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Everything you need to know about setting up events, managing payments, and using TixFlow.

Refunds, Disputes, and Cancellation Rules

How to refund a ticket in Stripe, when the portal refunds every buyer at once, and how to handle chargebacks.

The most important thing to remember: Tixflow does not hold your money. All funds are in your Stripe account, and only you have access to them.

There is exactly one refund the portal can perform for you: cancelling an event with Cancel & Refund refunds every paid order at once (see below). Refunding a single order is always done in Stripe.

How to issue a Refund

Individual refunds are processed through your Stripe dashboard:

  • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.
  • Go to the Payments section.
  • Find the transaction (by customer email or Order ID).
  • Click the three dots -> Refund payment -> enter the amount and select a reason from the dropdown list.

Key things to know

  • Timeline: The money will return to the customer’s account within 5–10 business days.
  • Source of funds: Stripe takes the refund amount from your Available balance. If the balance is zero, Stripe will charge your linked card or bank account to fulfill the obligation to the customer.

What about commissions?
The organizer can decide how much to refund to the customer — it all depends on your refund policy. You may refund only the ticket price without returning the Stripe and Tixflow service fees.

Disputes (Chargebacks): When the bank takes money forcibly

A dispute is not a regular refund; it is a claim filed by the buyer directly with their bank. Usually, it is filed under the pretext of "I didn't buy this" or "Service not provided."

How it works

  • Immediate deduction: As soon as the bank opens a dispute, Stripe blocks the ticket amount on your account. You cannot influence this at that moment.
  • Dispute Fee: Stripe charges a penalty for the process itself (usually $15–20).
  • Negative Balance: If your Stripe account is empty, your balance will become negative. New sales will go toward covering this debt.

Can it be contested?
Yes. In the Stripe interface, you can provide evidence: screenshots from Tixflow, proof that the ticket was scanned at the entrance, or your refund policy.

  • If you win: The ticket amount is returned to you.
  • If you lose: The money remains with the customer, and the dispute fee ($15–20) is non-refundable in any case.

How to avoid getting "banned"
Payment systems may block accounts if the dispute rate exceeds 1%.

Pro Tip: If a customer is unhappy, it is better to issue a manual Refund. It is cheaper than paying a dispute fee and protects your account reputation.

Contact: Ensure you have a valid support email in Stripe so customers can reach you directly before going to their bank.

Your Refund Policy

You decide the terms under which you sell tickets.

Define the rules
In the Tixflow event description, clearly state whether a refund is possible and the deadline (e.g., "up to 48 hours before the event").

Protection: Having clear rules is your strongest argument if a dispute arises with a bank.

Summary

Tixflow provides the technology for sales and entry control. Financial matters — individual refunds, statements, and disputes — are managed through the Stripe dashboard. The one exception is cancelling an event, where the portal can refund all buyers for you.

FAQ

Can I refund a single ticket from the Tixflow portal?
No. There is no per-order refund button in the portal — open your Stripe Dashboard and refund that payment manually. The portal only refunds in bulk, when you cancel the whole event with Cancel & Refund.

Who pays the commission during a refund?
When you issue a refund, you choose how much to return to the customer based on your policy.

What if a customer claims they didn't receive the money?
The standard time for a refund is 5–10 business days. If this time has passed, ask the customer to contact their bank. You can also provide them with the ARN (Acquirer Reference Number) — a unique transaction ID that appears in the Stripe payment details after the refund is processed. Banks use this number to track the funds.

Why is my Stripe balance negative?
This happens in two cases:

  • You issued a refund when the account balance was zero.
  • The customer's bank opened a dispute (chargeback) and Stripe blocked the amount forcibly. Don't worry: as soon as new sales come in, they will cover the negative balance.

How do I win a dispute?
The main argument is proof that the service was provided. Upload a screenshot of the Tixflow order and, if the event has passed, proof that the ticket was successfully scanned. Having your refund policy on the event page also increases your chances.

I cancelled the event. How do I refund everyone at once?
Use Cancel & Refund in the Tixflow portal. It stops sales and refunds every paid order in full — buyers get their whole payment back. Note that the Tixflow platform fee is not returned to you; that part stays with the platform. Make sure your Stripe balance or bank account can cover the total, because Stripe may pull the whole amount at once. If some refunds fail, the portal reports how many — run Cancel & Refund again to retry just those orders.

The alternative is Cancel & Keep: sales stop, the money stays with you, and any refunds are yours to process manually in Stripe.