Having payment or checkout problems?
If you are paying by Paypal: we have had occasional reports of problems with Paypal checkout. If this happens to you, please see here for details and solutions.
If you are paying by card directly on the checkout page:
- It sometimes asks for your postcode (for the card billing address) in the box where you enter your card details. When this happens, the "Postcode" prompt only gets added to the box after typing part of the card number, so it is easy to miss. If you are getting error messages about an incorrect postcode when trying to pay, then this is probably the cause.
- If you get any other message about the payment failing or being blocked, please double check that all card details are correct, including the security code if applicable (for most cards, this is 3 digits long and printed on the back), and that you are using the correct card and not an old or expired one. It may also be worth checking that the billing address you entered during checkout is correct, especially if autocomplete was used to fill this in.
- If you are located outside the UK: some banks are very cautious about overseas payments and have a tendency to block them. If payment is still failing after you have double checked the card details, it may be worth contacting your bank to check that there aren't any problems preventing the payment from going through.
- If all else fails, you could try Paypal.
Otherwise, using a different browser and/or clearing your browser cache can sometimes fix any issues.
If you still have problems paying we will be happy to help: you can email us at support@sotabeams.co.uk or telephone us on 01625-501643
How we show prices on our store
Prices on our website include UK tax (VAT, 20%). Customers with a shipping address outside of the UK will not be charged this tax - prices should update to the ex-tax ones after entering the full shipping address on the checkout page.
NOTE: although we do not charge tax at checkout for customers outside the UK, some countries will charge you tax on imported parcels. Payment of any such taxes is the responsibility of the purchaser. Please see here for more details.
Currencies
We accept payments in GBP, EUR, or USD. The currency that you will be billed in is the one that is selected (from the dropdown box on the top left of each page) at the time you start adding items to the cart.
To change the billing currency after adding any items to the cart, the cart needs to be completely emptied then all items re-added. The billing currency will be confirmed in the order summary on the checkout page.
Product prices are set in GBP, and the USD and EUR prices are calculated from these. This means that the USD and EUR prices may change from time to time based on exchange rates.
Making payments
We use either Paypal or Stripe to process website payments, depending on which option you select at checkout. Both of them accept all major debit and credit cards.
If you select the "Credit Card" option when paying, the checkout page will show a box for you to enter your card details into, and the payment will be processed by Stripe. If you are getting error messages about your postcode, or about your payment failing or being blocked, please see the "Having payment or checkout problems?" section at the top of this page.
Depending on your country, there may be some alternative payment methods (for example, iDEAL in the Netherlands) also available through Stripe.
If you select the "Paypal" option, the payment will be processed by Paypal. You will be taken to Paypal's website to complete the payment when you click "Pay". You can pay using your Paypal account, or by card without needing a Paypal account (look for the "guest checkout" or "pay by credit / debit card" button after you are transferred to Paypal's website).
Placing orders by telephone
Orders can be placed by phone. Our telephone number is 01625-501643 (UK number).
Orders collected in person
If you would like to collect some items directly from our office (if you live nearby or are passing through the area, and would like to save on postage), we can accept in-person cash, card, or contactless payments. We recommend contacting us beforehand with details of what you would like, so that we can have the items ready for you.
Alternatively, you can order and pay through our website and select the 'Collect from factory' option.
Other payment methods
For larger orders (over £150) we have bank accounts in the UK, USA, and EU, which allow us to accept payments by bank transfer in GB Pounds (GBP), US Dollars (USD), or Euros (EUR). Contact us for details if you wish to pay this way.