↩️Refunds & Cancellations

Complete Guide to Issuing and Requesting Refunds

Whether you're a host needing to cancel an event or an attendee requesting a refund, this guide covers everything you need to know about Clubly's refund system.

🎯 Quick Overview

For Event Hosts

You Control Refunds:

  • Set refund policy per event

  • Issue full or partial refunds

  • Cancel events with automatic refunds

  • No refund fees from Clubly

For Ticket Buyers

Request Refunds:

  • Only if host allows

  • Submit through dashboard

  • Usually processed within 24-48 hours

  • Money back to original payment method

🎤 For Event Hosts

Setting Your Refund Policy

During Event Creation:

Refund Policy Options:

1. 🔒 No Refunds
   - All sales final
   - Strictest policy
   - Best for sold-out events

2. 📅 Refunds Until X Days Before
   - Example: "7 days before event"
   - Balanced approach
   - Most common choice

3. ✅ Refunds Anytime
   - Full refunds until event starts
   - Most flexible
   - Better customer satisfaction
   - Higher ticket sales

4. 🎫 Refunds + Transfer Allowed
   - Can refund OR transfer to friend
   - Maximum flexibility
   - Recommended

Recommendation: Most successful hosts use "Refunds until 7 days before event" - balances flexibility with commitment.

Issuing a Refund

Manual Refund Process:

Steps:

1. Dashboard → Events → [Your Event]
2. Go to "Attendees" tab
3. Find the ticket holder
4. Click "Actions" → "Issue Refund"
5. Choose:
   - Full refund
   - Partial refund (enter amount)
6. Add reason (optional)
7. Click "Confirm Refund"

Processing:

  • Immediate processing

  • Confirmation sent to customer

  • Money back in 5-10 business days

  • Status updates in dashboard

Partial Refunds

Use Cases:

  • Event shortened (refund portion)

  • Tier downgrade (VIP → GA)

  • Goodwill gesture

  • Compensation for issues

Example:

Original Ticket: $50.00
Issue: Event started 2 hours late
Partial Refund: $15.00
Net: Customer paid $35.00

How To:

Issue Refund → Select "Partial"
Enter amount: $15.00
Reason: "Compensation for delayed start"
Confirm

Bulk Refunds

Refund Multiple Tickets:

Scenario: Cancel Event

1. Event page → "Cancel Event"
2. Select "Refund all tickets"
3. Confirm cancellation
4. All tickets auto-refunded
5. Attendees notified via email

Select Multiple:

1. Attendees tab
2. Checkbox select multiple tickets
3. Bulk Actions → "Refund Selected"
4. Confirm

CSV Export for Records:

  • Download attendee list

  • Track who was refunded

  • Keep for your records

Refund Fees & Costs

What You Pay:

Stripe Non-Refundable Fee: $0.30 per ticket
Clubly Platform Fee: $0 (waived!)

Example:
Original sale: $50.00 to you
Refund issued: $50.30 from you
Your cost: $0.30

Why $0.30?

  • Stripe's processing fee

  • Charged on original transaction

  • Never refunded by Stripe

  • Industry standard

Clubly Waives Fee:

  • Platform fee fully refunded to customer

  • You don't pay it again

  • We absorb the cost

Auto-Refunds

Automatic Refund Triggers:

Event Cancelled:

  • All tickets auto-refunded

  • No action needed from customers

  • Email notification sent

Event Postponed:

  • Optional: Auto-refund

  • Or: Keep tickets valid

  • Your choice

Payment Failed:

  • Auto-refunded if payment issues

  • Rare occurrence

🎫 For Ticket Buyers

Requesting a Refund

Check Refund Policy First:

Event Page → "Refund Policy"

See:
- If refunds allowed
- Cutoff date
- Any conditions

If Refunds Allowed:

Steps:

1. Log into clubly.vip
2. Go to "My Tickets"
3. Find your ticket
4. Click "Request Refund"
5. Select reason (optional)
6. Submit request

Processing Time:

  • Host reviews: Usually instant to 24 hours

  • Refund processed: Immediate

  • Money back: 5-10 business days

When Refunds Are NOT Allowed

Common Reasons:

  • Host set "No Refunds" policy

  • Past cutoff date

  • Event already happened

  • Ticket already checked in (used)

What You Can Do:

1. Check if transfers allowed
   → Transfer to friend instead

2. Contact host directly
   → Explain situation
   → May issue exception

3. Contact support
   → We can help mediate
   → [email protected]

Refund to Payment Method

Where Money Goes:

Original payment method:
- Same credit card
- Same bank account
- Same digital wallet

Timeline:
- Stripe processes: Immediate
- Bank processes: 5-10 business days
- Pending → Posted

Won't Arrive Elsewhere:

  • Can't send to different card

  • Can't send to different person

  • Security measure

Disputing Charges

Chargebacks (Last Resort):

Don't chargeback first! Always request refund through Clubly first. Chargebacks hurt the host and may get your account banned.

Only Chargeback If:

  • Host refuses legitimate refund

  • Fraud suspected

  • Never received tickets

  • Event never happened

  • Host unresponsive

Consequences:

  • Host charged $15 fee

  • You may be banned

  • Harms host's reputation

  • Should be last resort

Better: Contact Support:

  • We'll mediate

  • Often resolve quickly

  • No one gets hurt

  • Everyone happy

🚫 Event Cancellation

Cancelling Your Event

As a Host:

Before Cancelling:

Cancellation Process:

1. Event Page → Settings
2. Click "Cancel Event"
3. Choose:
   - Refund all tickets ✅
   - Keep payments (if allowed)
4. Add cancellation message
5. Confirm cancellation

What Happens:

  • Event immediately delisted

  • All attendees emailed

  • Refunds processed

  • Event marked cancelled

  • Can't be undone

Postponing Instead

Better Option:

Why Postpone?

