I received an email from Google Checkout informing me that there is another Terms and Program Policies update taking place. If you currently use Google Checkout and have not yet read the update, please do. Chances are there isn’t too much that will affect the way you conduct business, but I always find that there is at least one thing that directly affect me.

This is not meant to be a thorough review or commentary, just the email for your reference…

Dear Google Checkout merchant,

We’re writing to let you know that we’ve made some changes to our Terms of Service and Program Policies. As we continue to improve Google Checkout for our buyers and sellers, we occasionally need to adjust our terms and policies to accommodate changes to the product, our business, and merchants’ needs.

Below, we’ve provided links to the updated terms and policies and highlighted some of the changes that might be of interest.

Terms of Service – https://checkout.google.com/termsOfService?type=Seller

• Accommodations for new features such as email invoicing and support for non-profit organizations.
• Updated timing for shipping, charging, and manual adjustment requests.
• Updates to representations and warranties, limitations on liability, and indemnities.
• Updates to reserve practices and fund recovery for negative balances.

Program Policies – http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html

• 1e: Removed the policy.
• 2a: Clarified that authorizations will last for 168 hours.
• 2b: Allowed for capture of funds before fulfilling orders, as long as the orders are fulfilled within 24 hours of capture.
• 2f: Added requirement that manual adjustments to authorizations, captures, and refunds must be requested within 90 days of the original order date.
• 4b: Relaxed policy such that 1:1 Google Checkout button placement is highly recommended for a consistent user experience, but not required.
• 4c: Allowed for acceptance of Checkout after a login if you sell digital goods and display the Google Checkout acceptance logo before the login.
• 5a: Allowed 501c(3) non-profit organizations to display the Checkout badge.

We encourage you to take a moment to review and print the updated terms and policies for your records, as the above examples are not a comprehensive list.