Eventbrite operates as a global platform connecting organizers with attendees, offering tools for ticketing, promotion, and event management. Understanding the components that constitute the total cost of using Eventbrite for ticket sales is the first step toward effective revenue planning. This guide defines the platform’s financial model for organizers hosting paid events.
Core Fee Structure and Types
The total cost applied to a paid ticket sale on Eventbrite is comprised of two distinct components, collectively forming the Ticketing Fee. These fees are charged only when an organizer sells a paid ticket; there are no upfront costs for publishing an event.
The first component is the Eventbrite Service Fee, which charges for using the platform’s core features, including event creation, marketing tools, and customer support. This fee is structured as a percentage of the ticket price combined with a fixed amount per ticket sold. For example, in the United States, the standard service fee is often 3.7% of the ticket price plus $1.79 per ticket.
The second component is the Payment Processing Fee, a separate charge for handling the financial transaction, such as processing a credit card payment. This fee is usually a flat percentage applied to the total order amount. In the US, this rate is often 2.9% of the total transaction, which includes the ticket price and the Service Fee.
Eventbrite Package Options and Associated Costs
Eventbrite’s plans differentiate based on features, as ticketing fee rates remain standard for most organizers. Event publishing is free for all organizers, allowing them to host events without incurring fixed costs until tickets are sold.
The primary paid option is the Pro plan, a subscription service tailored for organizers requiring advanced marketing capabilities. The Pro plan’s main advantage is the ability to send a higher volume of daily marketing emails than the standard 250-email daily limit. Pro plan tiers are priced based on the maximum daily email send capacity, with options such as Pro 2k, Pro 6k, and Pro 10k offering increasing limits for a monthly fee.
For organizations hosting frequent events or managing high ticket volumes, the platform offers customized solutions, often called Sales Partnership or Premium tiers. These packages involve direct negotiation with Eventbrite’s sales team and can result in tailored fee structures or bundled services. Non-profit organizations are eligible for discounted ticketing fees on donation tickets and receive a 50% reduction on the monthly Pro subscription costs.
Understanding the Fee Calculation Process
Calculating the final fee involves combining the percentage and fixed-rate components of the Service Fee with the Payment Processing Fee. The Service Fee is calculated using the base ticket price. The Payment Processing Fee is calculated on the total amount the attendee pays, including the Service Fee and any applicable taxes.
Organizers choose who covers these Ticketing Fees: they can absorb the fees or pass them through to the attendee. If an organizer chooses to absorb the fees, the total cost is deducted from the advertised ticket price, reducing the organizer’s net revenue per ticket. Absorbing fees presents a cleaner price to the public but impacts the profit margin.
The alternative is to pass the fees through to the attendee, which is the platform’s default setting. In this case, the fees are added on top of the ticket price, increasing the final amount the attendee pays at checkout. This method maintains the organizer’s full intended ticket revenue but can lead to consumer frustration because the final price is higher than the advertised price. The total fees are automatically deducted by Eventbrite before the net funds are released to the organizer’s bank account.
Special Fee Scenarios and Exceptions
Free Events
The fee structure includes an exception for events that do not charge attendees for a ticket. For events with free tickets, Eventbrite does not charge the organizer or the attendee any Service Fees or Payment Processing Fees. This policy makes the platform a sound option for organizers hosting community gatherings or promotional events.
External Payment Processing Fees
Eventbrite generally utilizes its own payment processing system. However, for events in countries where the internal system is unavailable, organizers may use an external processor such as PayPal or Stripe. When an external processor is used, Eventbrite still charges its standard Service Fee, which the organizer typically receives as a monthly invoice. The external processor then charges its own separate fees for handling the financial transaction, which the organizer must pay directly to that provider.
Onsite and Door Sales
Selling tickets directly at the venue using the Eventbrite Organizer app introduces a modified fee structure. While cash or check transactions are free of payment processing fees, credit card sales processed through the app are subject to a processing charge. When using the Organizer app for credit card sales, the Payment Processing Fee component of the Ticketing Fee cannot be passed on to the attendee.
Taxes and Value Added Tax
Organizers must account for potential sales tax or Value Added Tax (VAT) implications, as these costs can be applied to both the ticket price and the Eventbrite Service Fee. In many United States jurisdictions, Eventbrite acts as a “marketplace facilitator,” meaning the platform is responsible for calculating, collecting, and remitting sales tax on the total buyer amount. For organizers in countries with VAT, Eventbrite is required to charge VAT on its Service Fee, though this can be exempted if the organizer provides a verified VAT ID. Organizers can either include the tax within the advertised ticket price, absorbing it, or add the tax on top of the ticket price, passing the cost to the attendee.
Managing and Minimizing Eventbrite Fees
Organizers can employ several strategic methods to manage and reduce the financial impact of the platform’s fees. A primary strategy is selecting the appropriate package based on actual feature needs. The free event publishing option is sufficient for organizers who do not require the advanced email marketing reach provided by the subscription-based Pro plans, thus avoiding unnecessary monthly subscription costs.
For organizations hosting high-volume events, direct communication with Eventbrite’s sales team can be beneficial for negotiating a customized fee structure or securing discounts. Passing fees through to attendees is a direct way to maintain the net revenue goal for each ticket, though this must be weighed against the potential impact on attendee purchasing behavior. Minimizing administrative costs means focusing on reducing refunds and chargebacks, as Eventbrite does not refund its Service Fee on canceled tickets, meaning the organizer still incurs the fee even if the ticket is refunded.