Do High Ticket Fees Impact Sales?
There is little doubt that ticket fees are frustrating for ticket buyers. At ThunderTix, you can sell tickets online - No fees are charged to your customer. We offer a monthly online ticketing service license based on the number of tickets sold per month. ThunderTix is the only online ticket selling platform providing the total control of ticket fees. ThunderTix allows you to sell event tickets online, manage your events, sell gift cards and merchandise, and send mass mail all from one online ticketing software.
In addition, a ThunderTix account provides you with more options to manage and customize the application of ticket fees than other online ticketing systems.
From our industry reference guide, 'Should you charge ticket fees?’:
Venues, promoters, and organizations selling event tickets online should understand the impact fees have on ticket sales. Ticket fees may be either a sales deterrent or a profitable revenue stream when your venue retains 100% of the fees collected. These factors should weigh in your decisions regarding fees. The decision about fees must be based on the needs of your venue, events, and your market demographics, and not by the requirements of your existing ticketing provider.
Because of our unique pricing model, we encourage you to pass on the savings to ticket buyers. Should you decide to reduce or eliminate ticket fees, you can generate additional revenue elsewhere. We provide all the event management tools needed to increase other areas of event revenue.
If you don't yet use an online ticketing service, know that ThunderTix is incredibly easy to use! You can sell tickets online with no fees, the day you sign-up.
To Sell Tickets Online with no fees...yes or no?
Above is a screenshot of the powerful fee options available when creating an event.
A. Since we allow you to sell tickets online with no ticket fees, apply any ticket fees you want. You retain all of the ticket fee revenue earned from customers. Create clear, easy-to-understand names for each ticket fee. We display exactly what is shown to the ticket buyer during the purchase process. Call it anything from “Convenience Fee” or “Online Ticketing Services”, or even “Mandatory Donation”.
B. Enter any ticket fee either as a flat dollar amount or a percentage based on the cost of the ticket.
C. The application of ticket fees is available both per ticket and per order. Per ticket applies to every ticket sold. Per order fees are often used to recoup the cost of credit card processing (adding 3% per order) or for facility rental fees. These fees are commonly named as "processing fee" or "handling fee" if hard tickets are being printed or shipped.
D. Additional fees allow you to combine fees charging per ticket while also charging per order. The most common is a combination of a per ticket fee with a credit card processing fee.
Of course you can simply choose sell tickets online with no fees. When you choose ThunderTix, use additional tools like selling advertising space on the electronic ticket, selling merchandise and electronic gift cards. This will make your event just as profitable (and maybe a little more so) without ticket fees.
Diversification of event revenue
We are committed to your bottom line, for proof of that we point you to one of the more sophisticated approaches to a profitable event using a ThunderTix account: Diversity.
Our diversity approach includes charging ticket fees, of course, but it also means improved gate efficiency with barcode scanners, premium VIP packages, reserved seating, coupons including group discounts and tiered admission. We offer all of these tools with the best online ticketing service to make your event more profitable while at the same time lowering or eliminating unpopular ticket fees.
As an example, let’s say you’ve decided to not charge ticket fees (presented to the sound of your patrons cheering!) and you decide to experiment with tiered admission to see if you can raise profits. Start off by selling a basic general admission ticket and then add additional tiers at a premium price with perks like early entry, meet and greet, etc.
Inspired by Kickstarter, the second tier of tickets could be early admission or a no-waiting-in-line-to-get-in special entrance. The third tier could be privileged access to a VIP area or a backstage pass. People like choices, and they are keen at perceiving value, especially at an event. Why not avoid the negative reactions vague descriptions of per ticket fees sometimes cause and give provide your patrons genuine value that enhance their experience?
In addition to tiered admission, raise profits using scheduled price increases as the event approaches. This ticket pricing strategy motivates customers to buy tickets early with early bird pricing ensuring you can count on event attendance. Further, schedule price increases that allow you to raise ticket prices yet again on the day of sale for those that procrastinate.
Options in Fee Free Online Ticketing Services
We brought the subject of ticket fees into sharp focus with our Fee Free Friday blog posts. We cover examples of what happens when unreasonably high ticket fees are charged - caused due to a lack of options in online ticketing services. The venue bears the brunt of the bad press is usually "stuck" with ticket fees added by the ticketing software they use and often has no control of ticket fees added. The ticket buyer doesn't understand your overhead costs for the event, but you might bear the brunt of their disappointment.
We are very aware of the difficult positions you are in as a venue owner. That’s why when you switch to ThunderTix we help analyze your events to see if you can spread out costs. Every ThunderTix account comes with robust sales reports in addition to the most extensive ticket fee options available.
In a dramatic Shakespearean way, we ask aloud...To fee or not to fee. That is the question.℠
But alas, only YOU know the answer that makes the most business sense for your event.
Should the rigmarole that surrounds ticket fees prove to be too much for your current event ticketing software, or if you have not yet started started selling tickets online, sign up for a free trial. Allow us the opportunity to meet your online ticketing service needs.