Event Ticketing System

What an event ticketing system does

Ticketing is a chain of small jobs. A system earns its place by doing every link in that chain without you stitching tools together:

• Sell

  A branded event page with ticket types, prices, sale dates and quantity limits, on a checkout that works on a phone.

• Collect payment

  Card payments through a payment gateway, in the currencies your audience uses, with receipts sent automatically.

• Deliver

  A ticket sent by email or text with a QR code, so entry at the door is a scan rather than a name search.

• Manage

  Promo codes, waitlists for sold-out events, cancellations, changes and refunds, without editing a spreadsheet.

• Admit

  Check-in by scanning tickets, so the system knows who has arrived and the count at the door matches the count sold.

• Report

  Sales by ticket type and by day, revenue and attendee details you can export after the event.

Ticket types and pricing models

Decide your ticket structure on paper first. A system can offer many types, but too many confuse buyers. Most events need three to five:

Features to compare in a ticketing platform

List what you need before you look at vendors, then check each one against the list. These are the points that most often separate systems:

• Branded event page

  Your logo, colors and event details on the page where people buy, rather than a marketplace page with other events beside yours.

• Payment gateways and currencies

  Which gateways it connects to, whether you can use the one your organization already has, and whether it handles international buyers.

• Promo codes and waitlists

  Codes for sponsors, members and speakers, and a waitlist that fills released tickets when the event sells out.

• Refunds and changes

  Whether you can cancel, modify or refund a registration, including a partial refund, from the same screen.

• Door tools

  Scanning on a phone or tablet, offline check-in for venues with weak wifi, and badge printing if you use badges.

• Reporting and exports

  Real-time sales numbers, and a way to export attendee and order data to your CRM or email tool.

• Event types you run

  In-person, virtual and hybrid events, and whether tickets for each can live in one system.

The fees to check before you commit

Ticketing is where hidden costs sit, because the price is rarely a single number. Ask for the full cost of your event, with your ticket price and your expected sales, and look at each of these:

How to set up event ticketing, step by step

A first event takes a few hours once the decisions are made. Make the decisions in this order:

1. 1

   Write down the ticket types and prices

   Use the template below. Settle capacity, sale start and end dates, and who qualifies for each type.

2. 2

   Connect a payment gateway

   Do this early and make one real test payment, because gateway approval can take longer than building the page.

3. 3

   Build the event page

   Add the date, venue or link, the agenda highlights, speakers and a clear buy button. Brand it so it looks like your event.

4. 4

   Add registration questions

   Ask only for what you will use, such as dietary needs or session choices. Every extra field costs you some buyers.

5. 5

   Create promo codes

   Set codes for sponsors, speakers, members and partners, each with a limit and an end date.

6. 6

   Test the whole purchase

   Buy a ticket on a phone, check the confirmation email, scan the ticket, then refund it, so you know every step works.

7. 7

   Launch and watch the numbers

   Share the link, track sales by ticket type and by day, and raise the price or release more tickets on the dates you planned.

8. 8

   Prepare the door

   Export or sync the attendee list, assign scanners and a back-up, and decide how you will handle walk-ins.

A ticket types worksheet you can copy

Fill this in before you open the system, then enter it exactly as written. It also makes a good brief for whoever sets up the page.

EVENT TICKETING WORKSHEET
Event: [Name]   Date: [Date]   Venue or link: [Venue / URL]
Total capacity: [Number]   Sales open: [Date]   Sales close: [Date]
Payment gateway: [Name]   Currency: [Currency]

TICKET TYPE 1: [General admission]
Price: [Amount]   Quantity: [Number]   On sale: [Date] to [Date]
Includes: [What the ticket gets the buyer]
Who can buy: [Anyone / members only / invited guests]

TICKET TYPE 2: [Early bird]
Price: [Amount]   Quantity: [Number]   On sale: [Date] to [Date or until sold out]
Includes: [Same as general admission]

TICKET TYPE 3: [VIP]
Price: [Amount]   Quantity: [Number]   On sale: [Date] to [Date]
Includes: [Extras, such as a reception or reserved seating]

PROMO CODES
Code: [CODE]   Discount: [Amount or %]   Limit: [Number of uses]   Expires: [Date]   For: [Sponsors / speakers / members]

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
1. [Question]   Required: [Yes / No]
2. [Question]   Required: [Yes / No]

REFUND AND TRANSFER POLICY
Refunds until: [Date]   Transfers allowed: [Yes / No]   Contact: [Email]

TICKET DELIVERY
Confirmation email text: [Short message]   Ticket format: [QR code by email / text]

DOOR PLAN
Scanners: [Number]   Offline back-up list: [Yes / No]   Walk-in sales: [Yes / No]

Event ticketing on Eventdex

Eventdex ticketing is part of its registration software, so the tickets you sell feed the same attendee list used for check-in, badges and the event app.

• Customizable ticket types

  Early bird, VIP, group and multi-day tickets, plus free, paid and donation options, with branded event pages built in the website builder.

  Event ticketing software

• 0% commission

  Eventdex charges no commission on ticket sales, and the payment gateway's own fees still apply. Check the pricing page for your plan.

  0% commission ticketing

• Payment gateways

  Stripe, Square, Authorize.Net and PayPal, with refunds and partial refunds through the gateway, and global currencies.

  Event registration software

• Tap to Pay at the door

  Take contactless card payments on an iOS phone, through Stripe or Square, with no extra hardware.

  Contactless Tap to Pay

• QR tickets and check-in

  Tickets arrive by email or text with a QR code, which is scanned at check-in, with badges printed on demand.

  Onsite event management