How to Get a Refund on a Concert Ticket: Your Rights and the Deadlines

Refunds are the part of buying a ticket that generates the most complaints. Below we separate three different situations, because your rights are different in each one.

The short answer

• If you simply cannot attend: a refund depends on the platform's policy, not on the law.
• If the event is cancelled: the full amount you paid must be returned, and that is not open to debate.
• If the event is postponed: you can choose between accepting the new date and taking a full refund.
• If the refund window has closed, the ticket is not wasted — you can pass it on.

1. If you cannot attend

This depends entirely on the platform's refund policy; there is no legal obligation. On Biletini you can take a full refund with no questions asked up to 48 hours before the event, and the service fee is returned as well. The common practice across the industry is never to refund the service fee, which is why it is worth reading the terms before you buy.

Three things to check before purchasing: how many hours the refund window covers, whether the service fee is included in the refund, and whether a separate charge applies to cancelling. Some platforms sell a "cancellation right" as a paid add-on; read those terms carefully, because they usually cover less than people assume.

2. If the event is cancelled

This is different: the service was not delivered, so the full amount you paid must be refunded. You should not even need to open a request — in a well-run system the refund starts automatically. Refunds dragging on for more than a month are unfortunately a common complaint; if the money does not arrive within a reasonable time, open a written request and keep the record.

While a refund is in progress, keep your record: the request date, the amount and any reference number. On the bank side, refunds usually appear within three to ten working days, and that delay can come from the card issuer rather than the platform. If the money is late, ask the platform for a written response first, then ask your bank to trace the transaction.

3. If the event is postponed

A postponement is not the same as a cancellation. You are usually offered two options: accept the new date or take a full refund. You should be given a reasonable window to decide; on Biletini that window is fourteen days.

One thing to watch: if the new date does not suit you, you have to say so within the decision window. On most platforms silence counts as accepting the new date, and your right to a refund can close afterwards. The safest approach is to decide as soon as the notification arrives.

Passing the ticket on instead of refunding it

If the event is sold out and the refund window has passed, your ticket does not have to go to waste. You can list it at face value or transfer it directly to a friend. In an official transfer your old QR code stops working and a new one is created for the buyer — which removes the fraud risk that comes with buying and selling tickets on social media.

• The seller cannot list above what they paid — selling at a profit is blocked.
• The money reaches the seller's account the moment the transfer completes.
• The buyer has no reason to doubt the ticket; it was inside the system all along.