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Eventbrite

San Francisco ticketing platform, a Bending Spoons subsidiary since March 2026; organizers set refund policies and paid tickets carry per-ticket fees.

Our take: The platform's identity is easy to check: Eventbrite has public refund rules, a fee schedule, a fraud policy and an SEC-filed ownership change.

Best forSelf-serve event ticketing

ReviewedNov 2026Freemium

7.35 criteria · see breakdown

Try EventbriteFree events; US paid tickets 3.7% + $1.79 + 2.9% processing

Eventbrite is a ticketing platform where independent organizers list events and set their own refund policies, so whether a purchase is legitimate depends on the event as well as the platform. Eventbrite, Inc. is based in San Francisco and, according to its SEC filing, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bending Spoons on 10 March 2026 and left the New York Stock Exchange. This page reports what Eventbrite's own pages and filings say and what a buyer can check, and it gives no verdict on any event or organizer.

The bottom line

A well-documented ticketing platform whose fees are visible and whose refunds depend mostly on each organizer; the points to check are the organizer, the refund policy and the sender of any email.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA self-service ticketing marketplace run by Eventbrite, Inc. of San Francisco, a Bending Spoons subsidiary since March 2026, where organizers set their own refund policies.

Our takeThe platform's identity is easy to check: Eventbrite has public refund rules, a fee schedule, a fraud policy and an SEC-filed ownership change.

Whether a particular event is genuine is a separate question, because anyone can list one and the organizer sets the refund policy. Buy through eventbrite.com or the app, read the refund policy on the event page, and check the sender of any email before you click.

Why we rate itEventbrite's own pages state the operator, refund rules, fees, fraud policy and security certifications, and its SEC filing documents the March 2026 ownership change.

The catchAnyone can list an event, refunds depend mostly on the organizer, and buyers pay the ticketing fees by default in the United States.

Best / not good for

Best for

Organizers of public events who want a ticket page and marketplace reach
Free events and registrations that need no ticketing fee
Organizers who want a check-in app and attendee reminders

Not good for

Organizers who want a flat monthly price with no per-ticket fees
Attendees who want Eventbrite itself to guarantee a refund for any event, since its organizer requirements say it has no obligation to issue refunds

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Self-serve: an organizer can create a free event without sales contact, according to Eventbrite's pricing page.
Scale breakpoint
Per-ticket fees scale with sales; Eventbrite lists tailored packages through sales partnerships for large or complex events.
Walled garden
Fees are deducted from sales at payout, and the refund rules require organizers to answer refund requests within five business days.

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What you can check about Eventbrite

Question	What is documented	Source and date
Who runs it?	Eventbrite, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at 95 Third Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, California 94103. The Terms name local affiliates as the contracting entity for users in Argentina and Brazil.	Terms of Service (last updated 20 August 2025) and the SEC EDGAR company record, checked 2 November 2026
Who owns it?	A wholly owned subsidiary of Bending Spoons S.p.A. since the merger closed on 10 March 2026. Eventbrite asked the New York Stock Exchange to suspend trading and delist its Class A shares, and filed Form 15 on 20 March 2026 to end its SEC registration.	Eventbrite's Form 8-K of 10 March 2026 and the EDGAR filing list, checked 2 November 2026
What is it?	A global self-service ticketing platform that lets anyone create, share, find and attend events. Its About page gives 2024 figures of 4.7 million events in nearly 180 countries and 83 million paid tickets.	Eventbrite About page, checked 2 November 2026
Who handles refunds?	The organizer sets the policy and issues refunds. The attendee help article says Eventbrite can refund only events cancelled within the last 45 days or postponed more than 90 days with no new date, for payments made through Eventbrite Payment Processing; the organizer requirements add that Eventbrite may, but is not obliged to, make refunds on an organizer's behalf in other listed cases.	Help center article 'Request a refund' and Organizer Refund Policy Requirements, checked 2 November 2026
What must organizers offer?	A refund policy posted on the event page, a first response within five business days, and refunds for cancelled events and for events not rescheduled within 90 days of a postponement	Organizer Refund Policy Requirements (last updated 11 January 2024)
How does the charge appear on a statement?	EVENTBRITE, or EB * followed by the first 15 characters of the event title and SAN FRANCISCO CA. San Francisco appears for every event because Eventbrite is headquartered there.	Help center article 'What is this charge from Eventbrite?', checked 2 November 2026
What does it prohibit?	Selling tickets to fake events and phishing for personal or financial information are listed under Fraud. Event pages carry a Report This Event link.	Community Guidelines, checked 2 November 2026
What security claims does it make?	PCI-DSS 4.0.1 Level 1 as a merchant and service provider, audits by a Qualified Security Assessor (Coalfire, Inc.), SOC reports, and no sale of customers' personal information to third parties. These are Eventbrite's own statements.	Eventbrite security page, checked 2 November 2026
How are disputes handled?	The Terms of Service contain a binding arbitration and class action waiver clause (Section 9) with an opt-out by written notice within 30 days of first use or agreement (Section 9.12).	Terms of Service (last updated 20 August 2025)

The ownership facts come from Eventbrite's SEC filing; the rest are Eventbrite's own statements. None of this rates any event, organizer or email that uses Eventbrite's name.

