Event cancellation and refund
policy template for Indian organisers.
Copy the language. Change the numbers. Ship the checkout. Covers GST, force majeure, partial-refund windows, the small print that keeps you out of consumer court.
What Indian law says you must do.
Two laws pin down refund obligations for Indian event organisers. The Consumer Protection Act 2019, and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020.
- Disclose before purchase. Refund terms must appear on the checkout page before the buyer clicks "Pay". Not in a linked policy the buyer never opens.
- Refund within 10 working days of approval, per RBI's Prepaid Payment Instrument rules. Missing this triggers 12% interest under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act.
- Full refund on organiser-side cancellation. If you postpone or cancel, buyers get 100% back. You can offer credit-for-next-event as an alternative but never as the only option.
- No "all sales final" on high-value tickets. Courts have struck this down for tickets above ₹2,500 unless there's a compensating benefit (e.g. free rescheduling).
The rest is negotiable. You choose the refund windows, the percentages, and the transfer rules. Just publish them clearly and honour them.
Copy this into your checkout page.
Replace [placeholders] with your event details. Legal review recommended for events above ₹10 lakh in ticket value.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
1. Buyer-initiated cancellation
You may cancel your registration for [Event Name] by writing to [[email protected]] with your booking ID.
- Cancellation received 15 or more days before the event date: 100% refund, less 2% payment gateway fee and applicable GST reversal.
- Cancellation received 7 to 14 days before: 50% refund.
- Cancellation received within 7 days: no cash refund. Ticket may be transferred to another attendee free of cost until 24 hours before the event.
2. Organiser-initiated changes
If we postpone [Event Name], your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date at no extra cost. Alternatively, request a 100% refund within 15 days of the rescheduled announcement.
If we cancel [Event Name] outright, we refund 100% of your ticket amount within 10 working days.
3. Force majeure
If the event cannot be held due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control - including acts of God, government orders, natural disasters, pandemic restrictions, riots, war, or venue force majeure - we will first attempt to reschedule. If rescheduling is impossible within [90] days, we refund the ticket amount less non-recoverable venue and vendor costs, up to a maximum deduction of [30]%.
4. Payment gateway fee
All refunds are processed net of the payment gateway fee (typically 2% + GST) as this fee is non-refundable to us.
5. GST and credit notes
Refunds against GST invoices are accompanied by a credit note (Section 34 of CGST Act). B2B buyers who claimed input tax credit must reverse it in their next return.
6. Refund processing time
Approved refunds reflect in your bank within 5-10 working days. UPI refunds typically settle in 3 working days.
7. Ticket transfer
Tickets are transferable to another named attendee free of cost until 24 hours before the event. Log in to your booking and update the attendee details.
8. Dispute resolution
Disputes will first be addressed by our support team within 7 working days. Unresolved disputes fall under the jurisdiction of [City] courts. For consumer disputes, the buyer may approach the National Consumer Helpline (1915) or file at consumerhelpline.gov.in.
9. Contact
[Organiser Legal Name], [Registered Address]. Email: [[email protected]]. Phone: [+91 xxxxx xxxxx].
What buyers see on their refund receipt.
| Scenario | Ticket paid | Refund | Retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel 20 days before | ₹2,999 | ₹2,939 (100% - 2% gateway) | ₹60 |
| Cancel 10 days before | ₹2,999 | ₹1,500 (50%) | ₹1,499 |
| Cancel 3 days before | ₹2,999 | ₹0 (transfer offered) | ₹2,999 |
| Organiser postpones | ₹2,999 | ₹2,999 (100%) | ₹0 |
| Force majeure (venue flood) | ₹2,999 | ₹2,099 (70%) | ₹900 |
Four mistakes we've watched organisers make.
Mistake 1: Making refunds email-only. One organiser we worked with received 340 cancellation emails after a Delhi conference got postponed due to smog. Their two-person team took 18 days to process. Result: a spike of Twitter complaints and one small-claims filing. Automate refunds in the ticketing tool - buyer requests, admin approves in one click, gateway triggers reversal.
Mistake 2: Not showing the policy on checkout. Consumer forum in Bengaluru, 2024: organiser sued for hidden refund terms buried in a linked PDF. Court awarded the buyer full refund plus ₹5,000 costs. Show the policy inline. A collapsed accordion above the pay button is enough.
Mistake 3: Blanket force majeure. "No refunds under any circumstances" isn't enforceable in India post-2020. It also destroys buyer trust. Offer a reasonable partial refund even in genuine force majeure scenarios.
Mistake 4: Missing the GST credit note. A Chennai B2B conference organiser refunded ₹3.2 lakh in tickets without issuing credit notes. Their GSTR-1 for that month still showed the original invoices. When one buyer (a listed company) reversed input tax credit and asked for a credit note, the mismatch triggered a GSTN alert. Two months of clean-up work followed.