Refunds

PlatedUp reviews refund requests based on what was agreed, what was actually delivered, and the evidence available — not simply because a booking didn't go as hoped. Depending on what happened, you may receive a full refund, a partial refund, no refund, or the option of a PlatedUp Credit.

When can I get a refund?

Refund eligibility depends on what service was agreed, what was actually delivered, what caused the problem, how serious and material the impact was, and the evidence reasonably available. Submitting a report doesn't automatically establish that something went wrong — PlatedUp reviews each case before deciding.

Report a problem within 24 hours

For most service-quality or service-completion issues — like part of your meal plan not being completed, your Cook leaving before finishing the agreed service, or an obvious preparation problem — report it through your booking within 24 hours after your service ends.

Open your booking and select Report a Problem, choose the type of issue (like Cook didn't arrive, Cook/service was incomplete, Part of my meal plan wasn't completed, Food quality issue, Food safety/allergy concern, Incorrect charge, or Another issue), describe what happened, and add any evidence you have.

This 24-hour window is PlatedUp's standard reporting deadline for these kinds of issues.

Food-safety issues discovered later

A narrow exception applies to certain food-safety issues that couldn't reasonably have been noticed within the first 24 hours — like a food-safety concern with a meal meant to be eaten or stored later, or a declared allergy or dietary issue that only becomes apparent when that meal is opened or eaten. For these specific situations, report the issue within 24 hours of discovering it, and no later than 72 hours after your service ended — both conditions apply.

This extended window doesn't apply to things you could reasonably have noticed right away, like obviously missing dishes, your Cook leaving early, an obvious cleanup issue, or a portion size that looked off at the time. It also doesn't mean a refund is automatic — PlatedUp still reviews the evidence.

You can always report a genuine safety concern to PlatedUp even outside these reporting windows — see Reporting a Safety Concern — though refund eligibility under this policy still follows the timing above. Nothing here limits any rights you may have under applicable law.

Payment errors are different

An objective payment error — like a duplicate charge, an incorrect amount, or a charge that should never have been captured — isn't a service-quality issue and isn't subject to the reporting deadlines above. When PlatedUp verifies an error like this, the incorrect amount is corrected in full. See Failed Payments and Authorization Holds for more on how charges work.

Full refunds

A full refund or release of your PlatedUp booking charges applies in situations already covered elsewhere, including when your Cook cancels before service begins, a true Cook no-show, a booking that can't start because of a verified PlatedUp technical failure, or another verified serious Cook- or PlatedUp-side failure that leaves you with essentially none of the service you booked. In these cases, both your Cook-service amount and PlatedUp's service fee are refunded or released in full.

Partial refunds

When a meaningful part of your agreed service wasn't delivered because of a verified Cook- or PlatedUp-side problem, PlatedUp may issue a partial refund reflecting how much of your booking was affected and how serious the issue was. We look at the impact on your overall booking rather than a fixed formula like counting individual dishes — different parts of a meal can represent very different amounts of time and work.

Your Cook spending the full scheduled time at your booking doesn't automatically mean nothing can be refunded if important parts of the agreed service were materially not completed. Likewise, one problem with part of a larger booking doesn't automatically mean the whole booking is refunded — PlatedUp looks at the actual impact.

What doesn't automatically qualify for a refund?

Subjective preferences — like wanting food a little saltier, or presentation not matching what you pictured — don't automatically qualify for a refund when the agreed recipe, menu, and instructions were reasonably followed. A refund is more likely when there's an objective, material problem: key agreed dishes were left out, clear instructions were materially ignored, the food was materially inconsistent with what was agreed, a significant part of the service wasn't provided, or there's a verified food-safety issue.

Submitting a report doesn't guarantee a refund. PlatedUp reviews the available information and, when it doesn't reasonably support the claimed issue, may deny the request.

What information should I provide?

Include whatever's reasonably available for your type of issue — photos, video, messages, receipts, or a description of what happened. You don't need a photo for every type of claim; for example, we don't expect you to photograph a Cook simply not showing up. PlatedUp also reviews its own booking and account records as part of every review.

How PlatedUp reviews a report

PlatedUp may ask your Cook to respond and share their own information. Neither your statement nor your Cook's automatically decides the outcome — PlatedUp reviews the available evidence from both sides, along with PlatedUp's own records, and makes the final decision. If your report involves a serious safety concern, you won't be required to work it out directly with your Cook first.

Your booking shows your report's status — like Submitted, Under review, or Resolved — and PlatedUp will let you know the outcome, such as a full refund, a partial refund, a PlatedUp Credit, or no refund, along with what it applies to.

Knowingly false, misleading, or abusive refund claims may result in account review or restrictions.

