The ticketing glossary

Fees the organiser pays out of face value instead of adding at checkout — fans see one price. Opposite of passed-on fees.

Everything that governs entry: scanning, wristbands, re-entry rules, capacity counting.

The block of tickets a platform or agent is given to sell — big events split allocations across several outlets.

The platform's per-ticket charge for selling the ticket, usually a percentage plus fixed pence. The industry's most argued-about line.

Originally the physical sales window; now also the organiser-side sales interface and door-sales tooling.

A card payment reversed by the buyer's bank after a dispute — costs the seller the money plus a £15–20 fee, and too many threaten your merchant account.

The ticket price at which one fee structure becomes cheaper than another — flat fees beat percentages above it.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act — UK law (in force 2025) whose pricing rules require mandatory fees in the advertised total, with CMA fining powers.

Revealing mandatory fees late in checkout after the buyer is committed — now restricted by the DMCC Act.

Prices that move with live demand during a sale ('in-demand' tickets). Distinct from pre-announced tiers.

A cheaper, limited first release designed to convert keen fans fast and create momentum.

Total fees as a percentage of face value at a specific price — the honest version of a headline rate.

The ticket's stated price before any fees — what the organiser is actually charging.

A per-ticket levy kept by the venue, common at larger venues, usually invisible until checkout.

Your ticket revenue sitting in the platform's account between sale and payout — their working capital, not yours.

A delivery charge, historically for postal tickets, still sometimes charged on e-tickets.

Unreserved standing or seating — first come, best spot. The opposite of allocated seating.

UK scheme adding 25% to eligible charity donations from taxpayers, with a declaration — applies to donations, never to ticket purchases.

Pre-approved free or reduced entry, best run as £0 tickets through the same scanning system as everything else.

Tickets deliberately kept off sale — for production holds, artists, or later releases.

A floor on the per-ticket fee (e.g. £1 minimum) — dominates the maths on cheap tickets.

A per-order (not per-ticket) charge added at checkout — one more place totals grow.

Fees added on top of face value at checkout, paid by the fan. Opposite of absorbed.

The transfer of ticket revenue to the organiser — at sale time (own-Stripe models) or days after the event (marketplace models).

Cover for injury/damage claims at your event — venues typically require £2m–£5m.

The first, official sale of tickets — everything this site compares. Opposite of resale/secondary.

A ticket barcode that refreshes every few seconds in-app, killing screenshots — the standard anti-tout mechanism.

Resale of already-sold tickets — StubHub, Viagogo et al; subject to disclosure rules and, soon, price-cap legislation.

UK marketing rule letting you email your own past customers about similar events with an unsubscribe — narrower than people assume.

The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers — the UK self-regulatory body whose code backs refunds on cancellation for member sellers.

The £21 council notice licensing small one-off events for alcohol/entertainment — minimum 10 working days ahead, capacity 499.

A price stage with its own quantity and price — early bird, standard, final release — ideally quantity-triggered.

A quoted fee that doesn't include VAT — multiply by 1.2 to compare honestly (60p + VAT = 72p).

A queue for sold-out events that auto-resells returned tickets at face value — recovers no-show revenue and starves touts.