

For all refund and payment-related inquiries, please contact:

• Finance Office
  Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB)
  Email: [email protected]
  Publisher: Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation
  Website: www.proteobiojournal.com