Payment Policy

Overview

Billyswatches accepts two methods of payment: bank wire transfer and credit card. Both are available on every order, and you choose which to use at checkout.

Because we deal in high-value timepieces, every payment is verified before a watch leaves us. That verification protects you as much as it protects us, and it is the reason an order is not released the instant a payment is submitted. This page explains exactly how each method works and what to expect at each stage.

Bank wire transfer

Bank wire transfer is a secure, bank-to-bank method well suited to higher-value purchases. Funds move directly between financial institutions, and no card details are transmitted or stored.

How it works

• Place your order and select bank wire transfer as your payment method.
• We issue payment instructions to you directly, containing the account details required to complete the transfer and a reference for your order.
• You initiate the transfer through your own bank, in person, by telephone or through your online banking.
• We confirm receipt once the funds have arrived and cleared into our account.
• Your order is then prepared for dispatch.

Verify the instructions before you send funds

Please check the recipient name, account details and reference against the instructions we sent you before authorising any transfer. If payment instructions reach you unexpectedly, appear to have changed, or arrive from an address you do not recognise, stop and contact us to confirm them before sending anything. We will never ask you to redirect a payment to different account details by email alone.

Keep your confirmation

Retain the wire confirmation, receipt or reference number your bank provides. If a transfer is delayed in the banking system, that reference is what allows your bank and ours to trace it quickly.

Timing

Domestic wires commonly settle the same or the next business day, though the exact timing is determined by the banks involved and by cut-off times, weekends and bank holidays. We cannot control or guarantee how quickly a transfer clears.

Credit card payments

Credit cards are accepted through our payment provider over an encrypted connection. Your full card number is handled by the provider; it is not stored on this website.

Authorisation and verification

Card payments are subject to authorisation by your card issuer and to routine security checks, which may include address verification, security-code checks and additional authentication requested by your bank. On higher-value orders we may carry out further verification before releasing the watch, and may contact you to confirm details.

An order is not considered fully paid until the transaction has been successfully authorised and verified. An authorisation on its own is not settlement, and a pending charge on your statement does not mean an order has been accepted.

The 5% credit card processing fee

A 5% credit card processing fee applies to payments made by credit card. The fee reflects the cost of processing card transactions and is not a charge we retain as profit.

How the fee is applied

The fee is calculated on your order subtotal and added as a separate, clearly labelled line in your order total. It is displayed at checkout before you confirm the order, so the amount you authorise is always the final amount.

No processing fee applies to payment by bank wire transfer. If you would prefer not to pay the fee, choose wire transfer at checkout.

Fraud prevention and security

Fine watches are a recognised target for payment fraud, and we screen orders accordingly. We may ask you to verify your identity, confirm your billing address, or provide additional confirmation of payment before an order is released. These checks are applied at our discretion and are not a reflection on you personally.

We reserve the right to decline or cancel an order where payment cannot be verified to our satisfaction, where the billing and delivery details cannot be reconciled, or where we have reasonable grounds to suspect fraudulent use of a payment method. Where we cancel an order for any of these reasons, any funds received are returned in full.

Declined and failed transactions

If a card payment is declined, the decision is made by your card issuer rather than by us, and we are not told the specific reason. Common causes include an incorrect billing address, an expired card, insufficient available credit, or an issuer’s fraud rules being triggered by an unusually large purchase.

If a payment fails, you are welcome to try again, use a different card, or switch to bank wire transfer. Contacting your card issuer directly is usually the fastest way to have a block lifted. Watches are not reserved by a failed payment and remain available to other customers until an order is paid and confirmed.

Order processing and release

Orders are prepared for dispatch once payment has been received, cleared and verified. Until that point the order is held, not shipped.

Once payment is confirmed and your watch has been prepared, it is dispatched and you receive tracking information. Full detail on how orders travel is set out in our Shipping Policy.

Payment disputes and chargebacks

If something is wrong with your order, please contact us first. Almost every issue is resolved faster directly than through a formal dispute, and our Returns & Refunds Policy gives you thirty days to return an eligible purchase for a full refund if you are simply not satisfied.

Where a chargeback is raised, we will respond with the order records, payment confirmation, delivery tracking and signature evidence relevant to the transaction. Raising a dispute does not shorten or replace the returns process described in our Returns & Refunds Policy.

Currency and pricing

All prices on this website are shown in US dollars. Any taxes that apply to your order are calculated at checkout and shown before you confirm.

If you are paying by international wire, your own bank or an intermediary bank may apply transfer or correspondent fees at their end. Those charges are set by the banks involved and are separate from the price of your watch.