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💳 Pillar guide · Paid events
AI Agent Ready
11 min read

How to charge for your events & sell tickets online any event, any amount, 2.7% flat.

From a $5 cover on an open-mic night to a $250 charity-gala ticket, from a $20 supper-club deposit to a $500 conference day pass — Who's In is the fastest way to charge real money for a real event, with all major cards plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link, Apple/Google Wallet passes, and ticket money (minus the 2.7%) transferred to your own Stripe account at the moment of sale.

Stripe Connect · PCI-DSS Level 1 · Transferred to your Stripe at the moment of sale

Apple Pay logoGoogle Pay logoLink logoVisa logoMastercard logoAmex logo+ all major cards
Updated 22 April 2026 Guide · Payments & Ticketing
No sign-up required for guests · Every feature free forever

Short answer

To charge for an event: create it on whos-in.app/create, toggle Sell Tickets, set a price, connect Stripe (about 10 minutes, one time), share the link. Customers check out with all major cards plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link.

  • Flat 2.7% + Stripe processing — no per-ticket surcharge, no monthly
  • Ticket money to your Stripe account at the moment of sale
  • Over 30 currencies, 59 payout countries
  • Apple & Google Wallet ticket passes
  • Automatic waitlist & reminders
  • Deposits sold as a ticket, one-tap wallet checkout

Your money. Your Stripe. Not ours.

Payments run on Stripe Connect Express. You get your own Stripe Express account — an account you own, you log into, and you can disconnect at any time — set up in about 10 minutes of Stripe-hosted onboarding, and ticket money (minus the 2.7%) is transferred to it at the moment of sale. Payouts follow your Stripe account's schedule: new accounts start with a 7-day delay, which drops to 2 days after 30 days of clean history.

We keep only the 2.7% platform fee, taken at the moment of payment, and we cannot refund on your behalf without your explicit action. This is the same Stripe Connect infrastructure Shopify, Lyft, and Substack use for their creators.

  • PCI-DSS Level 1 — the highest tier, audited by Stripe
  • 3DS2 SCA for UK & EU card payments
  • Card numbers never touch our servers
  • Fraud & chargeback protection via Stripe Radar
  • GDPR & UK GDPR compliant data handling
  • You can leave at any time — your Stripe stays yours

Whether you're running a Tuesday-night comedy showcase, a 400-seat charity ball, a Shakespeare-in-the-park fringe show, an underground supper club, or a two-day tech conference, you have one problem in common: you want to charge the right amount, in the right currency, through a checkout your attendees actually recognise, without losing a third of your take to fees — and without some middleman sitting on your money.

This guide is every answer to "how do I charge for my event?" in one place. If you already know Who's In and just want the template list, skip to use cases. If you've never heard of us, start with the how-it-works section and the payment methods. Everything on Who's In is free to try.

Powered by Stripe Connect

Every payment method your attendees already use

Stripe Connect powers checkout on every paid event and every ticketed show on Who's In. One integration, the payment methods your customers already use.

Cards

Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, JCB, Diners, UnionPay.
  • Visa logoVisaWorldwide
  • Mastercard logoMastercardWorldwide
  • Amex logoAmexWorldwide
  • Discover logoDiscoverWorldwide
  • JCB logoJCBAsia
  • UnionPayUnionPayChina
  • Diners logoDinersWorldwide

Digital Wallets

One-tap checkout — no card entry, highest conversion.
  • Apple Pay logoApple PayWorldwide
  • Google Pay logoGoogle PayWorldwide
  • Link · by Stripe logoLink · by StripeWorldwide

Availability depends on your Stripe Connect country and the customer's location. Who's In charges a flat 2.7% platform fee on paid tickets — Stripe's standard processing fees apply on top (typically 1.5–2.9% + a small fixed amount per transaction, varies by country and payment method). Free events incur zero fees.

Every event you can charge for

Twelve of the most common paid-event formats, each linked to the guide or page that covers it in more depth. Pick the one that matches what you're running — or start from scratch if none quite fit.

