Checkout and payment protection — frequently asked questions

We recently improved how our checkout process handles payment validation. These changes ensure that customers are never charged without receiving their tickets, and that coupon codes are properly validated before payment is taken.

How Does Checkout Payment Work?

When you click "Place Order," the checkout process works in two stages:

1. Authorization — Your bank places a temporary hold on the order amount. This shows up as a "pending" charge on your statement. No money has actually been transferred yet.
2. Capture — After your order details are verified (address, ticket availability, coupon validity, etc.), the payment is finalized and your tickets are issued.

This two-step process protects you: if anything goes wrong during verification, the hold is released and you are never charged.

Common Questions

I see a pending charge but I didn't get my tickets. Was I charged?

No. A pending charge means your bank placed a temporary hold on the funds, but the payment was not completed. This usually happens when checkout validation found an issue (for example, a coupon code was no longer valid).

The hold will be automatically released and the pending charge will disappear from your statement. This typically takes 1–5 business days, depending on your bank.

You were not charged — no money left your account.

How long does a pending charge take to disappear?

Most banks remove pending charges within 1–5 business days after the hold is released. The exact timing depends on your bank. If the pending charge is still showing after 5 business days, please contact your bank directly — on our end, the hold has already been released.

My coupon code was removed during checkout. Why?

Coupon codes are validated at checkout to ensure they are still valid at the moment of purchase. A coupon may be removed if:

• The coupon has reached its usage limit — For example, a coupon valid for 100 uses has already been used 100 times by other customers.
• You've already used this coupon — If the coupon has a per-person limit and you've reached it.
• The coupon is restricted to specific email addresses — And your checkout email doesn't match.
• The coupon has expired — The coupon's valid date has passed.

If your coupon is removed, you can still complete your purchase at the regular price. The checkout page will update automatically to show the correct total.

I was charged but my coupon wasn't applied. Can I get a refund?

If your coupon was removed because it was no longer valid (see reasons above), the charge at the regular price is correct. The coupon was removed before your card was charged.

If you believe your coupon was valid and was removed in error, please contact our support team with your order number and coupon code and we'll investigate.

I was charged and then received a refund notification. What happened?

In rare cases, a payment may be completed before our system finishes verifying your order. If a problem is found after payment (for example, tickets became unavailable), we automatically issue a full refund. You don't need to do anything — the refund will appear on your statement within 5–10 business days.

I see two charges on my statement. Was I charged twice?

You likely see an authorization hold (pending) and the actual charge. The pending hold will disappear on its own within a few business days. You were only charged once.

If you genuinely see two completed charges for the same order, please contact our support team with your order details and we'll resolve it immediately.

I clicked "Place Order" and got an error. Was my card charged?

If you received an error message during checkout, your card was not charged. Any temporary hold that was placed will be automatically released.

You can safely try again — just verify your details and click "Place Order." A new authorization will be created with the correct amount.

Summary