WK Publishers is committed to maintaining a transparent, fair, and responsible publishing process. This Refund Policy explains the circumstances under which Article Processing Charges (APCs) or other publication-related payments may be eligible for a refund.

As editorial, administrative, peer-review coordination, production, and publication services may begin at different stages of the manuscript process, refund eligibility depends on the specific circumstances of each request and the services already provided.

1. Requesting a Refund

Authors or other eligible payers wishing to request a refund should contact WK Publishers as soon as possible after identifying the issue.

To help us process your request efficiently, please include your manuscript ID or payment reference number, manuscript title, corresponding author's name, payment details, and the reason for your refund request.

Refund requests relating to a manuscript should normally be submitted by the corresponding author or the original payer, where applicable.

Submission of a refund request does not automatically guarantee that a refund will be approved.

2. Review of Refund Requests

Each refund request will be reviewed individually by WK Publishers or the relevant Editorial Office. When reviewing a request, we may consider factors including:

  • The stage of the manuscript or publication process;
  • Whether editorial assessment has commenced;
  • Whether peer review has commenced or been completed;
  • Whether editorial, administrative, production, formatting, copyediting, typesetting, or publication services have already been provided;
  • The reason for the refund request;
  • Whether the manuscript has been withdrawn, rejected, accepted, or published;
  • Whether there has been any violation of editorial or publication policies; and
  • Any other relevant circumstances.

WK Publishers may request additional information before making a decision.

3. Circumstances in Which Refunds May Be Considered

A full or partial refund may be considered in circumstances such as:

  • A payment was made in error;
  • The same payment was accidentally made more than once;
  • An incorrect amount was charged or received;
  • A manuscript is withdrawn at an early stage before substantial editorial or publication-related services have been completed;
  • WK Publishers is unable to proceed with publication for reasons not attributable to the author or the submitted manuscript;
  • A technical or administrative error resulted in an improper charge; or
  • Other exceptional circumstances exist that reasonably justify a refund.

The amount of any approved refund may depend on the services already performed and the costs reasonably incurred during the editorial or publication process.

4. Circumstances Where Refunds May Not Be Available

Refunds may be unavailable, limited, or reduced when substantial services have already been provided. This may include situations where:

  • Editorial assessment has been substantially completed;
  • External or internal peer review has commenced or been completed;
  • Reviewer invitations, editorial evaluations, or revision processes have required substantial administrative work;
  • A manuscript has been accepted and production work has begun;
  • Copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, formatting, DOI registration, online preparation, or other publication services have been substantially completed;
  • The article has been published online or otherwise made publicly available;
  • The author requests withdrawal in order to submit the manuscript to another journal after substantial editorial processing has occurred;
  • The manuscript is rejected or withdrawn because of plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, ethical misconduct, authorship disputes, copyright infringement, duplicate submission, or other violations of applicable editorial policies; or
  • The refund request results from circumstances caused by inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information provided during submission.

Each request may nevertheless be reviewed on its individual merits.

5. Withdrawal After Acceptance

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript after acceptance should notify the relevant Editorial Office as soon as possible.

A withdrawal request after acceptance does not automatically create an entitlement to a refund. Where production or publication services have already commenced, WK Publishers may take into account the work already completed when determining whether a full refund, partial refund, or no refund is appropriate.

If a separate Manuscript Withdrawal Policy applies to the relevant journal, authors should also review that policy.

6. Duplicate or Incorrect Payments

If you believe that you have been charged more than once or have made a duplicate payment in error, please contact us promptly with the relevant payment details.

After verification, WK Publishers may arrange a refund of the duplicate or excess amount, subject to confirmation of the transaction and applicable payment-processing requirements.

7. Refund Method

Where a refund is approved, WK Publishers will generally attempt to issue the refund using the original method of payment whenever reasonably possible. If this is not possible, an alternative method may be considered after appropriate verification of the identity and entitlement of the recipient.

Where applicable and permitted, the refunded amount may be adjusted to account for:

  • Non-refundable payment gateway or transaction fees;
  • Bank charges;
  • Currency conversion charges;
  • Fees imposed by financial institutions or payment service providers; or
  • Other unavoidable third-party transaction costs.

Any applicable deductions will be determined based on the circumstances of the transaction and the relevant payment provider's policies.

8. Refund Processing Time

Once a refund has been approved, WK Publishers will initiate the refund process within a reasonable period. The time required for the funds to appear in the recipient's account may vary depending on:

  • The original payment method;
  • The payment processor;
  • The financial institution;
  • Currency conversion procedures; and
  • Applicable banking or payment-processing requirements.

WK Publishers is not responsible for delays caused by banks, payment processors, or other third-party financial institutions after a refund has been initiated.

9. Editorial Independence

Refund decisions are administrative and financial decisions and do not influence editorial decisions. Similarly, the payment of an Article Processing Charge or any other publication-related fee does not guarantee:

  • Acceptance of a manuscript;
  • Peer review;
  • Publication;
  • Indexing in any database;
  • Citation or readership; or
  • Any specific editorial outcome.

Editorial decisions are based on the relevant journal's editorial standards, scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical requirements, and relevance to the journal's scope.

10. Fraudulent or Disputed Payments

WK Publishers reserves the right to investigate suspected fraudulent, unauthorized, or disputed payments. Where a payment dispute, chargeback, or other financial claim is initiated, we may temporarily suspend the processing of a refund request while the relevant transaction is investigated.

Users are encouraged to contact WK Publishers directly before initiating a payment dispute whenever possible so that the matter can be reviewed and resolved appropriately.

11. Changes to This Refund Policy

WK Publishers may update or revise this Refund Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our publishing practices, payment procedures, legal requirements, or operational processes.

The most current version of this Refund Policy will be published on this page together with an updated Effective Date.

Continued use of WK Publishers' Services after an updated policy becomes effective may constitute acceptance of the revised policy, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Contact Information

For refund requests or questions regarding this Refund Policy, please contact WK Publishers.

To help us process your request efficiently, please include your manuscript ID or payment reference number, manuscript title, corresponding author's name, payment details, and the reason for your refund request.

WK Publishers
wkpublishers.online
Email: contact@wkpublishers.online