How to charge for an event in five steps

This is the whole flow. It takes about ten minutes end-to-end, most of which is the one-time Stripe onboarding. Every subsequent event is 60 seconds to launch.

  1. 1

    Create your event

    Pick a template (Comedy, Open Mic, Karaoke, Theatre, Gala, Workshop…) or build from scratch. Takes 60 seconds.

  2. 2

    Toggle "Sell Tickets"

    Set a price, currency, and capacity.

  3. 3

    Connect Stripe (one time, 10 minutes)

    Stripe-hosted Express onboarding sets up your own Stripe account. No webhooks to configure, no API keys to paste.

  4. 4

    Share the link

    Your event page has all major cards plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link live out of the box.

  5. 5

    Run the door

    QR scanner on your phone. Waitlist promotes automatically when someone drops. Ticket money reached your Stripe account at the moment of sale.

Why organisers pick Who's In for paid events

Eight features that compound into a meaningfully better economics than the incumbents — particularly on the small-to-medium events (10–500 attendees, $10–$250 ticket) where fee structure matters most.

Flat 2.7% platform fee

No per-ticket surcharge, no monthly. Eventbrite is 3.7% + $1.79/ticket — we're half the cost on a $15 ticket.

Stripe Connect, your account

Ticket money, minus the 2.7%, is transferred to your own Stripe account at the moment of sale.

Over 30 currencies

Price in your local currency; customers pay in the currency you set.

PCI-DSS Level 1

Highest card-data security. You never touch card numbers. We never store them.

Apple / Google Wallet passes

Ticket renders as a wallet pass. QR scanner at the door works offline.

Automatic refunds & receipts

Customer-facing refunds are one click. VAT-capable receipts emailed on purchase.

Payouts in 59 countries

Stripe-hosted Express onboarding sets up your own Stripe account in about 10 minutes, one time.

No-show safeguards

Morning-of reminders, automatic waitlist promotion, offline QR check-in.

Exactly what you pay

Our fee structure is three sentences long. No tiers, no surcharges, no monthly, no credit-card-required-to-start.

  • Free events → free forever. No credit card, no trial, no feature gate.
  • Paid events → 2.7% flat Who's In platform fee. No per-ticket surcharge, no monthly. This is a Who's In platform charge that's in addition to Stripe's standard processing fees (typically 1.5–2.9% + a small fixed amount per transaction, varies by your country and the payment method used).
  • Payouts from your own Stripe account on your Stripe payout schedule: new accounts start with a 7-day delay, which drops to 2 days after 30 days of clean history. No balance held until after the event.
Straight talk on fees: the 2.7% is the Who's In platform fee — what we charge to provide the software, support, Stripe Connect orchestration, wallet-pass issuance, waitlists, QR check-in, and everything else. Stripe's own processing fees apply separately and are passed through to Stripe at cost. Exact Stripe rates depend on your country and the customer's payment method — see stripe.com/pricing for authoritative numbers. The worked examples below use $15 ticket as reference points and show the Who's In platform fee only; Stripe's processing fee is additional on both Who's In and every comparison competitor.

Worked examples

Ticket priceWho's In (2.7%)Eventbrite (3.7% + $1.79)You save
$10$0.27$2.16$1.89/ticket
$25$0.68$2.72$2.04/ticket
$75$2.03$4.57$2.54/ticket
$150$4.05$7.34$3.29/ticket
100 × $25 tickets$67.50$272$204.50 saved

How Who's In compares on paid events

Versus the three platforms most organisers consider: Eventbrite, Luma, and Partiful. Numbers from each platform's public pricing page as of April 2026.

FeatureWho's InEventbriteLumaPartiful
Platform fee on paid ticket2.7% flat3.7% + $1.793%Paid tier only
Fee on a $15 ticket$0.41$2.35$0.45N/A on free
Free eventsFree foreverFreeFreeFree
Apple / Google PayYesYesYesLimited
Link by Stripe (one-tap checkout)YesNoNoNo
Automatic waitlist promotionYesPartialManualNo
Apple / Google Wallet passesYesPro plan onlyNoNo
Payouts to your own StripeYes (Stripe Express)NoNoNo

See the full breakdowns: Eventbrite alternatives (2026) · Full comparison page.

