Quick summary
Selling tickets online no longer automatically means selling through a marketplace. What matters is the fee model, your own brand, payout timing and data ownership, not just the percentage on a pricing page.
- Three models: marketplace, your own ticket shop, or payment processing only without a ticketing layer.
- For most organizers an own shop is the middle ground: professional infrastructure without third-party branding and shared buyer data.
- Settle before the first sale: what the fee is calculated on, when the money arrives, and what happens if you cancel.
Related: Sell your own tickets · Event management for clubs · Eventbrite alternative
Sell tickets online: the decision guide
The question is not whether to sell tickets online anymore, it is how. Through a large marketplace with a built-in audience, but high fees and someone else’s branding? Or through your own platform, with more control but more responsibility? This guide brings structure to that decision, including the points most comparisons skip: payout timing, data ownership, and what happens when an event has to be cancelled.
For the setup side of self-sale, separate from this platform comparison, see Sell your own tickets.
The three core models at a glance
Before comparing individual providers, it helps to look at the underlying structure. There are, at their core, three ways to sell tickets online:
| Model | How it works | Typical fee | Control over brand & data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (large ticketing portals) | Your event is listed on the provider’s platform; buyers purchase there | Usually 5–15% per ticket, sometimes plus a fixed fee | Low: third-party branding, shared buyer data |
| Own ticket shop (e.g. Orbance) | Shop runs under your own domain/brand, often embedded in an existing website | Usually a lower, transparent fee or flat rate per event | High: your own design, direct buyer contact |
| Payment processing only, no ticketing layer | Payment via a payment provider, ticket logistics built yourself | Only the payment fee, but significant build effort | Full control, but high development overhead |
For most organizers, from a club celebration to a multi-day conference, an own ticket shop is the most practical middle ground: professional infrastructure without the downsides of a third-party marketplace.
What actually matters when choosing a platform
1. Understand the fee structure, don’t just compare percentages
The percentage alone says little without knowing what it is calculated on. Key questions to ask:
- Is the fee charged on the ticket price, or on total revenue including add-ons and shipping?
- Does the organizer absorb the fee, or is it passed on to the buyer as a service fee?
- Is there a minimum fee per transaction that disproportionately affects low-priced tickets?
- Are payment processing costs (card, PayPal) billed separately on top?
Orbance shows plans and the platform fee on the pricing page.
2. Your own brand vs. marketplace branding
Selling through a large marketplace usually means selling next to the competition: similar events are frequently shown right on the same page. A ticket shop with your own theme and (sub)domain keeps attention on your event instead of losing it to another listing at the last step.
3. Payouts: when does the money actually arrive?
A point most comparisons leave out: some platforms only pay out after the event, some withhold part of the amount until final settlement, some pay out continuously. For cash-flow planning, especially for events with high upfront costs like venue rental, this is a decisive but often overlooked factor.
4. What happens with cancellations or refunds?
Refund processes should be settled before the first ticket is sold, not after. Who covers the fee on a refund? Is it automated or manual? How transparently is it communicated to buyers?
5. Data protection and data ownership
Who actually owns the buyer data at the end of the day, the organizer or the platform? With many marketplaces, buyer contact details stay with the platform operator, which makes follow-up communication (changes, future events) harder. An own ticket shop returns full data ownership to the organizer, a point that also matters from a data protection standpoint. In detail: GDPR-compliant event management software.
Associations, universities and public institutions should also check procurement and accessibility. See event management software for associations and universities.
Setting up your own ticket shop: the steps
- Choose a platform that fits your existing website (WordPress integration, own domain, white-label option)
- Define pricing tiers and sales windows (early bird, regular, last-minute), see event pricing tiers
- Connect a payment provider (e.g. card, PayPal) and check the payout schedule
- Add legal texts (terms, right of withdrawal, privacy policy)
- Set up check-in, ideally with a QR-code scanner instead of paper lists
- Run a test purchase before going live
The practical self-sale checklist is in the cluster neighbour Sell your own tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to sell tickets yourself instead of through a marketplace?
In most cases, yes, once a certain ticket volume is reached: lower ongoing fees offset the initial setup effort. For very small, one-off events, a marketplace can still make sense because of its built-in audience.
Do I need my own website to sell tickets online?
No. An own ticket shop can also run as a standalone page or be embedded (e.g. via a WordPress plugin), with no existing website required.
How fast do I get the money from ticket sales?
It depends on the provider. Platforms with continuous payouts often transfer funds within a few days of payment, rather than only after the event ends.
What if I want to sell tickets for several events at once?
A platform with centralized event management saves significant time compared to running multiple separate shops. Pricing tiers, forms and check-in can be reused instead of being set up from scratch each time.
Conclusion
Selling tickets online no longer automatically means “selling through a marketplace.” Organizers who value their own brand, predictable payouts and data ownership are usually better off with their own ticket shop, provided the platform behind it is just as reliable as an established marketplace.
Sell your own tickets → · See the ticket shop → · Plans & pricing →