Want to make a good first impression at your event? Investing in an efficient event ticketing and check-in system will definitely help. The cost of a good check-in and ticketing system, with additional features, is around $10 to $20 per $500 ticket.
The service fee and payment processing fee vary depending on the platform. Whether your ticketing is digital or printed or a manual/automated check-in system, every cost is explained here, so you’ll have headache-free budgeting.
What is Event Check-in and Ticketing?
Event check-in and ticketing refers to the process that controls access to an event, tracks attendance, and verifies the registration. Generally, this process is required at events with limited seats; tickets are sold. So that uninvited and out-of-list people cannot enter the event.
There are several ways to track the attendees. One way is to verify the printed tickets they brought with a printed Excel sheet of the guest list; another is scanning digital email tickets or even using a QR scanner to scan the guest’s ID/badge.
How Much Does Event Ticketing Cost?
Event ticketing costs around 3-5% per ticket. Some platforms offer a flat fee of $0.99-$2 per ticket. There is also printing cost for manual tickets
Ticketing Platform Fees
Platforms that process payments and provide other services charge a fixed percentage or fee from the ticket price. Most platforms don’t charge a fee for free tickets. The payment processing fee is unavoidable due to the fixed transactional charge on cards.
Usually, there is a fee charged per ticket. For example, Eventbrite charges 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket they sell. So if your ticket price is $50, they will charge $3.64 per ticket.
Some other platforms charge a flat fee rather than a percentage. Platforms like TicketSpice and Ticket Tailor charge a flat fee of $0.99 and $0.26-$0.52, respectively.
For larger events and year-round events, a monthly subscription is efficient. It allows organizers to profit. Some platforms, like Checkout Page, charge $29-$239 monthly, depending on the ticket sales volume.
There are also non-profit or charity platforms that charge the ticketing fee for charity purposes, like Humanitix, which charges 4-5% per ticket.
Customization and Branding
Popular ticketing platforms like Eventbrite, TicketSpice, TicketTailor, and others allow for adding a personalized logo for the event, a custom color palette, font size, and description. These features are mostly covered in the platform’s basic plan.
However, if the event wants to solely promote the event’s name and logo, without the mention of another third party, then an extra fee has to be paid. This is known as white label branding.
Ticket Tailor and TicketSpice offer white-label branding with a premium package. 123Tix charges $1 per ticket for the whole package. However, Eventbrite’s premium package doesn’t cover white label branding. The ticket will still bear the platform’s logo.
Physical vs Digital Ticket
Depending on your event type and guest preference, the event tickets can either be physical or digital. Although a digital ticket is more time-saving and hassle-free, the physical ticket is more appropriate for older generations, who are not great at technology. However, printing and shipping are additional costs.
Platforms like BrownPaperTickets offer services like printing and shipping physical tickets. They charge $1.49 + 6% for one ticket and an extra fee for shipping depending on your location. There are some other platforms like ShowClix and ThunderTix that offer printed ticketing solutions.
Marketing and Promotions
Many ticketing platforms offer marketing-related features, both in their basic and advanced plans.
Ticket discounts, early bird/VIP group promo codes, email reminders, the ability to add events to the calendar, and a ticket sales analytics tool are some basic features that a ticketing platform covers without additional charge.
However, if you want a targeted ad campaign, brand promotion, or email marketing through a platform, you need to invest in premium plans. Eventbrite has a boosting plan for $15/month, where you can send up to 2000 emails per day.
Additional Service Fees
In addition to the platform service fee, the ticketing charges include a credit card payment processing fee, a gateway fee (to keep the payment details secure and encrypted), and tax. These fees are mostly unavoidable because transaction companies implement them.
There is also a ticket scanner and equipment rental fee for on-site events. The larger the event, the more staff are required. Some ticketing platforms offer staff and rentals. Also, custom domain charges and event merchandise sold through the ticketing platform incur a charge.
An organization can either pay all fees themselves by absorbing the fees, or they can pass them on to the attendees with the ticket price.
How Much Does Event Check-in Cost?
Event check-in cost depends on event size, attendee number, and many other factors. Most of the event check-in fee is included with the event software.
Manual Check-in
Manual check-in consumes time and requires more effort. However, it is appropriate for smaller events, minimum budget issues, and technical or Wi-Fi issues.
