With every provider, ticket fees consist of the same four items. They only become comparable when you calculate the total deduction from revenue, not the percentage from the brochure. Here is the calculation with fixed numbers: 3,400 tickets sold at 25 euros, gross revenue 85,000 euros.
What ticket fees consist of
- Base fee for the shop, monthly or per event. Abolished by many providers, still charged by some.
- Fee per ticket, as a percentage, a fixed amount or both.
- Payment fees for the payment method the guest chooses. Sometimes included in the ticket fee, sometimes added on top.
- Cancellation, event cancellation and payout items, usually only found in the terms and conditions.
The fourth item does not appear in any percentage. That is exactly where the surprises arise in the settlement.
An example with 3,400 tickets
The rates here are example values, not the prices of any particular provider. A model with 5 per cent plus 0.50 euros per ticket costs 1.75 euros per ticket at 25 euros; across 3,400 tickets that is 5,950 euros, or 7 per cent of revenue. If the payment fees are added separately, say 1.5 per cent plus 0.25 euros per card payment, that is another 2,125 euros. The advertised 5 per cent becomes 9.5 per cent.
The calculation turns with the ticket price. A fixed amount of 1 euro per ticket is more expensive than 2.5 per cent at 25 euros, and considerably cheaper at 80 euros. Fixed amounts hurt with cheap tickets, percentages with expensive ones. So always calculate with your own ticket price, not with the provider’s example.
The small print: cancellations, cancelled events, payouts
Three questions decide the settlement, and none of them is on the pricing page. What does a single cancellation cost, and does the payment service keep its fixed fee in that case? What happens if the whole event is cancelled: are you left with the fee on tickets sold, even though you refund the guests? And when is the money in your account: on an ongoing basis, every two weeks or only after the event? If you have to make advance payments to artists, technical suppliers or the venue, you should clarify the last point before the percentage.
Who pays the ticket fee
You have three options, and all three are legitimate:
- You bear the fee. The price shown is the final price. Clean for perception, more expensive for you.
- The guest bears the fee. It appears as a separate item and must be visible from the first price shown, not only in the basket.
- You split the fee. For example, you cover the system fee and the guest pays for the delivery option they choose.
The legal framework is narrower than many people think. The German Price Indication Ordinance (Preisangabenverordnung) requires the total price to be stated to consumers, and under § 312a of the German Civil Code (BGB) a surcharge for a particular means of payment is only effective if there is a common free alternative. This article does not replace legal advice; it sorts out the questions for the conversation with your provider.
How to recognise a fair fee model
A provider who draws up an example calculation with your own numbers before you sign the contract has nothing to hide. Look for four answers: payment costs included or on top, fee for cancellations and cancelled events, timing of the payout, costs for complimentary tickets.
With tickee there is no base fee. The system fee is charged per ticket sold, all payment costs are included in it, and complimentary tickets remain free of charge. If you would like to check your numbers against it, we will do that together in 30 minutes, with your ticket prices instead of examples.