Beyond flat-price tickets

Three payment patterns organisers ask about — and how each one works on Who's In.

Deposits & reserve-holds

For supper clubs, karaoke booth bookings, private dining, theatre season passes, or any event where you want a commitment without charging the full cover. There's no separate deposit mode: sell a ticket priced at the deposit (e.g. $20 of a $60 meal) and settle the balance on the night. Drops no-show rate by 60–80% versus free RSVPs.

One-tap wallet & Link checkout

Apple Pay and Google Pay surface automatically on supported devices, and Link by Stripe remembers returning customers for a one-tap checkout. Biometric one-tap typically converts 2–3× higher than manual card entry, which lifts conversion on higher-priced events (conferences, festivals, gala tables, multi-day workshops). Either way, ticket money (minus the 2.7%) is transferred to your own Stripe account at the moment of sale.

Donations for charity events

There's no donation add-on at checkout. To let supporters give more than the standard ticket, sell a suggested-donation ticket at the amount you want.

Security, compliance & the bits nobody asks about until something goes wrong

PCI-DSS Level 1

Card data never touches our servers. Stripe handles tokenisation end-to-end.

3DS2 Strong Customer Authentication

Enabled by default in the UK & EU. Dynamic challenge flow only when the issuer requires it.

GDPR + UK GDPR compliant

Attendee data stays in the EU / UK where required. DPA available on request.

Stripe Radar fraud screening

Every card payment is screened by Stripe Radar. Chargebacks go through Stripe's standard dispute flow.

Frequently asked questions

How do I charge for my event on Who's In

Create your event, toggle on "Sell Tickets", set a price and currency, complete Stripe-hosted Express onboarding (one-time, ~10 minutes), then share the link. Customers check out with all major cards plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link. Flat 2.7% platform fee; Stripe's standard processing fee applies on top. Ticket money (minus the 2.7%) is transferred to YOUR own Stripe account at the moment of sale.

What's the cheapest way to sell event tickets online?

Who's In is 2.7% flat — roughly half of Eventbrite's 3.7% + $1.79 on most price points. On a $15 ticket that's $0.41 vs $2.35. Lower fees only exist on self-hosted open-source options, which require technical setup and lose you Apple Pay / Google Pay / Link by default.

Can I take deposits instead of full-price tickets?

There's no separate deposit mode. To lock a commitment without the full upfront charge — supper clubs, karaoke booth holds, theatre season bookings — sell a ticket priced at the deposit and settle the balance on arrival.

Does Who's In support Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link?

Yes — all three are on by default on every paid event. Apple Pay appears on Safari/iOS, Google Pay on Chrome/Android, and Link by Stripe offers one-tap checkout for returning customers. Customers see only the methods most likely to convert based on their device and location.

Is Who's In good for charity fundraising?

Yes. Charity balls, galas, sponsored walks, fun runs and auctions all use Who's In. Flat 2.7% saves ~$175 per $10,000 raised vs Eventbrite. There's no donation add-on at checkout; to take gifts, sell a suggested-donation ticket at the amount you want.

Which countries can payout?

59 countries on Who's In's Stripe Connect Express list — UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, every EU state, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, UAE, and more. Payouts in your local currency, to your local bank.

Do I need a Stripe account before I start?

No. Events organisers set up a Stripe Express account in about 10 minutes of Stripe-hosted onboarding; Clubs and Studio owners can also connect an existing Stripe account.

What about refunds and chargebacks?

One-click partial or full refund from your dashboard — our 2.7% platform fee is refunded automatically; Stripe's processing fee isn't returned by Stripe. Chargebacks go through Stripe's standard dispute flow.

Stop losing a third of your take to ticket fees.

Create your first paid event in 60 seconds. Free events free forever; paid events 2.7% flat + Stripe processing.

Related Reading

Back to Blog•Published 21 April 2026 · Updated 22 April 2026