WIPPASS REFUND & EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY
1. PURPOSE
This Policy explains when ticket purchasers may request refunds, when refunds are mandatory, how Event Organizer refund settings work, and how WIPPASS may intervene to protect purchasers, payment integrity and the WIPPASS platform.
Nothing in this Policy removes a right that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
2. ROLE OF WIPPASS
Unless WIPPASS is expressly named as the organizer, the Event Organizer is responsible for producing and delivering the event. WIPPASS provides event technology and may facilitate ticketing, payments, passes, communications, refunds and dispute resolution.
The Event Organizer remains financially responsible for refund and chargeback liabilities arising from its event except where WIPPASS expressly agrees otherwise in writing.
3. EVENT-SPECIFIC REFUND SETTINGS
Every event may display one of these WIPPASS-standard refund settings:
Flexible — automatic voluntary refund eligibility when a valid request is submitted at least 24 hours before the event start.
Standard — automatic voluntary refund eligibility when a valid request is submitted at least 7 days before the event start.
Strict — no automatic voluntary refund window. Requests are assessed individually under this Policy and applicable law.
These settings govern ordinary change-of-mind or purchaser-initiated cancellation requests. They do not override mandatory refund rights, event cancellation rules, material non-performance rules or applicable consumer law.
After the first confirmed ticket sale, an Organizer may make the event policy more generous, but may not make it more restrictive for existing purchasers.
4. PURCHASER-INITIATED CANCELLATION
A purchaser may request cancellation of an advance ticket or booking.
Where a request qualifies under the event's automatic refund window, the ticket price will ordinarily be refundable subject to lawful deductions expressly disclosed before purchase.
Where the request falls outside the automatic window, WIPPASS or the Organizer may assess the request under applicable law and may apply a reasonable cancellation charge where permitted.
A cancellation charge must be fair in the circumstances and may take account of the nature of the event, the amount of notice given, the reasonable ability to resell or reallocate the ticket, unavoidable costs already incurred and normal industry practice.
5. DEATH OR HOSPITALISATION
Where applicable law prevents a cancellation fee because the person for whom the booking was made has died or has been hospitalised, no cancellation fee will be imposed for that reason.
Reasonable supporting documentation may be requested for verification.
6. CANCELLED EVENTS
If an event is cancelled and will not take place, affected purchasers will ordinarily be entitled to a refund as required by applicable law and WIPPASS minimum standards.
WIPPASS may stop ticket sales, hold or delay Organizer payouts, process or require refunds, deduct refunds from unsettled Organizer proceeds, offset amounts against other Organizer proceeds, or recover amounts from the Organizer where WIPPASS funds refunds on the Organizer's behalf.
7. POSTPONED OR RESCHEDULED EVENTS
If an event is rescheduled, an existing ticket will ordinarily remain valid for the replacement date.
If an event is postponed and no replacement date is announced within 90 days, WIPPASS may require the Organizer to offer refunds to affected purchasers.
Where applicable law provides broader rights, those rights apply.
8. MATERIAL CHANGES OR NON-PERFORMANCE
WIPPASS may require or facilitate a full or partial refund where it reasonably determines that the principal event experience was materially not delivered.
Examples include:
- the main advertised event does not occur;
- the event description was materially misleading;
- the main advertised performer, experience or component is removed in a way that fundamentally changes what was purchased;
- an Organizer oversells capacity and cannot admit a valid ticket holder;
- the Organizer or venue cannot provide lawful or safe access;
- a substantial part of a multi-day event is cancelled; or
- the purchased admission service is otherwise materially not provided.
Minor schedule changes, supporting-act substitutions, ordinary running-order changes or similar non-material adjustments do not automatically create a refund entitlement unless required by law.
9. FORCE MAJEURE AND EVENTS OUTSIDE REASONABLE CONTROL
Severe weather, government action, public-health emergencies, security incidents, civil disturbance, natural disasters, transport disruption, venue emergencies and similar events may require postponement, relocation or cancellation.
Where an event can reasonably be rescheduled, the Organizer may first reschedule it. Where it is cancelled or applicable law requires a refund, the relevant refund provisions of this Policy apply.
10. CHECKED-IN OR USED TICKETS
Except where mandatory law or material event non-performance requires otherwise, a ticket ordinarily will not qualify for a voluntary cancellation refund after it has been successfully checked in, redeemed or substantially used.
