How to Sell Tickets Online in 2026 — Costs, Steps & Platforms

· By Craig Pollard
How to Sell Tickets Online in 2026 — Costs, Steps & Platforms

The 7-step process

  1. Choose where to sell. Platform fees on a $25 ticket range from $0.39 (TixFox, flat-fee tool, ticketing only) to $2.72 (Eventbrite, 3.7% + $1.79/ticket). Who's In charges 2.7% flat — $0.68 on that ticket — and includes the full event platform free: RSVPs, automatic waitlists, WhatsApp + email reminders, QR check-in, Apple/Google Wallet tickets, recurring events, analytics.
  2. Connect payments. Modern platforms are built on Stripe Connect: you link your own Stripe account once (~2 minutes), and ticket money flows directly into it — the platform never holds your funds. No registered business required; Stripe onboards individuals in most countries.
  3. Set your price and decide whether to absorb the fee in a clean number ("$20, all in") or pass it on. At 2.7%, absorbing costs $0.54 on a $20 ticket.
  4. Build the event page — what, when, where, how much, one big button. A real cover photo roughly doubles RSVPs. Set a capacity limit.
  5. Sell out, then keep selling. A capacity cap plus an automatic waitlist captures overflow demand; a refund auto-promotes the next person, payment and all.
  6. Deliver tickets to Apple/Google Wallet with automated reminders (confirmation, 7-day, night-before, morning-of) — wallet passes with reminders cut no-shows by up to 40%.
  7. Handle the door with QR check-in from your phone — works offline, flags duplicates, records real attendance.

What it actually costs (100 tickets at $25)

PlatformFee structureCost
Who's In2.7% flat$67.50
Ticket Tailor~$0.26–0.75/ticket~$65
TixFox$0.39/ticket$39
TicketLeap$1 + 2%$150
SimpleTix$0.79 + 2%$129
Luma7%$175
Eventbrite3.7% + $1.79/ticket$271.50

Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30 via Stripe) applies on top at every platform. Flat-per-ticket tools are genuinely cheap if all you need is the transaction; percentage-flat platforms like Who's In include the event management around the ticket. On Who's In, refund a ticket and the 2.7% fee is automatically refunded too — you're only charged on money you keep.

Where to start

See how ticket sales work on Who's In, run your own numbers in the fee calculator, or follow the Stripe setup guide. Use-case walkthroughs: fitness classes & yoga workshops, parties & supper clubs, recurring classes & pop-ups.

About the Author

Craig Pollard

Craig Pollard is the founder of Who's In and a former Apple team lead (12 years). He writes about event technology, community building, and the future of AI-powered event discovery. Board advisor, investor, and non-executive director in technology and sports.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the cheapest way to sell tickets online?

For community-priced tickets ($10-30), platforms charging a low flat percentage (Who's In, 2.7%) or low flat per-ticket fee (TixFox, Ticket Tailor) cost a fraction of legacy platforms. The cheapest good option is the one with low fees AND direct payouts AND the event tools you'd otherwise pay for separately.

Can I sell tickets online for free?

Listing is free almost everywhere; selling never is — card processing alone costs ~2.9% + $0.30. Treat any "0% fee" claim as marketing until you've found where the processing cost lives (often: a donor tip, a buyer fee, or a subscription).

How do I sell tickets without Eventbrite?

Any Stripe-based platform: create the event, connect Stripe, share your link. Switching takes minutes because your audience follows a link, not a platform. On a $25 ticket, Eventbrite's platform fee is $2.72; Who's In charges $0.68 — exactly 4x less.

Do I need a business or LLC to sell event tickets?

No — Stripe supports individuals in most countries. Ticket income is still taxable income in basically every jurisdiction; track it (CSV export + Stripe dashboard make this trivial) and ask a local accountant where the thresholds are.

How fast do I get the money?

On direct-payout platforms: instantly to your Stripe account, then 2-3 business days to your bank. On collect-and-remit platforms: often not until after the event ends.