Conference refund policy template (copy and adapt)

What should a conference refund policy include?

Use the text below as a drafting checklist, replace every bracketed item, and have qualified counsel in the relevant jurisdiction review it before it goes live. The sample numbers and force-majeure language may be unlawful or unsuitable for a particular event.

[CONFERENCE NAME] [YEAR] REFUND AND TRANSFER POLICY
Last updated: [date]. Event dates: [first day] to [last day], [venue, city].

1. REFUND SCHEDULE
All requests must be made in writing to [email] and are assessed on the
date the email is received.

  a. More than 60 days before the event (on or before [date]):
     full refund of the ticket price, less [a $__ administration fee /
     the payment processing amount shown on the original transaction],
     where that deduction is lawful and was disclosed before purchase.
  b. Between 60 and 31 days before the event ([date] to [date]):
     50% refund of the ticket price.
  c. 30 days or fewer before the event (from [date]):
     no refund. Tickets may still be transferred under section 3.

2. WHAT IS NOT REFUNDABLE
Our payment provider may retain processing fees on refunds. Any lawful
deduction is described in section 1. Travel, accommodation, visa costs and any other
expense you incur in connection with attending are your responsibility.

3. NAME CHANGES AND TRANSFERS
You may transfer your ticket to another person free of charge until
[7] days before the event ([date]) by emailing [email] with the new
attendee's full name, email address and answers to the registration
questions. After that date badges are printed and no changes are
possible. Tickets may not be resold above face value.

4. UPGRADES AND DOWNGRADES
You may upgrade to a higher ticket type at any time by paying the
difference in price. Downgrades are treated as a refund of the
difference and follow the schedule in section 1.

5. ADD-ONS
Workshops, dinners, tours and merchandise are refundable until
[30] days before the event and are non-refundable after that date,
because numbers are committed to our suppliers. Workshop places may be
transferred to another attendee until [7] days before the event.

6. IF WE CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE
  a. Cancellation by [ORGANIZATION]: you receive a full refund of the
     ticket price and any add-ons, issued within [30] days. We are not
     liable for travel, accommodation or other costs.
  b. Rescheduling: your ticket is automatically valid for the new dates.
     If the new dates do not suit you, request a full refund within [14]
     days of the announcement.
  c. Change of format: if the event moves from in person to online, you
     may keep your place and receive a refund of the difference between
     your ticket and the virtual ticket price, or request a full refund
     within [14] days of the announcement.

7. FORCE MAJEURE
If the event cannot take place because of circumstances beyond our
reasonable control, including but not limited to fire, flood, extreme
weather, epidemic or public health order, act of terrorism, war,
industrial action, or failure of the venue or of public utilities, we
will [insert the remedies and refund terms approved by local counsel].
[Insert any lawful travel-cost or other exclusions approved by counsel.]
Nothing in this policy limits rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

8. NO-SHOWS
Tickets not used on the day are not refundable and cannot be carried
over to a future event.

9. VISA REFUSAL
If your visa application is refused, we will refund [100% / 50%] of the
ticket price on production of the written refusal, provided the request
reaches us before [date].

10. HOW TO REQUEST A REFUND OR TRANSFER
Email [email] from the address used to book, with your order number and
the reason. We respond within [3] business days and issue approved
refunds within [5] business days. Refunds are returned to the original
payment method. The time before the credit appears depends on the
payment provider and your bank; [insert the provider's current guidance].

11. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
This policy applies to tickets bought on or after [date]. We may update
it for future ticket sales; the version in force at the time of your
purchase applies to your order.

Questions: [email] / [phone].

What is the short version for the checkout page?

Refunds: [approved refund amount and any lawful deduction] until [date].
[Approved partial-refund amount] until [date]. After that, [approved terms];
you can transfer your ticket to a colleague free of charge until [date]
(7 days before). Full policy: [URL].

Put this text in the ticket description, in the confirmation email and on the event page. Add a required checkbox to the registration form reading "I have read and accept the refund policy at [URL]", so the acceptance is recorded against the order rather than assumed.

What is each clause actually doing?

Set the dates from your contracts and applicable refund obligations. A non-refundable venue deposit due 90 days before the event is a cash-flow exposure to budget for; it does not by itself determine what you may withhold from an attendee.

Should you deduct the payment processing fee?

Illustrative arithmetic at a 2.9 percent plus $0.30 processing rate:

If the processor retains the original fee, that cost is the same whether the organizer refunds all or part of the ticket. Twenty refunds on a $499 ticket would leave roughly $295 in retained processing fees under this illustrative rate.

Check separately whether your platform returns its ticket fee and whether the payment method adds refund charges. Stripe's refund documentation explains retained processing fees and possible additional costs. Checkout Page has no per-ticket platform fee to recover, but subscription and processor costs still need budgeting. See conference ticketing fees.

What happens if you cancel or reschedule the conference?

Three operational practices to review with counsel and the payment provider:

1. Announce before you have the answers. A message that says the event is cancelled and refund details follow within 7 days is better than silence while you work out the details.
2. Decide whether refunds will be automatic. Batch capability, timing and communication depend on the platform and processor. Avoid requiring unnecessary individual requests when the same remedy applies to everyone.
3. Keep credits separate from refund entitlements. Offer a credit where appropriate, explain its terms, and preserve any refund option the attendee is entitled to.

For a reschedule, one option is to roll tickets over with a clearly stated opt-out window. The lawful window and consent treatment vary, so have counsel review them and measure how many attendees accept the new date.

How do you process a refund or a name change?

What this template does not cover

Three specific things to check locally:

• Cooling-off rules. Distance selling rules in the EU and UK give consumers a cancellation right on many online purchases, with a widely used exemption for leisure services supplied on a specific date. Whether your event falls inside the exemption is a question for a lawyer in that jurisdiction, not for a template.
• Unfair terms. A clause can be published and still be unenforceable if a regulator considers it unfair. Clauses that keep all the money while giving nothing in return attract the most attention.
• Business versus consumer buyers. A policy that is fine for corporate buyers may be treated differently when the buyer is a private individual paying their own way.

Practical protection matters as much as wording. Make the policy visible before purchase, record acceptance with a checkbox on the registration form, repeat the key dates in the confirmation email, and keep the dates consistent with your ticket tier dates and your sales timeline. A policy nobody was shown is a policy you cannot rely on when a chargeback arrives.