Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How Secure My Refund Works and How to Add It at Checkout

Protect your ticket purchase against unforeseen circumstances — what's covered, how the fee works, and how to add protection at checkout.

What is Secure My Refund?

Secure My Refund (SMR) is an optional ticket protection service you can add during checkout. If something unexpected prevents you from attending an event — such as illness, injury, or another covered circumstance — you can submit a refund request under the SMR policy.

Important: Secure My Refund is a protection service, not an unconditional refund guarantee. Each request is assessed against the SMR terms and conditions, and supporting documentation is required to validate the reason for non-attendance. This applies consistently to every application.

Protection starts as soon as your payment is confirmed — from that moment until the event, your ticket costs are protected.

 

What's Covered

SMR covers unforeseen circumstances beyond your control, including:

  • Sudden illness or injury (you or an immediate family member)
  • Pre-existing medical condition that changes unexpectedly
  • Bereavement (death of an immediate family member)
  • Accident or emergency
  • Jury service or court summons
  • Mechanical breakdown of the vehicle taking you to the event
  • Adverse weather (with government agency travel warnings)
  • Scheduled airline failure or significant flight disruption
  • Public transport termination
  • Home emergency
  • Government travel ban
  • Relocation for work (more than 3 months)
  • Theft of tickets (confirmed by police report)
  • Changes to examination dates
  • Armed forces or emergency services recall
  • Other emergency circumstances (at Sticky Tickets' discretion)

For the full list of eligible and ineligible reasons, see the Secure My Refund terms and conditions.

What's not covered?

  • Change of mind — SMR does not cover a decision not to attend.
  • Foreseeable circumstances — situations known or predictable at the time of purchase.
  • Communicable diseases — including COVID-19, lockdowns, and related government restrictions.
  • Free tickets and donations — always excluded, even if the rest of the order is protected.
  • Events more than 12 months after purchase — orders outside this window are not eligible.

What does it cost?

The SMR fee is 8% of your total ticket price, including the booking fee. It appears as a separate line item on your receipt and bank statement under Sticky Tickets Australia Pty Ltd.

Maximum refund limit: $1,000 per order. If your tickets cost more than $1,000, only $1,000 will be refunded.

How to add Secure my Refund at checkout

Step 1 — Select your tickets

Go to the event page and select the tickets you want to purchase. Complete the purchaser form and any required ticket holder details, then click Continue to proceed to the payment page.

Step 2 — Choose whether to add protection

On the payment page, the Secure My Refund section will appear — if the organiser has enabled it for their event.

secure-my-refund-prompt

  • Select Yes (Recommended) to add protection. The SMR fee is added to your total, and protection begins as soon as your payment is confirmed.
  • Select No to skip. No fee is charged, and your order is not protected.

Secure My Refund is not showing? The feature may not be available for all events — it depends on the organiser's settings. If you don't see it at checkout, it is not available for this purchase.

Buying tickets for multiple events in one cart? A checkbox list will appear showing each event and its organiser's refund conditions — select the events you want to include in your Secure My Refund coverage.

Adding secure my refund on events while cart is enabled

 

Step 3 — Accept terms and conditions and confirm payment

Accept the Terms and Conditions, then click Confirm Payment. Your receipt will include the Secure My Refund fee as a separate line item.

Important rules and limits

Rule Detail
Must be added at checkout Cannot be added after your purchase is complete
Cannot be cancelled or removed Once added and paid, the SMR fee is non-refundable — even if your circumstances change
Protection starts immediately Coverage begins as soon as payment is confirmed
Whole order is protected You cannot protect only some tickets. Free tickets and donations are always excluded
Maximum refund $1,000 per order
12-month limit Your event must take place within 12 months of your purchase date
Ticket transfers Protection continues for up to 90 days from the original event date, up to the original ticket value

What if the organiser cancels the event?

If the organiser cancels or reschedules the event, your refund comes from the organiser — not through Secure My Refund. The SMR fee is non-refundable in this case, as the protection service was active from the moment you purchased your tickets through to the cancellation.

See: Ticket refunds and cancellations

What if the event has a No Refund policy?

Secure My Refund operates independently of the event organiser's refund policy. If your request is approved under the SMR terms and conditions, you will receive a refund of your ticket costs — even if the organiser's policy says No Refund.

How to submit a request

If you need to submit a refund request through Secure My Refund, see:  How to submit a Secure My Refund request.

Australian Consumer Law: Under the Australian Consumer Law, ticket buyers may have a right to a refund if an event fails to meet consumer guarantees. These rights apply regardless of the organiser's stated refund conditions and cannot be excluded or waived.

Most common scenarios and questions

Can I add Secure My Refund after I've already purchased my tickets?

  • No. Secure My Refund can only be added during checkout. Once your purchase is complete, it cannot be added to that order.

Can I cancel or remove Secure My Refund after purchasing?

  • Once added and paid, the SMR fee cannot be cancelled or refunded — even if your circumstances change. This is because protection starts immediately from the moment payment is confirmed.

Does Secure My Refund cover all tickets in my order?

  • Yes — when you add Secure My Refund, your entire order is protected. Free tickets and donations are always excluded.

Does Secure My Refund cover COVID-19 or other communicable diseases?

  • No. Communicable diseases — including COVID-19, lockdowns, and related government restrictions — are not covered by Secure My Refund.

What happens to my Secure My Refund if the organiser cancels the event?

  • If the organiser cancels or reschedules the event, your refund comes from the organiser — not through Secure My Refund. The Secure My Refund fee is non-refundable in this case. See: Ticket refunds and cancellations.

Is Secure My Refund available for every event?

  • No — it depends on the organiser's settings. If you don't see the Secure My Refund section at checkout, it is not available for that event.

Do I need to provide documents to make a claim?

  • Yes. Every SMR request requires supporting documentation to confirm the reason for non-attendance. This is a standard requirement applied to every application — not unique to any individual situation. See: How to apply for a refund through Secure My Refund

I paid for SMR but my refund was declined.

  • Why? SMR is a protection service, not an unconditional refund. Requests are assessed against the SMR policy terms and conditions. If the reason for non-attendance does not fall within the covered circumstances, or if sufficient documentation cannot be provided, the request may not be approved. If you believe the decision was incorrect, you can request a review through our disputes process.

Need more help?

If you have questions about Secure My Refund, contact our support team.