Payment Policy

1. Program Fee

1. Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) charges a program fee to cover the many expenses associated with providing the highest-quality international volunteer experience.
2. New Program Fees are released on August 31^st of each year. A two month grace period is offered to enrolled volunteers who make changes to their program. A switch fee may apply.
3. CCS offers Peak and Off-Peak Program Fees based on the time of year for the chosen Start Date. For more information regarding the Program Fee structure, please see Program Fee in the Enroll section of our website.
4. All payments towards the Program Fee must be made using the same currency the Participant chooses at the time of enrollment.
5. The non-refundable deposit given at the time of enrollment is automatically subtracted from the total Program Fee.

2. Methods of Payment

1. CCS accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, personal check, money order, wire transfer, BACS transfer, stock trading programs, banker's drafts and traveler's checks.
2. CCS does not accept cash.
3. CCS currently only accepts USD and GBP.

3. Due Dates

1. All Program Fee balances are due on or before the assigned Due Date. If the Program Fee is not paid in full by the Due Date, the program will be cancelled. In the event of such cancellation, the Participant may be able to re-enroll for the same program start date subject to space availability and length of stay restrictions.
2. Enrollments greater than 70 days prior to the program start date; the balance is due 60 days prior to the start date.
3. Enrollments 31-70 days prior to the program start date; the balance is due 10 days from the date of enrollment.
4. Enrollments 1-30 days prior to the program start date; the balance is due upon enrollment.
5. If the Participant needs to extend their due date for any reason other than fundraising, the Participant can contact the Accounts Receivable Coordinator or visit “Request a Change” on their myCCS account. The Participant will be notified by the Accounts Receivable Coordinator if the requested extension is approved.
6. If the Participant needs an extension due to fundraising, see below Section 6.1 for details.

4. Switch Fee

1. A Participant might switch their program site or program start date. When the switch occurs within 60 days of the start date, CCS incurs administrative and in-country expenses and is often unable to enroll another person to fill the available space. To offset these expenses, a non-refundable switch fee would apply to their account based on when the switch is requested.
2. The switch fee also applies if you cancel your program within 60 days and then re-enroll.
3. Groups are subject to the switch fee for any switches or cancellations and re-enrollments that take place prior to the Start Date.
4. The switch fee is processed at the time you switch to a new site or start date, or at the time of re-enrollment. If the balance of your program fee is not paid in full, funds are applied to the switch fee before they are applied to the balance of the program fee.

5. Tax Documents

1. All contributions made using a credit card with a United States billing address are tax deductible. Contributions to CCS are currently only tax-deductible in the U.S.
2. All online contributions will have tax document receipts automatically issued to the e-mail address provided during the payment process.
3. All contributions of $200 or more made by personal check, money order, wire transfer, stock trading program, banker's draft or traveler's check will have a tax document receipt mailed to the address provided during the payment process. If the contribution is less than $200, a tax document will need to be requested to the Finance Department in order for one to be mailed.
4. If the Participant or Sponsor has misplaced their tax document, please contact the Finance Department at finance@crossculturalsolutions.org.

6. Fundraising and Fundraising Due Date

1. If the Participant is fundraising, and wishes to extend the due date for the final balance, the Participant must have a Sponsor contribution on their account and the Participant must inform their Program Site Specialist that they are fundraising and would like to extend the due date. (Sponsor contributions do not include contributions made by the Participant or the parent/guardian of the Participant.) Once both of these items are completed, the due date will be extended to 30 days prior to the start date.
2. The original due date for the balance of the program fee will remain until the Finance Department confirms with the Participant that the date has been altered.
3. The Participant may continue fundraising up until the day before the program start date. Only funds which were received prior to the program start date have the possibility of refund. Any contributions received after the start date of the program will not be eligible for a refund, but will be eligible for use for another program with Cross-Cultural Solutions. For further details regarding refunds, please see Section 8.
4. All Participants have the option to use any overpayment on their account towards another program within one year of the start date of the initial program. The Participant must enroll for a program within one year from the initial program.
5. Credit balances (overpayments) on Participant’s accounts are not transferable from one Participant to another. If a Participant has funds on file from a previous fundraising experience, the funds can only be used by that Participant or they will be transferred into the “Scholarship Fund” after one year from the original start date.
6. Unprocessed contribution checks are not transferable from one Participant to another and must be applied only to the account of the Participant who the sponsor indicated on the payment.
7. In the event that two or more Participants are fundraising together, the Finance Department must be notified of this prior to fundraising commencing. All of the sponsor contributions made via personal check, money order, wire transfer, stock trading program, banker's draft or travelers check must have all of the names of the Participants in which the sponsor is intending to contribute to. Credit card contributions can only be designated to one Participant per transaction.
8. CCS recommends that all Fundraising be conducted directly through CCS. Contributions made through other sites are often charged a processing fee by the fundraising website prior to the funds being issued to the Participant's CCS account, and are usually issued to CCS the month following the date of the contributions. If the Participant chooses to fundraise through an outside fundraising website, CCS will accept the payment, however, the Participants due date will not be extended. Tax receipts for U.S. residents cannot be issued from CCS for these payments. Outside fundraising sites usually have their own rules and restrictions that can prevent CCS from applying any payments from them directly to the CCS Program Fee.
9. For further information regarding Fundraising, please contact the Finance Department at finance@crossculturalsolutions.org.