  • Keep your audience

  • Maintain momentum

  • No refunds needed

  • Reschedule to new date

How to Postpone:

1. Event Settings
2. "Postpone Event"
3. Set new date
4. Add announcement
5. Option: Offer refunds to those who can't make new date

Communication:

  • Email all ticket holders

  • Post on social media

  • Update event page

  • Be transparent

💰 Refund Timing & Processing

Processing Timeline

Full Journey:

Request → Approval → Processing → Bank → Posted

Day 0: Request submitted
Day 0: Host approves
Day 0: Clubly/Stripe process
Day 1-5: Bank processes
Day 5-10: Shows in account

Variables:

  • Bank processing speed

  • Weekends/holidays

  • Credit vs debit card

  • International cards

Checking Refund Status

For Hosts:

Dashboard → Payments → Refunds

See:
- All issued refunds
- Status
- Date issued
- Amount
- Who received

For Attendees:

My Tickets → [Event] → Refund Status

Shows:
- Requested
- Approved
- Processing
- Completed

📊 Refund Analytics

Track Your Refunds

Dashboard Metrics:

Events → Analytics → Refunds

See:
- Total refunds issued
- Refund rate %
- Reasons given
- Trends over time

Good Refund Rate:

  • < 5%: Excellent

  • 5-10%: Normal

  • 10-20%: High

  • 20%+: Investigate

High Refunds? Check:

  • Event quality issues?

  • Poor communication?

  • Wrong expectations set?

  • Competition on same day?

  • Weather/external factors?

🎯 Best Practices

For Hosts

1. Clear Refund Policy

✅ State clearly on event page
✅ Mention in confirmation email
✅ Be consistent
✅ Honor your policy

2. Reasonable Deadline

✅ 7 days before: Good balance
✅ 14 days before: Generous
❌ No refunds ever: Risky
❌ 24 hours before: Too strict

3. Quick Response

✅ Respond to requests within 24 hours
✅ Be empathetic
✅ Offer alternatives (transfer, credit)
✅ Grant exceptions when reasonable

4. Proactive Communication

If issues arise:
✅ Email attendees immediately
✅ Offer proactive refunds
✅ Maintain trust
✅ Preserve reputation

For Attendees

1. Read Policy First

✅ Check before buying
✅ Understand deadlines
✅ Know your rights

2. Request Early

✅ Don't wait until last minute
✅ Give host notice
✅ Better chance of approval

3. Be Respectful

✅ Polite request
✅ Explain situation
✅ Accept policy
✅ Consider alternatives

4. Consider Transferring

✅ Send to friend instead
✅ No refund needed
✅ Someone still attends
✅ Host keeps sale

🔄 Alternatives to Refunds

Ticket Transfers

Instead of Refund:

Can't attend? → Transfer to friend

Benefits:
- No refund fee
- Friend gets ticket
- Host keeps sale
- Everyone happy

Ticket Transfer Guide →

Event Credits

Future Value:

Refund → Store credit for future events

Benefits:
- Keep customer engaged
- Guarantee future sale
- No refund processing
- Good for both sides

How to Offer:

  • Manual: Email customer

  • Offer credit = ticket value

  • Use promo code for their next ticket

Downgrades

Tier Adjustment:

Can't afford VIP? → Downgrade to GA

VIP: $100
GA: $50
Refund: $50
Keep: $50

🆘 Refund Problems

Refund Not Received

For Attendees:

Timeline Check:

  • Approved < 5 days ago? → Wait

  • Approved < 10 days ago? → Check bank

  • Approved > 10 days ago? → Contact support

Troubleshooting:

1. Check original payment method
2. Look for pending transactions
3. Contact your bank
4. Verify refund was actually approved
5. Contact Clubly support

Refund Denied

For Attendees:

Why Denied:

  • Outside refund window

  • Against policy

  • Ticket already used

  • Past event date

What to Do:

  1. Review policy

  2. Contact host with explanation

  3. Request exception

  4. Escalate to Clubly support

  5. Consider chargeback (last resort)

Wrong Amount Refunded

Check:

  • Partial vs full refund?

  • Multiple tickets?

  • Previous refunds?

  • Processing fees?

Contact:

  • Host first (if wrong amount)

  • Clubly support (if error)

  • Include screenshot + details

📞 Getting Help

When to Contact Support

Hosts:

  • 🆘 Bulk refund technical issues

  • 🆘 Refund not processing

  • 🆘 Disputed chargeback

  • 🆘 Need to bypass policy

Attendees:

  • 🆘 Refund not received (>10 days)

  • 🆘 Host unresponsive

  • 🆘 Unfair denial

  • 🆘 Fraud suspected

Contact Methods

Clubly Support:

Include:

  • Order number

  • Event name & date

  • Refund request date

  • Amount

  • Issue description

  • Screenshots

🔄 Related Articles

❓ Common Questions

Can I get a refund for any reason?

Only if the host's refund policy allows it. Check the event page before purchasing.

How long do refunds take?

Processed immediately by Clubly, but your bank may take 5-10 business days to post the refund.

Do I get the platform fee back?

Yes! Both ticket price AND platform fee are refunded to you.

What if the host refuses a legitimate refund?

Contact Clubly support. We'll review the situation and mediate if necessary.

Can I refund just one ticket from a multi-ticket order?

Yes, partial order refunds are possible. The host can refund individual tickets.

What happens if I do a chargeback?

Your account may be banned, and it costs the host extra fees. Always request a refund through Clubly first.

Fair Refund Process: Clubly's refund system protects both hosts and attendees. Clear policies and quick processing make the experience smooth for everyone.

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