Payment Policy

Payment Policy

Accepted Payment Methods & Currency

All transactions on Smoky Grotto are conducted strictly in Australian Dollars (AUD). We accept the following major credit and debit configurations for secure checkout:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover

Please note that we do not accept alternative or non-secured payment forms. The following payment methods are explicitly excluded from our gateway: personal checks, money orders, direct bank transfers, and Cash on Delivery (COD).

Payment Security & PCI Compliance

To ensure that your sensitive billing information is fully protected, our entire checkout platform is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).

• SSL Encryption: All data transmitted during checkout is secured using industry-standard 256-bit SSL encryption, which provides a mandatory secure connection between your browser and our payment gateway.
• Data Privacy: We do not store, log, or process your complete credit card numbers on our local servers. All payment telemetry is processed directly by authorized, secure billing gateways, ensuring your confidential details remain uncompromised.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

In accordance with Australian tax regulations, all prices displayed across our online catalog are inclusive of the mandatory 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax). The GST component is fully integrated into the advertised product price. It will be clearly itemized on your final checkout review page and digital invoice so that you can view the exact tax allocation of your purchase. We do not append separate or hidden taxes at the final step of your transaction.

Billing, Taxes & $0 Hidden Fees

We are committed to clear and upfront billing, meaning we do not charge card surcharges or transaction fees for payment processing from our platform:

Product Price (inclusive of 10% GST) + Shipping Costs (if applicable) = Final Total Cost

• Zero Payment Surcharges: We enforce a strict $0.00 merchant billing surcharge policy. The final total displayed at checkout is the exact amount that will be authorized. However, please note that as a US-based retailer, your local financial institution may occasionally apply a nominal international transaction fee depending entirely on your card issuer’s terms.

Payment Processing & Fraud Prevention

• Charging Timeline: Your credit card will be charged immediately when your order is submitted. If a transaction is successfully authorized, our system will generate an order confirmation to your email address.
• Failed Transactions: If your payment is declined, please verify that your card number, expiration date, and billing address perfectly match the records on file with your bank. You may also contact your financial institution to ensure that international transactions are fully enabled on your account.
• Fraud Prevention: To safeguard our customers, all transactions are evaluated through automated fraud monitoring systems. We reserve the absolute right to cancel transactions that trigger high-risk security parameters. If we cancel an order for safety reasons, a full refund will be processed immediately back to the original funding card.