The cost of manual check-in is less than that of a digital one. For stationary items like a pen, a pencil, and a printed guest list sheet, $20-$30 is the average expense. Also, there is a higher cost for staff fees, as they have to work for several hours.
Automated Check-in
A QR code scanner is included in the built-in event check-in app. The platform may charge extra for applications, so it is better to consult first.
Also, a badge printer for a larger summit or expo is required, with a rental fee of around $500. Automated check-in reduces the crowd line and improves the overall guest experience.
Hardware Costs
An additional tablet and stand (personalized kiosk) are needed according to event size and attendee number, which costs around a $300-$400 rental fee. To avoid overcrowding, trained check-in staff may also be needed. They charge $15 to $30 per person-hour.
The rental fee of a thermal and color printer varies from $200 to $400. It is better to rent than buy for one event.
Event Management Platforms
Most of the event management platforms don’t charge extra for just check-in. The cost is included in the event management package. Platforms like Eventbrite, Cvent, and Whova are the most popular event management platforms that include check-in as a built-in feature, with a flat monthly or yearly fee.
Other Associated Costs
Other costs in event check-in include material costs for printing the badge, staff hiring costs, backup iPads and printers, Wi-Fi, and technical troubleshooting costs. There is also enough space required while checking the guest in, with a parking spot and standing queue space.
Factors Influencing the Cost of an Event Check-in and Ticketing
Event size, types and features, types of ticketing systems used, customization, ticket pricing, and event duration influence the cost of event check-in and ticketing.
Event Size and Attendance Volume
The larger the event size, the greater the number of attendees. Higher attendance refers to more investment in hardware, staffing, and material costs. Smaller events are mostly physically ticketed and completely manual.
On the other hand, larger events need technology support as automated check-ins, to avoid hassle and crowds. Most of the event management platforms charge based on attendance volume. Higher volume (greater than 2000) requires a premium plan in most cases.
Event Type and Features
On-site event checking costs more due to the physical rental of hardware, adequate staffing, and a badge system. In the case of an expo or a summit, an additional security measure is required, as high-value persons appear as guests or speakers.
Here, an RFID (radio frequency identification) badge is printed, which is a high-cost technology. The ticket price and ticketing cost are also higher here.
On the other hand, virtual events only require a QR code check-in or registration number to attend the event. A limited number of technologies are required, with a high-speed internet facility. As a result, the check-in fee is also free or minimal in a virtual event.
In the case of free events, where no tickets or payment is required, the check-in and ticketing cost is zero.
Type of Ticketing System Used
General ticketing costs are low, whereas tiered ticketing(VIP and early bird, which is a complex ticketing system, requires more fees) and only digital ticketing save a lot.
Physical ticketing spends on shipping and printing. RFID badge-printed tickets are highly expensive, increasing ticketing costs.
Customization and Branding
Semi-customization is supported by most of the platforms without additional cost. If the event organizer wants only the event’s logo and a 100% customized ticket, it increases the cost of ticketing.
Event Duration and Frequency
A multiple-day event needs more staffing, adequate technology (iPad/kiosk/printer), and continuous usage of event ticketing and check-in software. The cost increases proportionately with event days and the number of attendees.
Professional Tips for Budgeting for an Effective Event Management
For planning an efficient budget to manage the event successfully, follow these pro tips:
- First of all, you’ll need to choose the right ticketing platform. Choose one that offers the most features at the minimum charge.
- Don’t buy printers, iPads, and other hardware; rent them as much as you can
- Engage volunteers and provide certificates to encourage more students to help your event. This will save on your staffing costs.
- Look for marketing and promotion opportunities wherever possible, especially if marketing is a feature in your chosen check-in software.
- Avoiding physical tickets will help you save on shipping and printing costs.
In Closing
To sum up, the cost of event check-in and ticketing varies greatly depending on the platform you choose. In most cases, the ticketing cost is 2-4% of the individual ticket, plus a payment processing fee. The check-in fee is included in the software’s monthly subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some affordable event check-in software options?
Event Calendar, Eventbrite, Evant, and EventTickets are some affordable event check-in software.
Is there any free online ticketing software?
Most of the ticketing platforms are free for free events; they don’t charge any fee. However, if your event has a ticket price, you’ll get a similar experience to free in TixTree, which charges $0.5 per ticket sold.
What are the best free event check-in apps?
OneTap, Splash, Eventzilla, and Eventleaf are some of the best free event check-in apps.
