Frequently Asked Questions

Customer payments are collected through your own store, not directly by Obscura. To produce and ship orders, you’ll need to add a credit or debit card to your Obscura account.

Once your card is connected, Obscura will automatically charge it for production and shipping when an order is placed. This allows orders to move into fulfillment without manual action.

You can update your payment method anytime in your account settings.

Obscura is free to use and does not charge any subscription or membership fees at the current stage.

When a customer places an order in your store, you receive the full payment, including the product price you set and the shipping fee.

The order is then automatically synced to Obscura for fulfillment. Since Obscura does not pull funds from your sales channel, the production and shipping costs are charged to the credit or debit card connected to your Obscura account.

When a customer places an order, payment is made to you directly through Shopify Checkout.

For production and shipping, Obscura charges your linked credit card securely via Stripe. This payment covers only the product, printing, and fulfillment costs. Obscura does not charge any membership or subscription fees.

Obscura applies charges only after an order is officially submitted to production.

By default, orders are automatically submitted for production within approximately two hours of being received.

If a payment cannot be processed, a notification banner will appear showing the reason for the failure.

To resolve the issue:

• Follow the instructions provided in the notification
• Update your payment method if the linked card has expired or is no longer valid
• Check the shipping address and make sure it is complete and accurate

After the issue is corrected, click “Submit Order” to continue processing the order.

Obscura currently applies a fixed 11% sales tax to orders shipped to California addresses. Customers with a valid resale certificate may be eligible for a tax exemption by submitting the required documentation.

For shipments sent outside of California, Obscura does not collect sales tax at this time. As our operations continue to grow, we will comply with applicable state tax laws and begin collecting sales tax in states where an economic nexus is established.

Resellers who hold a valid resale permit can request tax-exempt purchasing with Obscura.

To begin the review, please email your resale documentation to support@obscuraphotogifts.com, and make sure the document you submit meets the following requirements:

• It must be an official resale certificate (tax registration forms are not accepted)
• Current legal business name and address must be included
• The tax ID number must be clearly readable

Our compliance team usually completes verification within 1–3 business days. Once approved, the tax exemption will automatically apply to future orders only. Orders placed before approval remain subject to applicable taxes.

Economic nexus refers to a state tax rule that requires a business to register for, collect, and remit sales tax once its sales activity in that state reaches a defined level—even if the business has no physical location there.

These requirements are usually triggered when a company exceeds certain revenue or transaction limits within a state. While common thresholds include $100,000 in annual sales or 200 or more transactions, the exact criteria depend on state-specific tax laws.

Obscura collects sales tax on orders shipped to California due to its production operations located within the state. A fixed 11% sales tax is applied to these orders, regardless of the store owner’s physical location.

When pricing products and configuring tax settings in your store, we recommend that you:

1. Review Obscura’s current fulfillment locations and tax collection scope
2. Confirm that your eCommerce platform’s tax settings are correctly configured
3. Seek advice from a qualified tax professional to evaluate your specific tax obligations

Taking these steps helps ensure accurate tax handling and continued compliance with applicable regulations.