Having to get a refund from a company can be a frustrating experience. You bought tickets with a certain credit or debit card, and now you need that money back for whatever reason. But what if that card you used has since expired? Will Ticketmaster still process the refund?
The Short Answer
The short answer is yes, Ticketmaster will still refund an expired card, as long as the card details are still on file. The funds may take 1-2 billing cycles to show up depending on your bank’s policies, but Ticketmaster will initiate the refund regardless of whether the card is expired or not.
Getting a Refund from Ticketmaster
Getting a refund from Ticketmaster, or any other major ticket retailer, usually requires jumping through a few hoops. Here is the standard process:
- Request a refund at Ticketmaster.com through your account. You’ll need the order number and other details.
- Ticketmaster will review the request and approve or deny it based on their policies.
- If approved, Ticketmaster will process the refund back to the original card on file.
- The funds will be returned to your account once processed by your bank.
The most important part is that Ticketmaster will process the refund back to the original card used for purchase. This remains true even if that card is now expired, lost, stolen, or otherwise invalid.
Why an Expired Card Still Works
When you make a credit or debit card purchase from a merchant, such as Ticketmaster, they are only authorized to make charges and refunds to the specific card used. This authorization does not expire when your card does.
Your card details (number, expiration date, security code) are securely stored by Ticketmaster. Even if you were to get a new card with a new expiration date, Ticketmaster still has the old card details on file.
As such, when you request a refund, Ticketmaster refunds the old card, regardless of its validity. The payment networks and your bank handle the rest.
The Payment Network’s Role
There are two major payment networks – Visa and Mastercard. They enable card transactions between consumers, merchants, and issuing banks.
When Ticketmaster initiates a refund, the payment networks match the old card details to your account. They essentially say, “This purchase was originally made on this customer’s account, so we’ll credit the refund back to it.”
The payment network forwards the refund to your issuing bank for processing.
Your Bank’s Policies
Once the refund reaches your bank from the payment network, their policies take over.
Most banks will accept refunds to expired cards, as long as the card is still on file with them and matches your account. The actual time it takes for funds to show up depends on each bank’s procedures.
For debit cards, expect the refund to show up in 1-5 business days, if not sooner. Credit cards may take up to 1-2 billing cycles.
Contact your bank if you don’t see the refund within the expected time period. They should be able to look into the status.
Steps to Take
While Ticketmaster and your bank should process an expired card refund automatically, there are a few proactive steps you can take:
- Make sure Ticketmaster has your latest contact information – email, phone, and address.
- Keep track of the refund request details – date submitted, order number, expected amount, etc.
- Follow up if the refund doesn’t appear after the estimated time period.
- Inform your bank of the expected refund if it has been longer than 1-2 billing cycles.
- Double check your new card account for any refund credits.
Special Cases
While Ticketmaster is able to refund most expired cards, there are some exceptions to be aware of:
Expired Card is Completely Closed
If your expired card has been fully closed by you or your bank, Ticketmaster may not have an account on file to refund. Purchases made with pre-paid gift cards also present an issue if there’s no linked account.
In these cases, you will likely have to provide an alternative account, such as a new card or bank account, to receive the refund.
Refund Amount Exceeds Original Purchase
Ticketmaster will only refund the exact purchase amount to the expired card. If you return tickets that were more expensive than what you paid, they may again request alternative account details to refund the difference.
Tickets Were Transferred
If you transferred your ticket purchase to another customer, the refund will need to go back to the transferee’s account, not yours. Ticket transfers can complicate expired card refunds.
Work with Ticketmaster to ensure the refund is properly returned to the transferee when relevant.
Checking Refund Status
Wondering when that Ticketmaster refund might show up? Here are ways to check the status:
Check Your Ticketmaster Account
Log in to the Ticketmaster account you requested the refund from. Go to your Purchase History – there should be details on the refund status there:
- Submitted
- Approved
- Denied
- Refunded
This will give you an idea of where Ticketmaster is at with the process.
Contact Ticketmaster
You can call Ticketmaster Customer Service or contact them through their website. Have your order details ready and inquire about the refund status.
A representative should be able to confirm whether it has been approved and sent to your bank for processing.
Check Your Bank Account
Log in to the bank account linked to the card you used for purchase. See if the refund transaction has posted yet.
For credit cards, you may have to wait 1-2 billing cycles as mentioned. For debit cards, the refund should show up within 1-5 business days.
If it’s been longer than expected, call your bank’s customer service line to investigate.
Reasons for Refund Delays
While Ticketmaster refunds expired cards promptly in most cases, there are a few reasons it could be delayed:
- High volume of refund requests
- Issues verifying the purchase details
- Problems with the payment network or your bank
- Tickets were transferred and they must determine correct recipient
- You requested refund by mail instead of online
Delays are usually procedural and resolved within days or weeks at most. Follow up with their customer service if it has been over 3 weeks with no refund.
Preventing Refund Issues
To avoid problems getting expired card refunds from Ticketmaster in the future:
- Save purchase confirmation emails with order details.
- Take screenshots of your Ticketmaster purchase history.
- Use online refund request forms when possible.
- Notify your bank of expected refunds.
- Keep old card details on file until the refund clears.
- Link credit cards to your Ticketmaster account.
This provides redundancy if there are any issues refunding a specific expired card. Having documentation and using online refund methods also speeds up the process.
Can I Get a Refund on Other Expired Cards?
Luckily, getting a refund on an expired card purchased is not unique to Ticketmaster. Here are some other major merchants that will process expired card refunds:
- Airlines – Delta, American, United, etc.
- Hotels – Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, etc.
- Cruise Lines – Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, etc.
- Rental Cars – Hertz, Enterprise, Budget, etc.
- Eventbrite
- StubHub
- VividSeats
- SeatGeek
- Theater Box Offices
- Live Nation
- AXS
The same general process applies. Request refund from merchant, they process to expired card, bank credits account accordingly. Refund time varies.
Summary
To conclude, getting a Ticketmaster refund on an expired credit or debit card is usually a straightforward process:
- Request refund at Ticketmaster.com with order details.
- Ticketmaster approves and processes refund to your expired card info on file.
- The payment network forwards refund to your bank.
- Your bank credits the funds back to your account.
As long as Ticketmaster still has your expired card number, the refund should go through without issue in 1-5 business days for debit cards or 1-2 billing cycles for credit cards in most cases.
Notify Ticketmaster and your bank if the refund is delayed. Take proactive steps like documenting purchase details and saving confirmation emails to prevent problems. Issues with completely closed accounts may require providing new payment details instead.
Understanding that Ticketmaster and most major merchants can refund expired cards can give you peace of mind when requesting those refunds.