Flow: Customer Support Ticket Refund

Actor

Customer support agent processing refund request

Preconditions

• Customer submitted refund request (via email, phone, or in-app contact)
• Order exists and payment was completed
• Match hasn't started yet
• Tickets have not been previously refunded
• Refund requester must be the ticket owner (person who paid for the tickets) - ticket holders or transferees cannot request refunds, only the original purchaser

Flow Steps

1. Request Receipt

   • Customer contacts support requesting refund
   • Provides order number
   • Provides reason (if within 48 hours of match)
   • Agent logs the request in support system

2. Timing Check

   • System calculates hours until match start
   • Determines if request is:
   • More than 48 hours before match: Standard refund (no reason required)
   • Within 48 hours of match: Requires documented reason and may require supervisor approval

3. Order Verification

   • Support agent logs into admin portal
   • Searches for order by order number
   • Verifies requester is the ticket owner (original purchaser) - refunds cannot be requested by ticket holders or transferees
   • Verifies customer identity (name, email, OIB if applicable)
   • Confirms payment status (COMPLETED)
   • Checks ticket status (not used, not transferred, not cancelled)

4. Refund Eligibility Check

   • System validates:
   • Tickets are refundable (not marked as non-refundable)
   • No policy violations on the order
   • Customer not blacklisted
   • Original payment method available for refund

5. Process Based on Timing

5A: More than 48 Hours Before Match

- Agent proceeds with refund immediately
- No reason documentation required
- Standard processing workflow

5B: Within 48 Hours of Match

- Agent documents refund reason in detail
- Evaluates reason against policy:
- Valid reasons: medical emergency, travel disruption, family emergency
- Invalid reasons: changed mind, better plans
- May require supervisor approval based on reason and value
- If approved: proceed to step 6
- If denied: inform customer and log decision

1. Calculate Refund Amount

   • System calculates refund based on policy:
     • Full ticket price (VAT inclusive)
     • Ticket fee is NOT refunded - this is a non-refundable service fee
     • Invoice displays breakdown:
       • Ticket price refund: [amount]
       • Ticket fee (non-refundable): [amount]
       • Total refund: [ticket price only]
   • Processing fees may apply for within-48h refunds
   • Agent reviews and confirms amount

2. Process Refund

   • Agent initiates refund in system
   • System processes refund through original payment method:
   • Payment gateway refund for card payments
   • Void transaction for deferred/invoice payments
   • Refund typically processes in 5-10 business days

3. Cancel Tickets

   • System marks all tickets in order as CANCELLED
   • QR codes invalidated immediately
   • Tickets removed from customer's mobile app
   • Seat inventory handling based on ticket source:
     • Regular purchase: Seats return to available inventory for public sale
     • Subquota ticket: Seat does NOT return to subquota owner's available balance (see note below)

Important - Subquota Refund Behavior:

When a ticket claimed via subquota is refunded: - Refund is processed to the person who paid - The ticket is marked as CANCELLED - The subquota owner does NOT get the ticket back - The seat behaves as if it was used (not available for re-claiming) - Subquota owner can only see that the ticket was cancelled - This prevents re-distribution of refunded tickets and maintains allocation integrity - If the seat needs to be reassigned, admin must manually create a new allocation

1. Customer Notification

   • Email sent to ticket owner (purchaser) confirming:
     • Refund amount
     • Expected refund timeline
     • Reason for refund (if documented)
     • Cancelled ticket details
   • If ticket holder email differs from owner: Separate notification sent to ticket holder informing them:
     • Their ticket has been cancelled by the ticket owner
     • Refund was processed to the original purchaser
     • Match details for reference

2. Documentation

   • Agent adds detailed notes to order:
   • Refund reason (if within 48h)
   • Decision rationale
   • Supervisor approval (if required)
   • Timestamp and agent ID
   • Audit trail automatically logged
   • Refund recorded in financial system

Alternative Flows

A1: Within 48 Hours - Insufficient Reason

• If refund requested within 48 hours with insufficient reason
• Agent explains refund policy to customer
• Documents reason provided
• Escalates to supervisor if customer insists
• Supervisor makes final decision
• If denied:
• Agent explains decision to customer
• Documents denial reason
• No refund processed
• Tickets remain valid

A2: Supervisor Approval Required

• For within-48h refunds or high-value orders
• Agent submits request to supervisor with:
• Customer details
• Refund reason
• Order value
• Any supporting documentation
• Supervisor reviews and decides within 2 hours
• Decision logged and communicated to agent
• Agent proceeds based on supervisor decision

A3: Partial Refund Request

• If customer wants to refund only some tickets from order
• Agent confirms which tickets to refund
• System recalculates refund amount for selected tickets
• Remaining tickets stay valid with same order number
• Partial refund processed
• Customer notified of updated order

A4: Payment Method No Longer Valid

• If original payment card expired or closed
• Agent contacts customer for alternative refund method
• Options:
• Bank transfer (requires account details)
• Store credit in HNS Digital Wallet for future purchase
• Customer chooses method
• Refund processed accordingly with extended timeline

A6: Customer Blacklisted After Purchase

• If customer was blacklisted after ticket purchase
• Refund may be denied based on blacklist reason
• Security team consulted
• Decision documented
• Customer notified per security policy

Success Criteria

• Customer receives confirmation immediately
• Tickets invalidated in real-time
• All decisions documented in audit trail

Technical Notes

• Refund is atomic operation (all steps complete or none)
• QR codes invalidated immediately upon refund processing
• Real-time inventory update when seats returned
• Payment gateway webhook confirms refund completion
• Financial system automatically reconciles refunds

Policy Summary

Timing	Reason Required	Approval	Processing
48+ hours before match	No	Agent only	Standard
Within 48 hours	Yes	May require supervisor	Case-by-case
After gate entry	N/A	Not allowed	Blocked

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Last Updated: January 2026