Confidence at Checkout: How OSU and the Civic Center Turned Refunds Into Revenue

Turning refund risk into business results starts with giving fans confidence at checkout.

​As Paciolan’s official ticket insurance partner, Fanshield — Teak’s licensed subsidiary, which delivers our Friendly Insurance product — helps venues simplify refunds, give fans more confidence, and unlock new revenue, all without adding extra strain to box office teams.

Overview

Control and flexibility are no longer “nice-to-have” perks; they’re essential to delivering a great fan experience. Today’s audiences expect the same protection for live events they already rely on for most e-commerce purchases.

​For venues, Fanshield delivers that assurance without adding complexity, helping build trust with fans while keeping operations simple and efficient.

The Challenge

Oklahoma State University (OSU): Spring Weather + Audience Expectations

The Boys from Oklahoma concert took place during a season known for unpredictable spring weather in the region, which can disrupt travel plans and create hesitation at checkout. At the same time, OSU was engaging a new audience segment accustomed to purchase protection and flexible options.

Oklahoma City Civic Center: Ensuring Flexibility for Traveling Patrons

With shows like Wicked drawing audiences from across the region, many patrons made significant investments in their trip, from tickets to travel and accommodations. That commitment made flexibility more important, and ticket protection helped provide reassurance for fans while reducing refund-related strain for staff.

Shared Need: Confidence Without Complexity

Both venues needed a way to reduce hesitation and refund strain while maintaining a simple and fan-friendly ticketing experience.

The Solution: Fan Confidence, Operational Relief, and Business Growth

With Fanshield already in place through the Paciolan ecosystem, OSU and Oklahoma City Civic Center were able to realize the full value of ticket protection. Fanshield improved both the fan journey and venue operations through:

• Confidence at Checkout: Optional coverage presented clearly at checkout, with transparent pricing and a 72-hour free look period.
• Operational Relief: Teak’s Consumer Experience Team handled refunds and inquiries end-to-end, freeing box office staff to focus on other tasks.
• Enhanced Policies: Ticket protection complemented existing refund flexibility, reducing chargebacks and shifting standard refund costs away from the venue.
• Revenue Recovery & Growth: Returned seats were replenished in live inventory for resale, while venues earned a share of policy sales.
• Converted Fence-Sitters: By covering risks such as weather or last-minute disruptions, hesitant buyers became more confident in their purchase.

Results

Oklahoma State University

• 20% of fans opted in for protection – far above the industry standard average.
• Reduced Hesitation: Weather uncertainty no longer blocked sales.
• Incremental Revenue: Policy sales created new revenue.
• Stronger Loyalty: Fans felt supported by a fast, transparent refund process that paid valid requests without hassle.

“Offering ticket insurance gave buyers greater confidence and helped mitigate hesitation, especially given the weather risk,” said Alec Proctor, Assistant AD of Ticketing at OSU. “Because the insurance was handled by a trusted partner, it added value without placing any additional operational strain on our team while creating a new stream of risk-free, incremental revenue.”

Oklahoma City Civic Center

• Higher fan satisfaction and additional revenue from resold seats and shared policy sales.
• Protected Bottom Line: Returned seats were resold instead of being lost.
• Operational Relief: With Teak’s Consumer Experience Team managing refunds quickly and professionally, staff spent less time on refunds and more time serving patrons.
• Converted Fence-Sitters: Traveling Broadway audiences had more confidence to commit, knowing their investment would be covered.

“Adding Fanshield has benefited both our patrons and our venue,” shared Brigitte Bode, Assistant Box Office Manager. “Customers appreciate having added assurance, while we’ve generated incremental revenue from resold seats and a share of protection sales.”

Ready to Simplify Refunds and Strengthen Loyalty?

With Teak, you can build a better customer experience and a better bottom line. Fanshield makes it simple to give buyers confidence at checkout, resolve refund requests quickly, and generate additional revenue for your venue. Click here to learn more.