Mostly no. Application and jury fees exist to pay for the jurying process itself — the committee's time, the software, the administrative work of reviewing hundreds of submissions — and that cost is incurred whether or not you get in. Most fairs state this plainly in their application terms, usually in a line so brief it is easy to skip past: "application fees are non-refundable."
Why application fees are non-refundable by default
From the organizer's side, a refund policy on application fees would create a strange incentive: artists could apply speculatively to fairs they are unsure about, request a refund if rejected, and effectively jury for free. Treating the fee as payment for review — not a deposit against acceptance — is how most promoters avoid that, and it is standard across nearly every juried fair, from small regional shows to major international ones.
The exceptions worth knowing
- The fair is cancelled entirely before jurying happens — most organizers refund in this specific case
- The fair explicitly states a different policy in its own terms (rare, but some smaller or newer fairs do offer this to attract applicants)
- You withdraw your application before the jurying deadline and the fair's terms allow pre-deadline withdrawal refunds (uncommon, always check)
- A payment processing error charged you twice or incorrectly — this is a billing correction, not a refund of the jury decision
How to find out before you apply, not after
Read the specific fair's application terms, not a general assumption. The policy is almost always on the application page itself or linked near the fee amount. If you cannot find it, email the organizer and ask directly before you pay — a fair that cannot answer this clearly is worth a second look for other reasons too. If you are weighing whether a specific fair is worth the fee at all given your odds and your budget, running the numbers first with the Fair Fit Checklist is a better use of five minutes than finding out after the fact.
Frequently asked questions
Do any art fairs refund application fees if you are rejected?
Almost none do as standard policy. A small number of fairs cancelled before jurying, or with an unusually generous stated policy, are the exception — always check the specific fair's own terms rather than assuming.
Is an application fee the same as a booth fee?
No. The application (or jury) fee pays for review of your submission and is due regardless of outcome. The booth fee is the cost of exhibiting and is only charged — or only becomes due — once you are accepted.
Can I dispute a non-refundable application fee with my credit card company?
You can file a dispute, but it will almost always fail if the fair's terms clearly stated the fee was non-refundable and you agreed to those terms when applying — card issuers generally side with the merchant in that situation.