Eventbrite ticketing fees by payout country

Payout country	Service fee per sold ticket	Payment processing fee
United States	3.7% + $1.79	2.9% of the total order
Canada	3.5% + C$1.29	2.9% of the total order
United Kingdom	6.95% + £0.59	Not applicable
Australia	5.35% + A$1.19	Not applicable

From Eventbrite's Ticketing Fees help article and pricing page, checked 2 November 2026. These are standard fees for paid tickets; free tickets carry no ticketing fees. Buyers pay the fees by default and organizers can choose to absorb them. Rates vary by country and currency, and the help article lists more countries.

Platform versus event: what to check

Two questions sit under 'is Eventbrite legit'. The first is about the company, and the table above answers it from Eventbrite's own pages and its SEC filing. The second is about a particular event, organizer or email, which Eventbrite's pages say it cannot vouch for in advance: organizers create and manage their own events, set their own refund policies and are responsible for issuing refunds, and Eventbrite's Community Guidelines prohibit fake events and phishing and ask users to report them.

Eventbrite's own guidance suggests a few checks. Buy through eventbrite.com or the app, because its ticket-scam guide says most scams happen when tickets are sold outside the official event page or platform. Read the refund policy on the event page before you pay. Pay by credit card, which the guide recommends. Check that an email comes from the eventbrite.com domain, and do not follow links in emails you did not expect; Eventbrite says it never asks for login credentials by email. Online comments about fake listings, phishing emails and slow refunds exist, and Conversion Gems has not verified them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eventbrite legit?Who owns Eventbrite?Is it safe to buy tickets on Eventbrite, and how do I know they are real?Who pays for refunds, and when does Eventbrite step in?What fees does Eventbrite charge?Where do I log in to Eventbrite?

Is Eventbrite legit?

Eventbrite is a documented company with published rules, and those rules say anyone can list an event, so each event and organizer still needs its own check. Eventbrite, Inc. is a Delaware corporation based in San Francisco that reported to the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a listed company until March 2026. Its Terms of Service (last updated 20 August 2025), refund requirements, Community Guidelines and security page are public, and the Community Guidelines prohibit selling tickets to fake events and phishing. Eventbrite's own ticket-scam guide and account-security page warn about fake sellers and phishing emails that imitate it, and the sections below give Eventbrite's own answers (checked 2 November 2026).

Who owns Eventbrite?

Eventbrite, Inc. has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Bending Spoons S.p.A. since 10 March 2026, according to Eventbrite's own SEC filing. The Form 8-K filed that day says the merger with Bending Spoons US Inc. was completed on 10 March 2026 and that Eventbrite asked the New York Stock Exchange to suspend trading and withdraw its Class A shares from listing. Eventbrite filed Form 15 on 20 March 2026 to end its SEC registration, so descriptions of it as publicly traded are out of date (checked 2 November 2026).

Is it safe to buy tickets on Eventbrite, and how do I know they are real?

Conversion Gems cannot rate any purchase as safe, so this answer lists what Eventbrite documents and what you can check yourself. Eventbrite's security page says it complies with PCI-DSS 4.0.1 Level 1 as a merchant and service provider, is audited by a Qualified Security Assessor (Coalfire, Inc.) and does not sell customers' personal information to third parties; those are Eventbrite's own statements. An order bought on eventbrite.com or in the app can be found under Tickets after you log in, and the charge on your statement may read EB * followed by the first 15 characters of the event title and SAN FRANCISCO CA. Eventbrite's ticket-scam guide (dated 22 March 2024) says most scams happen when tickets are sold outside the official event page or platform, and it lists deeply discounted tickets as a red flag. If a listing looks fake, use the Report This Event link in the event's footer.

Who pays for refunds, and when does Eventbrite step in?

The event organizer decides in most cases: Eventbrite's help center says third-party organizers create and manage events, set their own refund policies and issue refunds. If the organizer allows refund requests, you ask from your account under Tickets, and the organizer should respond within five business days. Eventbrite says it can refund only when an event was cancelled within the last 45 days or postponed more than 90 days with no new date, when the payment went through Eventbrite Payment Processing, and when you contact it within 45 days or until the event is rescheduled; it says it cannot issue refunds outside those cases. Its organizer requirements (last updated 11 January 2024) require a refund policy on every paid event page and a first response within five business days, say organizers must also refund when the main advertised experience is not delivered, and say Eventbrite may, but is not obliged to, make refunds on an organizer's behalf if they do not (checked 2 November 2026).

What fees does Eventbrite charge?

Free tickets carry no ticketing fees; on paid tickets Eventbrite charges a service fee and a payment processing fee, which buyers pay by default. For organizers paid out in the United States, Eventbrite's pricing page and help article list a service fee of 3.7% + $1.79 per sold ticket and a payment processing fee of 2.9% of the total order. The help article says organizers can absorb the fees instead and that rates vary by country and currency, and that buyers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand see all-inclusive prices with a breakdown of the ticket price, ticketing fee and taxes (checked 2 November 2026).

Where do I log in to Eventbrite?

Log in on Eventbrite's own sign-in page, https://www.eventbrite.com/signin/. Conversion Gems is a review site and cannot sign anyone in, and the Eventbrite home page has a Find my tickets link for buyers who cannot find an order. Type the address yourself rather than following a link in an email: Eventbrite's account-security guidance says it never asks for login credentials by email and tells readers to check that a sender address comes from the eventbrite.com domain.