11. NO-SHOWS AND PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Missing an event does not automatically create a right to a full refund.
Traffic, personal scheduling conflicts, ordinary travel disruption, forgetting the event date, change of mind, or arriving after clearly disclosed gate-closing requirements will normally be treated as purchaser-initiated cancellation circumstances.
Mandatory statutory protections remain unaffected.
12. TRANSFERRED TICKETS
A transferred ticket remains subject to the refund terms accepted at the original purchase.
Unless another method is legally required or operationally necessary, an approved refund will ordinarily be returned to the original payment method or original purchaser rather than the later ticket recipient.
13. DUPLICATE OR ERRONEOUS CHARGES
Where WIPPASS verifies that the same intended transaction was charged more than once because of a payment or platform error, the duplicate amount may be refunded after transaction verification.
14. FRAUDULENT OR UNAUTHORISED TRANSACTIONS
Suspected unauthorized or fraudulent payments may be investigated by WIPPASS, the payment processor, the issuing bank and relevant payment networks.
WIPPASS may suspend tickets, accounts or Organizer payouts while such an investigation is underway.
Nothing in this Policy removes lawful bank, card-scheme or payment-network dispute rights.
15. SERVICE AND PAYMENT PROCESSING FEES
Payment processors may retain their processing charges even when a transaction is refunded.
For a voluntary purchaser cancellation, separately disclosed processing or service charges may be non-refundable to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Where an event is cancelled, materially not delivered, or applicable law requires a full refund of the amount paid, WIPPASS may refund the purchaser as required and recover non-refundable payment-processing or platform costs from the responsible Organizer where permitted.
16. REFUND METHOD AND TIMING
Approved refunds will ordinarily be returned through the original payment route where practical.
Payment providers may take additional time after a refund has been processed before the purchaser sees the funds. Banking and card-network settlement timing is outside WIPPASS's direct control.
17. HOW TO REQUEST A REFUND
A purchaser should submit the request through the WIPPASS ticket/order experience or the official WIPPASS support channel and provide the order or ticket reference, event name, purchaser details, reason for the request, and any reasonably required evidence.
WIPPASS or the Organizer should provide an initial response within five business days wherever reasonably practicable.
18. CHARGEBACKS AND PAYMENT DISPUTES
Purchasers are encouraged to use the WIPPASS refund process first so the issue can be investigated quickly. This does not remove any lawful right to raise a payment dispute.
WIPPASS may provide transaction evidence, policy acceptance records, ticket issuance, transfer records, communications and check-in records to a payment processor or financial institution where relevant to a dispute.
19. ORGANIZER RESPONSIBILITY
By selling tickets through WIPPASS, the Organizer agrees to remain responsible for refund and chargeback liabilities arising from its event and authorizes WIPPASS, to the extent permitted by law and the Organizer Terms, to:
- reserve or hold sufficient proceeds;
- delay settlement where material refund or chargeback risk exists;
- deduct refunds from unsettled proceeds;
- offset liabilities against proceeds from the same or other events;
- recover amounts WIPPASS paid on the Organizer's behalf; and
- take reasonable measures to protect purchasers and WIPPASS from anticipated non-performance, fraud or chargebacks.
20. WIPPASS RIGHT TO INTERVENE
Even where an Organizer declines a refund, WIPPASS may issue or require a full or partial refund where WIPPASS reasonably determines that:
- applicable law requires it;
- the event was cancelled or materially not delivered;
- a duplicate or fraudulent charge occurred;
- valid admission was not provided because of Organizer fault;
- the Organizer breached WIPPASS rules;
- a payment network or financial institution requires the refund;
- the claim is likely to become a valid chargeback WIPPASS would reasonably expect to lose; or
- failure to refund would materially expose purchasers or WIPPASS to legal, regulatory or payment risk.
21. POLICY VERSION ATTACHED TO PURCHASE
The WIPPASS Refund Policy version and the event-specific refund setting accepted at checkout may be stored with the purchase.
A later policy version will not retroactively make an existing purchaser's position materially worse where doing so would be unlawful or unfair.
22. MANDATORY RIGHTS
Nothing in this Policy excludes, restricts or waives a mandatory consumer right. If a provision conflicts with applicable law, it applies only to the maximum extent permitted and the remainder of the Policy continues in effect.
23. CONTACT
Refund questions and requests should be submitted through the official WIPPASS support channel available on wippass.africa.