What online ticketing really costs: fees explained

1. Platform commission

The percentage the service keeps per ticket sold, usually between 2% and 10%, sometimes with a fixed minimum per ticket. Vibenti charges 1% with no minimum and no publishing fee.

2. Payment gateway fees

Card payments cost money too. Stripe and equivalents charge a percentage plus a few cents per transaction, varying by country and card type. This exists on every platform, though not all of them show it separately.

3. Who pays the fee

You can absorb it in the price or pass it on as a booking fee. Absorbing keeps the message simple ('£12, done'); passing it on protects your margin. What you should avoid is a surprise at the final checkout step — that is where carts are abandoned.

4. When you get paid

Many platforms hold the money until after the event, which shapes your cash flow: venue deposits, fees and production are paid before. With direct payouts to your own Stripe account, funds follow your account's payout schedule, not ours.

Example on a €20 ticket

• Ticket price: €20.00
• Vibenti commission (1%): €0.20
• Approximate gateway fee: €0.50 to €0.80 depending on country and card
• You receive: around €19.00