Overview
Every sale on the platform can attract two automatic fees that are calculated on top of the item’s base price:- Processing fee — covers payment gateway costs (card processing, transaction charges). This fee is calculated based on the payment method and item price.
- Platform fee — the platform operator’s per-item charge. This fee varies by item type (tickets, products, season tickets, etc.) and is set by the platform.
The processing fee is sometimes referred to as the gateway fee in administrative contexts. The platform fee uses the platform operator’s brand name (e.g. “Acme fee”) rather than the generic term “platform fee.”
How Fees Are Calculated
Both system fees use the same calculation structure. Each fee is defined with up to four components:| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Percentage | A percentage of the item’s base price |
| Fixed amount | A flat charge added on top of the percentage |
| Minimum | The lowest fee that can be charged (the fee is raised to this amount if the calculated value is lower) |
| Maximum | The highest fee that can be charged (the fee is capped at this amount if the calculated value is higher) |
Per-Channel Rates
Fees can differ depending on the sales channel:| Channel | Description |
|---|---|
| Online | Purchases made through the ticket shop |
| Box office | Purchases made at the box office |
| Kiosk | Purchases made via self-service kiosks |
Price Bands
Fees can be configured with price bands (also known as tiered rates), where different rates apply depending on the item’s base price. For example, items priced under £50 might attract a 5% fee, while items over £50 attract 3%. When an item’s base price falls within a band’s range, that band’s rates are used for the fee calculation.Processing Fee
The processing fee covers the cost of payment processing through the payment gateway. It is calculated on the combined value of the base price and any platform fee, meaning the processing fee accounts for the total amount being processed. When the processing fee is visible to customers, it appears as a separate component in the pricing breakdown alongside the platform fee.Blended Fees
In some configurations, the platform fee is set to be inclusive of gateway fees. This is known as a blended fee arrangement. When blended:- No separate processing fee is shown to customers — it is absorbed into the platform fee
- The platform operator shares their fee with the payment gateway
- Only a single combined fee line appears in the customer’s order summary
Platform Fee
The platform fee is the platform operator’s charge per item sold. The rate varies by item type:- Tickets
- Products
- Season tickets
- Guest list entries
- Donations
- Gift vouchers
- Bundles
- Account balance top-ups
Platform fee rates are set by the platform operator and cannot be changed from within your company’s admin panel.
Absorbing Fees
When setting up pricing for a sale item (such as a ticket or product), you can choose to absorb one or both system fees. Absorbing a fee hides it from the customer by rolling it into the base price — the customer sees a single price with no separate fee line. The absorption options appear on the sale item pricing form:| Toggle | Effect |
|---|---|
| Absorb all fees | Absorbs both the processing fee and the platform fee into the base price |
| Absorb processing fee | Absorbs only the processing fee |
| Absorb [Platform Name] fee | Absorbs only the platform fee |
Fee absorption is configured per sale item, per currency. You can absorb fees for some items and not others, giving you flexibility over how pricing is presented across your catalogue.
Pricing Fee Display
At the event level, you can control whether the prices shown on the ticket shop include or exclude fees. This setting is found in the event configuration under Pricing fee display:| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Include fees | Displayed prices include system fees — the customer sees the total price upfront |
| Exclude fees | Displayed prices show the base price only — fees are shown separately with a + fees label |
This setting works alongside fee absorption. If a fee is absorbed, it is always included in the displayed price regardless of the Pricing fee display setting, because the fee is part of the base price itself.
How Fees Appear to Customers
On the Ticket Shop
When browsing items, customers see either:- The total price (if Include fees is selected or fees are absorbed)
- The base price with a + fees label (if Exclude fees is selected)
At Checkout
The order summary at checkout breaks down the cost:| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| Item total | The combined base price of all items |
| Fees | The total of all non-absorbed system fees, with a breakdown showing each fee component |
| Total | The final amount the customer pays |
On Order Confirmations and Receipts
Orders record the processing fee and platform fee separately, even when absorbed. The order detail view shows:- The base price (excluding fees)
- The processing fee amount
- The platform fee amount
- Whether each fee was absorbed
Refund Behaviour
When processing refunds, system fees are handled as follows:- Processing fee — can optionally be included in the refund. The refund form shows an Also refund the processing fee option.
- Platform fee — can optionally be included in the refund. The refund form shows an Also refund the [Platform Name] fee option. In some configurations, platform fees may be non-refundable.
Fees that were absorbed into the base price are automatically included in any refund of that item, since they are part of the price the customer paid.