Chicago Cubs Offer Season Ticket Holders Refund or 5% ‘Bonus’ Toward 2021 Tickets

Chicago Cubs season ticket holders paid thousands of dollars for their 2020 seats back in January, but the world has changed dramatically since then and the prospect of playing baseball in Chicago is still a pipe dream at this point. Even if they’re able to host games in home ballparks, it’ll be months before fans can be in attendance.

We’ve gotten several reports about how MLB would like to get the baseball season started, whether it’s using one or more neutral-site hubs or the latest hybrid that would see three geographically-based 10-team divisions. No matter how it eventually plays out, there’s no plan that will come close to a normal season in which fans will be allowed to pack stadiums. Those same fans have been wondering when, if ever, they were going to get refunds for the games that have already been postponed, not to mention the remainder of the season.

A day after MLB allowed teams to amend their ticket rules to allow for refunds, the Cubs sent an email to their season ticket holders offering two options. At this point, the proposed solutions address only those home games scheduled in March, April, and May — 30 of the 81 scheduled at Wrigley Field this season.

The first option is to let the Cubs keep money that was already paid, on which the organization will give a 5% bonus toward next season’s tickets. It’s a relatively generous offer, though handing the Cubs an interest-free loan that might not even cover the potential increase in tickets for 2021 isn’t going to sit well with everyone. A source told Jesse Rogers of ESPN that non-suite prices will not be increased next season, but there’s been no formal announcement as of post time.

The second option, of course, is a full refund of those 30 games. Season ticket holders who choose that route should their refunds processed over the next two weeks, sort of like stimulus checks with less hassle.

If you’re a silver lining type of person, maybe you can see this as offering hope that the Cubs could still play games at Wrigley. Then again, the fans can’t all be there for those, so it’s really a moot point. Guess we’ll have to ask the CDC to be sure. Below is the full email sent by the Cubs, but you may have to read between the lines to get the full story.

Thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time as we continue to seek clarity on the potential start to the season. As we shared with you two weeks ago, we’re working in close coordination with Major League Baseball (MLB) and committed to acting quickly and with the best interest of our associates, players and fans top of mind once we had more definitive information. To that end, we’ve now received clearance from MLB to determine and share our specific ticketing policies with you. Below is an important update regarding tickets for Cubs home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May.

As a valued Season Ticket Holder, you have the option to receive a credit plus a 5% bonus or a refund for your tickets to Cubs home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May.

Please note you can only select one of the following options per season ticket account:

• Credit plus a 5% bonus for home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May:
  • If you select credit, we will apply a credit on your season ticket account equal to the total dollar amount of the season tickets in your account for home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May plus a bonus equal to 5% of the total dollar amount of your season tickets for home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May.
  • Your ticket credit and bonus can be applied toward the cost of additional 2020 regular season home game tickets, potential 2020 postseason tickets or your 2021 season ticket balance, if applicable. Credit and bonus use are subject to the terms and conditions available here.

• Refund for home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May:
  • If you paid by credit card, we will refund the credit card(s) used to pay for your tickets. If you paid by check, cash or ACH payment, we will refund you via check.
  • The refund will cover the total dollar amount of the season tickets in your account for home games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May.

To confirm your selection, please complete the following survey by 5 p.m. CDT Wednesday, May 6. If you do not complete the survey, we will automatically apply a credit plus a 5% bonus to your account for games originally scheduled to be played in March, April and May.

For more information on each option, please review answers to frequently asked questions and the terms and conditions available here. If you have any additional questions, please contact me directly.

While we cannot predict what is to come in the days ahead, our plan is to continue to make ticketing decisions regarding future games on a rolling basis. We will share updates with you as soon as we have more information.

We are grateful for your continued loyalty and support of our team and look forward to celebrating the return of Cubs baseball with you. Please stay safe and healthy.