Organizer Fees

You can add an optional Organizer fee to your tickets to cover your own costs, most often Stripe's processing fee. The whole fee goes to your Stripe account with the ticket price. Equaticket takes none of it.

Buyers see it as a separate "Organizer fee" line, next to an "Equaticket platform fee" line of $0.00. The fee must be the same whatever payment method the buyer uses. Don't describe it as a card fee or credit card surcharge.

Where to set it

Open your event's Add tickets step and find the Organizer Fee section. Under Pricing mode, choose one of three options.

All-in pricing (Recommended). The ticket price is what buyers pay, before tax, with no fee line.

Estimate payment processing recovery. Equaticket suggests a fee sized so that you still receive your full ticket price after Stripe's fee. For example, on a $78 ticket we suggest $2.64: Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ on $80.64 leaves you $78.00.

• US accounts only. This option is available only for US-based Stripe accounts.
• It's an estimate. International cards and disputes cost more.
• Editing the amount switches you to a custom fee.

Custom organizer fee. Set your own, as one of:

• Fixed amount per ticket;
• Percentage of ticket price;
• Percentage + fixed amount.

Limits and approval

Limits are checked for each ticket type, against that type's price.

• Within the standard cap, which is the larger of the processing estimate or 8% of the ticket price: you can publish straight away. On very cheap tickets the processing estimate can be more than 15% of the price, and a fee up to that estimate is still approved automatically.
• Above the standard cap, up to the lesser of 15% of the ticket price or $10.00: the fee is sent for review automatically when you save. The editor shows Awaiting Equaticket review.

- You can save, but you can't publish until it's approved.

- Buyers aren't charged the fee until then.

- Check the Organizer Fee section for the result. A denied fee shows Organizer fee denied with the reason.

• Above both the standard cap and that maximum: the fee can't be saved. Reduce it.

Changes need a new review. Changing the fee or a ticket price after approval sends it for review again.

Free tickets never carry a fee. If every ticket type is free, you can't set a fee. On events with free and paid tickets, the fee applies only to paid ones.

Outside the US. Publishing an event with a fee from a non-US Stripe account needs your region approved first. Contact support.

Tax, promo codes and refunds

• Tax. When the event collects sales tax, choose whether tax applies to the fee:

- No: tax on ticket price only (default);

- Yes: tax on ticket price and fee.

Some states tax mandatory service charges, so ask your tax advisor. See Sales Tax.

• Promo codes. A promo code discounts the ticket price only. The fee stays based on the original price, and buyers see "Organizer fee is based on the original ticket price."
• Refunds. When a ticket is refunded, its organizer fee is always refunded in full with it. Refunds use the fee the buyer actually paid, so later fee changes don't affect them.

Changing a fee after sales

If the event already has orders, you'll be asked to confirm. The new fee applies to new sales only.

Advertising your price

US rules on fee transparency require live-event ticket prices to include all mandatory fees wherever the price is shown.

• Equaticket pages already comply. Your event page, widget, checkout and emails show the total (ticket + fee, before tax) as the main price.
• Your own website, posts and flyers are up to you. Click Copy compliant price text for a ready-made line such as "General Admission: $80.64 (includes $2.64 organizer fee)".

Series

Recurring series and timed-entry series have the same Organizer Fee section in their editors. Instances that are already published keep their current fee, so edit those individually if needed.