Service fees and tips

PlatedUp's service fee is refunded or released in full when a full Cook- or PlatedUp-side failure applies. For an ordinary partial service issue, the service fee normally isn't refunded, though PlatedUp may adjust it when PlatedUp itself materially caused the problem or the issue materially affected your overall booking.

A refund of your Cook-service charges doesn't automatically refund a tip you submitted separately — tips are handled under PlatedUp's tip policy. If a tip charge was duplicated, incorrect, or unauthorized because of a verified payment error, that's corrected the same way as any other payment error.

Customer-caused issues

If a problem was caused by something on your end — like not providing agreed access, a required ingredient you were supposed to provide being missing, or required equipment you said would be available not working — that's handled under PlatedUp's customer preparedness policy rather than as a Cook-side refund. See Preparing Your Kitchen Before a Booking.

PlatedUp Credits

PlatedUp Credit is account value you can use toward eligible future PlatedUp booking charges — it's separate from a refund to your card, and it isn't cash, a bank balance, or a gift card.

Credit can come from choosing it instead of an eligible cash refund, a courtesy credit from PlatedUp, a promotional or referral credit, or another authorized adjustment.

When you're eligible for a cash refund, PlatedUp may also offer you the option of a PlatedUp Credit — sometimes for a higher amount than the cash refund. Choosing credit is always your choice: PlatedUp shows you both the cash refund amount and the credit amount before you decide, and asks you to confirm your choice. PlatedUp never automatically replaces a refund you're owed with credit.

PlatedUp Credit you choose instead of an eligible cash refund doesn't expire. It stays on your account until you use it, subject to applicable law, and it isn't transferable, sellable, or redeemable for cash except where the law requires it. Once you've accepted credit in place of a refund, it generally can't be converted back to cash.

Courtesy, promotional, or referral credits can have their own terms, including an expiration date — PlatedUp shows you any expiration or restriction when that kind of credit is issued.

You can see your PlatedUp Credit balance in your account, and apply it at checkout toward eligible Cook-service charges and PlatedUp's service fee. You can use credit across more than one future booking until your balance is used up. PlatedUp Credit can't be used for tips, groceries, or other third-party charges, and it isn't transferable to another PlatedUp account.

Refunds when you used PlatedUp Credit

If a booking was paid partly with PlatedUp Credit and partly by card, a refund follows the same split: the portion paid with credit is refunded as credit, and the portion paid by card is refunded to your card, based on the usual refund policy.

Where your refund goes

Cash refunds are returned to your original payment method — PlatedUp can't send a refund to a different card, a bank transfer, or another destination. If your original card has expired or been replaced, your card issuer generally handles routing the refund for you. Applicable taxes are adjusted automatically as part of your refund, when required.

How long refunds take

Once PlatedUp issues a refund to your card, it generally appears on your original payment method within about 5–10 business days, though actual timing can vary by bank or card issuer. If a refund is issued soon after your original payment, it can sometimes appear as the original charge simply disappearing rather than as a separate refund line. Your booking shows your refund amount, the date it was issued, and its status, and PlatedUp Support can help trace a refund that hasn't appeared.

Groceries and other third-party charges

A PlatedUp service refund doesn't automatically refund groceries you purchased, or charges from a retailer, Instacart, or another delivery service — those remain subject to that provider's own policies. PlatedUp's $10 grocery pickup fee, when it applies, is separate from the cost of the groceries themselves.

Grocery pickup fee

PlatedUp's $10 grocery pickup fee becomes earned by your Cook once they successfully collect your prepaid or arranged grocery order from the retailer or provider. Before that, it isn't earned.

If grocery pickup is canceled or doesn't happen before your Cook successfully collects the order — including because your Cook doesn't properly perform it — you shouldn't ultimately be charged the $10 fee: any authorization on it is released, or, if it was already captured, it's refunded.

If some items in your order are unavailable but your Cook still successfully collects the rest, pickup is considered completed and the $10 fee applies — any issue with the unavailable items themselves is between you and your grocery retailer or provider under their own policies, not refunded by PlatedUp.

If your Cook can't collect your order because the retailer or provider canceled it, couldn't locate it, never prepared it, or otherwise made collection impossible, you shouldn't be charged the $10 fee for a pickup that didn't happen.

Once your Cook has successfully collected your order, the $10 fee has been earned and isn't ordinarily refunded just because your cooking booking is later interrupted, you cancel, you become unavailable, or there's a no-access issue — PlatedUp's normal cancellation and refund rules for the rest of your booking apply separately.

Still need help?

If you have questions about a specific refund or PlatedUp Credit, contact PlatedUp Support with your booking details.