7. Matching Gifts

1. Most companies who offer matching gift programs issue their checks quarterly or semi annually. This means that it can take an extended period of time for the gift to be issued. Participants waiting on matching gifts must pay the balance of their program fee on or before their due date. CCS does not extend due dates for Participants who are waiting for matching gift checks.
2. No portion of a matching gift is refundable. If a Participant is expecting to receive a matching gift from his or her company, the original payment nor the amount matched are eligible for refund to the Participant or the company. For example, if the Participant’s contribution to the program fee is $300 and the company gives a matching gift of $300, then neither contribution of $300 is refundable.
3. If the Participant or Sponsors of the Participant plan to apply for a matching gift, they must do so no later than 90 days prior to the program start date.
4. For further information regarding matching gifts, please see Matching Gifts in the Enroll section of our website or contact the Finance Department at finance@crossculturalsolutions.org.

8. Refunds

1. The deposit of $275/£150 is non-refundable under any circumstance.
2. In the event of a cancellation, if the cancellation is effective more than 60 days prior to the scheduled start date, the program fee paid, less the deposit and any applicable switch fee, will be refunded if eligible upon request.
3. In the event of a cancellation, if the cancellation is effective between 60 and 31 days prior to the scheduled start date, 50% of the program fee paid, less the deposit and any applicable switch fee, will be refunded if eligible upon request.
4. In the event of a cancellation, if the cancellation is effective within 30 days prior to the scheduled start date, 25% of the program fee paid, less the deposit and any applicable switch fee, will be refunded if eligible upon request.
5. If the Participant opts for a refund in the event of a cancellation, any of the remaining funds not eligible for said refund, will be forfeited for further use and be put into the “Scholarship Fund” for one year. The $275/£150 non-refundable deposit will also be forfeited for further use.
6. No refunds will be given for any unused portions of the program or because of Participant’s failure or inability to participate in the CCS program.
7. No portion of the program fee is refundable if the cancellation is received on or after the scheduled start date.
8. Contributions from Sponsors are not refundable under any circumstance.
9. Refunds will only be given upon request. Refunds are not automatically issued. Refunds are to be requested within a one year period from the start date of the original program. All refunds are processed within thirty days from the date they are requested from the Participant and are in the form of a check.
10. If the Participant’s program is cancelled due to non-payment,, contributions will not be refunded to the sponsors. In the event of a cancellation, the Participant may use the funds within one year from the original start date for another CCS program.
11. CCS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any individual at any time prior to start date, or to cancel the Participants program. In the unlikely event of such a cancellation, or if Participant has been rejected, the total amount paid to Cross-Cultural Solutions will be refunded, unless the cancellation is due to non-payment by the agreed upon due date. Other than such refund, CCS will not be responsible to Participant for any other refund, costs, interest, liability or damages of any kind. Participant is solely responsible for any airfare or other travel fees, charges, expenses or penalties, that might result from any cancellation of or change in Participant’s program, whether Participant cancels the program or it is cancelled or altered by CCS.
12. CCS cannot make exceptions to this cancellation policy for any reason, including medical emergencies. CCS strongly urges Participant to purchase trip cancellation insurance.