The short answer
When you move an event, the tickets people hold should still work for the new date. But anyone who cannot make the new date should be able to get their money back in full, even if your policy normally says no refunds. They booked for a particular day, and you changed it.
The same goes for a new start time or a new venue. If it changes what people signed up for, offer a refund.
Why the refund matters
Some people will happily come on the new date. Others have a wedding, a shift or a flight. If they cannot get their money back, they feel stuck with a ticket for something they cannot attend, and they remember it. Offering a refund up front costs you a few tickets and keeps your name good for next time.
Under Australian Consumer Law, a significant change to an event can entitle buyers to a refund anyway. If you are unsure where the line is, your state’s fair trading office can help.
How to tell people
- Change the event first. Update the date on the event page so the link always shows the truth.
- Tell everyone booked. Give the new date, time and place, say their ticket still works, and explain how to get a refund if they cannot come.
- Give a deadline if you need one. “Let us know by Friday” helps you plan, but the refund should still be there for anyone who misses it, up to the event.
- Post the change where you promoted the event, so new buyers see the new date.
Keep the reason brief and honest. “The venue double-booked us” is enough.
Small changes count too
Moving the start from 7pm to 7.30pm seems minor, but it matters to someone with a babysitter booked until 10. Moving across town can matter more than moving a day. Treat any change to when or where as something people need to hear about, and decide whether it is big enough to offer refunds. When in doubt, offer them.
On One Ticket
When you change an event’s date, start time or place after people have booked, One Ticket asks you to confirm before it saves and tells you how many people will be emailed. Everyone booked then gets an email with the new details and what they were, up to three change emails per booking a day, so a quick correction still reaches them.
Everyone who booked before the change can also refund in full from their ticket, booking fee included, until the event starts. That applies whatever your refund policy says.
Tickets and QR codes do not change, so people who are still coming need do nothing. The event page, their ticket page and the reminders the day before and the morning of all show the new details. Moving sessions across a series works the same way.
To tell people anything else, like the reason or where to park, the attendee list and the CSV export from Orders have every buyer’s email.
Related: Telling everyone coming to a networking event about a change, What happens to tickets if I cancel my event? and How refunds work on One Ticket
Answers to your questions
Is One Ticket free to use?
Yes. The Free plan has everything you need to sell tickets, with no monthly cost, no setup fee, no payout fee and no card needed. Pro and Team are open now: upgrade any time in Settings › Plan. Limited-time offer: A$1 for your first year (first 100 organisers), then A$29/month for Pro or A$79/month for Team. Cancel anytime.
Who pays the booking fee?
The buyer, on a paid ticket, on top of the price you set, so you receive 100% of your ticket price. Free tickets carry no fee.
When do I get paid?
Ticket money goes to your own Stripe account, with no payout fee from One Ticket. Until your first paid event has gone cleanly, it is paid out two days after each event; after that, it is paid out as it sells.
Can I run a free event?
Yes. A free ticket costs nobody anything, and you don’t need Stripe connected to run a free event.
Do people need an account to book?
No. They book on their phone or computer without an account, and their tickets arrive by email with a QR code to show at the door.