A fee of 7 dollars applies if made before 24 hours prior to the tournament, and a fee of 20 dollars if made within 24 hours of the tournament. There are no refunds, or rescheduling given after the tournament starts. A player who withdraws during the tournament is also not eligible for prize money (USCF RULE 32C1).  For special events, check the event's information page for all fees. In cases of withdrawals due to sickness after the "no refund date", please email events@bayareachess.com with a medical certificate or a doctor's note and we can process a 50% refund. All refunds are subject to a 4% Paypal fee which is nonrefundable. Please fill in our general tournament change form (bayareachess.com/changeform) before the tournament starts so we have it recorded for processing. Payments can be made through Zelle (bayareachess.com/zellepay), Venmo (www.venmo.com/u/sazhar), or Paypal (bayareachess.com/payhere), and the receipt should be emailed to events@bayareachess.com.

A late fee may be applied as early as two days before a regular (Scholastic/Open) tournament's start date or a week for special events. For Scholastic tournaments, the late fee is 19 dollars; for Cash Day tournaments, the late fee is 22 dollars; and for Real Championships, the late fee is 33 dollars. For Special events, late fee ranges from 5 dollars to 40 dollars depending on the date of registration. Please refer to the special event's information page to determine the late fee charges.

There is no refunds or rescheduling for players who do not show up for their scheduled tournament matches. When a player registers for a tournament, BayAreaChess reserves a spot for them, and if they do not show up, it causes unnecessary waiting for their opponent. Allowing no-shows to receive refunds, rescheduling, or credit may also encourage players to register for tournaments without any intention of actually playing, which can complicate the tournament process. By enforcing this policy, BayAreaChess is able to ensure that its tournaments run smoothly and that players are able to compete in a fair and organized manner.

Prize checks are valid for 90 days, after which they may become void. If this happens, players can request a reissue of a new check, or have the prize money transferred through Zelle or Paypal for a fee of 25 dollars or 10% of the check amount, whichever is lower. Reissued checks must not be older than one year from the original check void date. Checks that are older than one year will not be allowed. These guidelines ensure that players can still receive their prize money in a timely and efficient manner, while also maintaining proper accounting practices.

If the cancellation request is made before the account is activated, a processing fee of 7 dollars will be deducted from the refund. However, if the account has already been activated, no refund will be issued.

If the cancellation request is made before the membership is renewed, an extension of the USCF membership (1 year) can be offered, or a refund for the net amount can be processed. However, if the membership has already been renewed, no refund will be issued.