Free online ticketing, what it really means

You're looking for free online ticketing for your event. Before you choose, it's worth understanding what "free" actually means in this context, how commissions are calculated, and what options exist to keep your costs under control. This article breaks down the pricing models of ticketing platforms and helps you make an informed choice.

Free as in no subscription, or free as in no commission

The word "free" covers two very different realities in the online ticketing world.

The first is the absence of a subscription. Most platforms don't charge a monthly fee to create an account or publish an event. You pay nothing to sign up, and there's no financial barrier to entry.

The second is the absence of commissions on sales. This is much rarer. As soon as a paid ticket is sold, a commission is taken from the transaction. This is the standard industry model, and it's also what allows platforms to fund the service (hosting, support, payment processing, development).

The real question isn't "is it free" but rather "how much does it actually cost, and who pays".

What ticketing commissions actually include

When a platform advertises a commission of X% per ticket, that percentage doesn't go entirely into their pocket. It breaks down into several layers.

Payment fees come first. Every transaction by credit card (Visa, Mastercard), Bancontact, Apple Pay or Google Pay generates fees imposed by banking networks and payment processors. These fees are non-negotiable. No platform can eliminate them.

Then comes the platform margin. This is the compensation for the service provided: hosting your event page, sending tickets by email, the scanning app, the dashboard, support.

The key thing to check is whether these two components are included in the displayed price or not. Some platforms advertise a low commission but exclude payment fees. You then discover an additional cost at payout that wasn't visible upfront.

Other platforms include everything in a single rate. On PassPass for example, the 2% + €0.60 commission per ticket includes both payment fees and platform margin. You see the exact commission amount when creating your ticket, before even publishing your event. Full details are available on our pricing page.

Passing fees to the buyer

There's an option that more and more organizers use to pay nothing on ticketing commissions. The principle is simple: instead of deducting fees from the amount the organizer receives, the fees are displayed separately to the buyer at checkout.

In practice, if you sell a ticket at €15, the buyer will see "€15 + €0.90 ticketing fee" at checkout. You receive the full €15.

This model isn't unique to ticketing. Eventbrite applies this by default, with fees passed to the buyer unless the organizer chooses to absorb them. Ticketmaster charges service fees visible to the buyer on every transaction. Outside the events sector, Uber Eats and Deliveroo display delivery and service fees separately from the meal price.

It's an increasingly common practice, but not universally appreciated by buyers. It's up to you to decide whether this model suits your audience and your event. The advantage is that as an organizer, you know exactly what you'll collect per ticket, with no surprises.

Free tickets, zero fees for everyone

When a ticket is free, there's no financial transaction, so no payment fees and no commission. Zero, in all cases.

This doesn't only apply to entirely free events. Many paid events also include €0 tickets for specific cases. Children's tickets, companion tickets, volunteer or staff access, press invitations. A 100% discount promo code also generates a free ticket. Same for partner guest lists.

On PassPass, only tickets that generate a paid transaction incur fees. A €0 ticket costs nothing, even when sold alongside paid tickets for the same event.

The benefit of using a ticketing platform even for a free event is concrete: you know the number of registrations in advance, you scan entries on event day, and you can communicate by email with your attendees.

How to configure your fees on PassPass

For a free ticket, simply create a €0 ticket. No additional configuration needed.

For a paid ticket, you set your price and the platform immediately shows you the commission breakdown. The amount varies depending on the ticket price, since payment fees are calculated as a percentage of the transaction.

If you want fees to be paid by the buyer rather than deducted from your revenue, simply check the "Pass fees to the buyer" option. The buyer will then see your ticket price and the ticketing fees displayed separately.

Which pricing model for which use case

Three main models coexist in the online ticketing market.

The subscription plus commission model. You pay a fixed monthly cost and commissions per ticket sold. The subscription almost never covers the ticketing fees themselves. Per-ticket commissions remain and are added to your monthly subscription. Some providers offer to reduce the commission percentage in exchange for a higher subscription. Before committing, calculate the actual total cost based on your sales volume (monthly subscription + commissions on all your tickets sold).

The commission-only, all-inclusive model. No fixed cost. You only pay when you sell. Easier to forecast and risk-free if your event doesn't sell as many tickets as expected.

The free model with limitations. Some platforms offer free access but limit the available features (customization, number of tickets, analytics, support). Advanced features become paid. Check what's actually included in the free tier before getting started.

For a detailed comparison, see our article on the best online ticketing platform to choose.