Salato
Refund & Cancellation Policy
This policy explains when and how you can get a refund for tickets bought on Salato, and what happens if an event is cancelled, postponed, or changed. Salato is the platform that organisers use to sell tickets; the event itself belongs to the organiser. That means the organiser sets the refund terms for their event, within the limits set out here, and those terms are shown to you before you pay.
How payments and refunds flow
When you buy a ticket, your payment is processed by our payment partner and settles to the organiser's own account, minus Salato's platform commission. Salato does not hold your money and does not operate a wallet or balance. Approved refunds are returned through the same payment partner to the original payment method you used — the same M-Pesa number or card. We cannot refund to a different account, in cash, or by any other route.
Refunds set by the organiser
Each event carries the refund terms its organiser has chosen. Before you check out, you'll see whether that event's tickets are refundable and up to what point. Common options an organiser may set include:
- Non-refundable — all sales final once purchased.
- Refundable up to a deadline — for example, up to 48 hours before the event start time.
- Fully refundable — cancel any time before the event.
If a request falls within the organiser's stated terms, we'll process the refund. If it falls outside them, the organiser decides whether to approve it. Whatever an organiser sets, it cannot override the guarantees in the next section.
If an event is cancelled
If an organiser cancels an event, every ticket holder is entitled to a full refund of the ticket price, regardless of the event's normal refund terms. Salato notifies all affected ticket holders by email and WhatsApp, and refunds are processed to the original payment method. This is the one case where the organiser's own terms do not apply — a cancelled event is always refundable.
If an event is postponed or moved
If an organiser changes the date, time, or venue of an event, your existing ticket normally stays valid for the new details, and we'll let you know what has changed. If the new date, time, or venue doesn't work for you, you may request a full refund of the ticket price. Contact us at [email protected] with your order details and we'll arrange it.
If the event is materially different
If an event turns out to be materially different from how it was advertised — for example, the headline act or main feature that was promised does not appear — you may be entitled to a refund even where tickets were sold as non-refundable. Raise it with us and we'll review the case with the organiser.
Fees and partial refunds
Where a refund is due, we refund the ticket price you paid. Any payment processing fees charged by the payment partner may be non-refundable, and this will be made clear at checkout where it applies. Salato's platform commission is refunded as part of a full refund for a cancelled event.
How to request a refund
To ask for a refund:
- Email [email protected] from the address you used to buy the ticket.
- Include your order number, the event name, and the reason for the request.
- We'll acknowledge your request and, where it needs the organiser's decision, pass it to them.
We aim to acknowledge requests within a few business days. Once a refund is approved, the time it takes to reach your account depends on the payment partner and your bank or mobile money provider — usually a few business days.
Missed events and used tickets
Tickets are not refundable if you simply do not attend, or if you arrive after the event has ended. A ticket whose QR code has already been scanned for entry counts as used and cannot be refunded.
Disputes between buyers and organisers
If you and an organiser disagree about a refund, contact us and we'll help mediate. Where an event has clearly not been delivered as advertised, Salato may step in, and can suspend an organiser from selling further tickets. If you raise a chargeback with your bank, the payment partner's dispute process applies, and we will provide the order, delivery, and entry records as evidence.
For organisers
As an organiser, you're responsible for setting fair refund terms, honouring them, and refunding in full when you cancel an event. Because refunds come out of funds settled to your account, keep enough balance available to cover refunds you may owe. Repeatedly failing to honour refunds or cancellations may lead to suspension under our Acceptable Use Policy.