Use this guide if an event you bought tickets for has been cancelled, postponed or moved. Have your order confirmation, the seller's name and the payment method you used ready.
Step by step
Check what has changed
Read the official announcement from the organiser or venue. Note whether the event is cancelled outright, postponed to a new date, moved to a new venue or changed in a major way, such as a different headline act. What you are entitled to often depends on which of these has happened.
Identify who you bought from
Check whether you bought from an official ticket seller, a resale website, a fan-to-fan exchange or a private individual. Official sellers are usually the ones who handle refunds for cancelled events. Citizens Advice says you are unlikely to get a refund from a resale site or private seller unless their terms say so.
Follow the seller's refund process
Many sellers refund cancelled events automatically to the card you used, so wait for the timescale they give. For postponed or moved events, you may need to request a refund within a set window, or you keep the tickets for the new date. Read every email carefully and act before any deadline.
Know what you should get back
For a cancelled event, you should usually get at least the face value of the ticket. Booking fees, delivery charges and card fees are not always refunded, so check the seller's terms. Travel and hotel costs are normally not covered by the ticket seller.
Complain if the refund does not arrive
Write to the seller with your order number, the event, the date it was cancelled and what you want back. If the seller is a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), you can use STAR's complaints process. Citizens Advice can explain your options if you are stuck.
Ask your card provider for help
If the seller will not refund you, contact your card provider. You may be able to ask for a chargeback on a debit or credit card, and credit card purchases may have extra protection depending on the amount. Do this promptly, as chargeback schemes have time limits.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Order confirmation and reference
- Official cancellation or change notice
- Seller identified as official or resale
- Refund deadline noted
- Seller's terms on fees checked
- Written refund request sent
- Card provider contacted if refused
- Travel and hotel bookings reviewed separately
Practical tips
- Buy from the official seller listed on the venue or artist's own announcements to make refunds easier.
- Check the cancellation terms of any hotel or train you booked for the event as soon as you hear about a change.
- Beware of messages offering to process your refund if you click a link or share card details; contact the seller directly instead.
Common problems
The seller offers a voucher or credit instead of money.
For a cancelled event, you are usually entitled to ask for a refund rather than a voucher. Reply in writing asking for a refund to your original payment method, and escalate if it is refused.
You cannot attend the new date of a postponed event.
Check whether the seller or organiser is offering refunds for postponed events and the deadline for requesting one. If not, see whether an official resale or exchange service is available for your tickets.
You bought from a resale website that says no refunds.
Read the site's guarantee or terms, as some offer refunds for cancelled events. If not, and you paid by card, ask your card provider whether a chargeback is possible.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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