Overview
Cognito Pay lets eligible organizations accept and manage payments from inside Cognito Forms. These extra terms apply only when you turn Cognito Pay on.
Cognito Pay is an optional payment feature that lets eligible Cognito Forms organizations set up payment processing, view payment activity, manage payouts, issue refunds, and respond to disputes from within Cognito Forms.
Cognito Pay is available only in supported countries and to organizations that satisfy Cognito Forms’ and Stripe’s eligibility and verification requirements.
These Cognito Pay Terms apply when you enable or use Cognito Pay. Your use of Cognito Forms remains subject to the Cognito Forms Terms of Service, Cognito Forms Privacy Policy, and Cognito Forms Acceptable Use Policy.
Stripe Payment Processing
Stripe provides the payment processing behind Cognito Pay. You must review Stripe’s terms, privacy information, and verification steps as part of setup.
Payment processing services for Cognito Pay merchants on Cognito Forms are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Services Agreement, together the “Stripe Services Agreement.” By agreeing to these Cognito Pay Terms or continuing to use Cognito Pay, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Services Agreement, as Stripe may modify it from time to time.
As a condition of using Cognito Pay, you agree to provide Cognito Forms with accurate and complete information about you and your business, and you authorize Cognito Forms to share that information, along with transaction information related to your use of Cognito Pay, with Stripe. Stripe may ask you to review Stripe terms, provide information directly to Stripe, complete verification steps, or accept Stripe disclosures during Cognito Pay setup or account management.
Managing Cognito Pay
You’ll manage Cognito Pay in Cognito Forms, not through a separate Stripe Dashboard. Some setup and account screens are Stripe-powered and appear inside Cognito Forms.
Cognito Pay is managed through Cognito Forms. Cognito Pay does not include access to the Stripe Dashboard unless expressly provided by Cognito Forms. Cognito Forms is the primary interface for managing account status, payment history, payouts, refunds, disputes, and updates to your account information.
Some Cognito Pay screens are Stripe embedded components displayed inside Cognito Forms. Information entered into those screens may be collected directly by Stripe.
Information Shared With Stripe
To make Cognito Pay work, Cognito Forms shares payment setup, business, transaction, payout, refund, and dispute information with Stripe. Stripe may also collect information directly when you use Stripe-powered screens.
To provide Cognito Pay, Cognito Forms may share information with Stripe about you, your organization, your representatives, your forms, your customers, and your Cognito Pay activity. This may include organization and business information, representative information, tax and verification information, payout information, transaction information, refund and dispute information, form and payment metadata, and support information needed to provide Cognito Pay. When you provide personal data in connection with Cognito Pay, Stripe receives that personal data and processes it in accordance with Stripe’s Privacy Policy.
Stripe embedded components and Stripe scripts used for Cognito Pay may collect browser, device, usage, interaction, and online activity information directly, including information used for fraud prevention, identity verification, security, compliance, and risk management. Cognito Forms handles personal data as described in the Cognito Forms Privacy Policy.
Customer Setup and Security Practices
Only turn on Cognito Pay if you’re allowed to act for your organization. Keep your business and payout information current, and be careful about who has access to your Cognito Forms organization.
You may enable Cognito Pay only if you are authorized to act for your organization. You must keep Cognito Pay information accurate and current, including business, representative, tax, and payout account information.
Cognito Forms organization roles and credentials control who can access Cognito Pay in your organization. You should protect your Cognito Forms credentials, use appropriate roles, remove access when it is no longer needed, and contact Cognito Forms if you suspect unauthorized access to your account or organization.
Acceptable Use
Use Cognito Pay only for lawful payments and activities allowed by Cognito Forms, Stripe, and payment networks. Some business types may need extra review or may not be supported by Stripe.
Cognito Pay may be used only for lawful activity and for activity permitted by Cognito Forms, Stripe, payment networks, and applicable rules. Your use of Cognito Forms remains subject to the Cognito Forms Acceptable Use Policy. Stripe also maintains rules for businesses and activities it does not support or supports only after additional review. See Stripe Prohibited and Restricted Businesses.
Service Availability
Cognito Forms or Stripe may limit or disable your ability to accept payments if required for security, fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, or other payment-related reasons.
Cognito Forms may suspend, limit, or terminate your access to Cognito Pay if required by Stripe, payment networks, financial institutions, or applicable law, or if we reasonably believe your use of Cognito Pay presents fraud, security, compliance, financial, or operational risk.
Stripe may also suspend or restrict payment processing under the Stripe Services Agreement.
Suspending or terminating Cognito Pay does not automatically suspend or terminate your Cognito Forms account or access to other Cognito Forms features.
Payment Workflows
Cognito Pay shows fees, payments, payouts, refunds, and disputes in Cognito Forms. Payment timing and account status can be affected by Stripe, banks, card networks, verification, risk review, or legal requirements.
Cognito Pay fees are shown in Cognito Forms, on our pricing page, or in other Cognito Pay fee disclosures. We may update fees by revising those disclosures or otherwise providing notice as required by applicable law.
Refunds, disputes, chargebacks, payout status, and account-status notices may be managed through Cognito Forms and Stripe embedded components. Stripe, payment networks, banks, or other financial partners may affect payment availability, dispute handling, payout timing, and account requirements. Payouts may be delayed, paused, withheld, reversed, or unavailable because of verification requirements, risk review, compliance review, dispute activity, payout account changes, Stripe requirements, financial partner requirements, payment-network rules, or law.
Refunds, disputes, chargebacks, reversals, related costs, fees, and negative balances may be charged to or deducted from your Stripe connected account and may affect your payouts.
Regulatory and Verification Disclosures
Stripe may ask for information to verify identities, businesses, taxes, bank accounts, and eligibility to process payments. These checks help Stripe meet payment, fraud-prevention, and regulatory requirements.
Stripe may request information to verify identities, business details, ownership, tax information, payout accounts, and eligibility to use payment processing services.
Stripe may also collect or review information for fraud prevention, sanctions screening, financial partner requirements, payment-network requirements, tax reporting, regulatory compliance, risk review, and support, as described in Stripe’s terms and Stripe’s Privacy Policy.
Stripe onboarding products may include Stripe’s required acquirer disclosures. If Cognito Forms separately presents those disclosures, it may link to the Stripe Acquirer Disclosure.