Most event ticketing systems charge a per-ticket fee (a flat amount, a percentage, or both) plus card processing (commonly around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Some include processing in one all-in fee. Others charge monthly minimums or setup fees instead of, or on top of, per-ticket fees.
Across the 33 systems with public pricing, total fees on a single $15 ticket ranged from $1.22 to $3.45, and on a $50 ticket from $2.27 to $6.50.
Fees by platform
| System | $10 | $15 | $25 | $50 | Avg % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Yourself | $1.07 | $1.22 | $1.52 | $2.27 | 7.4% |
| TeachTix | $1.00 | $1.25 | $1.75 | $3.00 | 7.8% |
| BookTix | $1.28 | $1.46 | $1.84 | $2.78 | 8.9% |
| VenuePilot | $1.34 | $1.49 | $1.78 | $2.50 | 8.9% |
| Ludus | $1.25 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.25 | 9.3% |
| CUR8 | $1.39 | $1.56 | $1.91 | $2.79 | 9.4% |
| GoFan | $1.00 | $1.75 | $2.25 | $3.50 | 9.4% |
| Ticket Tailor | $1.44* | $1.59* | $1.88* | $2.60* | 9.4% |
| Universe | $1.32 | $1.57 | $2.08 | $3.34 | 9.7% |
| Yapsody | $1.36* | $1.59* | $2.05* | $3.22* | 9.7% |
| TicketSpice | $1.58 | $1.73 | $2.02 | $2.74 | 10.2% |
| Arts People (Neon One) | $1.58* | $1.73* | $2.02* | $2.74* | 10.2% |
| CrowdWork | $1.59 | $1.74 | $2.03 | $2.75 | 10.3% |
| Hometown Ticketing | $1.59 | $1.74 | $2.03 | $2.75 | 10.3% |
| Tickets to the City | $1.59* | $1.74* | $2.03* | $2.75* | 10.3% |
| TicketLeap | $1.54 | $1.79 | $2.30 | $3.56 | 10.9% |
| SimpleTix | $1.58* | $1.83* | $2.32* | $3.54* | 11.1% |
| Afton Tickets | $1.58* | $1.83* | $2.32* | $3.54* | 11.1% |
| Purplepass | $1.54 | $1.82 | $2.37 | $3.74 | 11.1% |
| DRT Performance Tix | $1.60* | $1.85* | $2.35* | $3.60* | 11.2% |
| ThunderTix | $1.84* | $1.99* | $2.28* | $3.00* | 11.7% |
| Ticketbud | $1.78 | $2.03 | $2.52 | $3.74 | 12.2% |
| Humanitix | $1.79 | $2.04 | $2.54 | $3.79 | 12.3% |
| InstantSeats | $1.83 | $2.07 | $2.55 | $3.75 | 12.4% |
| Freshtix | $2.05 | $2.20 | $2.50 | $3.25 | 12.9% |
| Etix | $1.30* | $1.95* | $3.25* | $6.50* | 13.0% |
| DICE | $1.30 | $1.95 | $3.25 | $6.50 | 13.0% |
| Tix | $2.00 | $2.25 | $2.75 | $4.00 | 13.5% |
| On The Stage | $2.02* | $2.27* | $2.77* | $4.02* | 13.6% |
| Stubs.net | $1.84* | $2.24* | $3.53* | $4.75* | 14.2% |
| Prekindle | $2.19 | $2.49 | $3.09 | $4.59 | 15.0% |
| Eventbrite | $2.51 | $2.85 | $3.52 | $5.20 | 17.1% |
| AudienceView Professional | $3.25* | $3.45* | $3.85* | $4.85* | 20.2% |
* Estimate (assumed card processing or a public contract). Single-ticket online card orders, US. Pricing not published: VBO Tickets, Opendate, HoldMyTicket, Spektrix, TixTrack (Nliven), Seat Engine, Eventim US, Tixr, accesso ShoWare, Theatre Manager (Arts Management Systems), Ticketmaster (TM1), SquadUP, PatronManager, AXS. Each profile links the vendor's pricing page.
Who pays the fee?
Most platforms let the organizer either pass fees to the buyer (buyer pays face value + fee) or absorb them (deducted from payout). For example, Eventbrite passes fees to buyers by default [source], while Ludus lets the organizer choose [source].
Hidden costs to check
- Monthly minimums (e.g. ThunderTix's $25/month Reserved Seating plan) [source]
- Seating chart setup fees (ThunderTix: $0.55/seat, $250 minimum) [source]
- Fees on cash, comp or box office sales (Ludus, BookTix and TicketLeap charge none on cash; check each profile)
- Separate processor fees when you bring your own Stripe/PayPal/Square account (Ticket Tailor) [source]
How to lower ticketing fees
- Pick a fee model that fits your ticket price: flat fees favor high prices, percentage fees favor low prices.
- Sell cash/box office tickets on platforms that don't charge for them.
- Look for small-ticket rates (Ludus $0.50 on items $3 or less; TicketSpice $0.49 at $5 or less).