How much does online ticket sales cost? Full cost comparison

For an event organizer, the costs of online ticket sales are often opaque. One provider charges a fixed amount per ticket, another a percentage, and yet another hides transaction fees in the fine print. In this article, we list all possible cost items — so you know exactly what to expect beforehand.

All steps and features for selling tickets online at Kaartjie at a glance.

The five cost items you will encounter

On virtually every online ticket sales platform, you will see one or more of these cost items. Read all five, otherwise you will miss hidden rates:

1. Service fee per ticket

The amount charged per ticket sold, often as a fixed amount (e.g. €0.80) or a percentage (e.g. 3% to 5%). For expensive tickets, a fixed amount is significantly cheaper than a percentage; for cheap tickets, a percentage is actually more favorable.

2. Transaction fees of the payment provider

iDEAL | Wero costs approximately €0.29 per transaction, while credit card charges are 2-3% of the amount. Some platforms pass these costs on, while others absorb them themselves (such as Kaartjie ). Always ask about this explicitly.

3. Monthly subscription costs

Some platforms charge a fixed amount per month or per year. For those who organize only 1 or 2 events per year, this is rarely advantageous — you pay monthly even if nothing is sold.

4. Startup costs or setup fees

One-time costs for setting up your account or event. With modern platforms (including Kaartjie ), these costs no longer exist; with traditional POS systems, they do.

5. Costs for VAT and payment

Please note: some price lists show amounts excluding VAT. At €0.75 ex VAT, you actually pay €0.91 incl. VAT. At Kaartjie the final amount is €0.80 — including all VAT and all transaction fees.

Example calculation — what do you sell 100 tickets for?

Suppose you sell 100 tickets at €25 each. Your revenue is therefore €2,500. What is your net profit under different pricing models?

With a cheaper ticket (e.g. €7.50), the picture shifts: percentage models become more favorable, and a fixed rate of €0.80 is higher in percentage terms. Always calculate your own ticket price before choosing a platform.

Pass on costs to the visitor?

Many organizers pass on service fees to the visitor as "€0.80 service fee" on top of the ticket price. That is perfectly normal and transparent. Others choose to include the costs in the ticket price (a €25 ticket then becomes €25.80, or you keep €25 and the costs are deducted from your margin). Both work — at Kaartjie you choose this yourself.

What should you look out for in the tariff structure?

• Including VAT? — check, it saves an immediate 21%.
• Including transaction fees? — iDEAL | Wero is about €0.29 per transaction; who bears that cost?
• What if you don't sell anything? — pure pay-per-ticket models cost you nothing then.
• What is the minimum fee? — some platforms charge a minimum of €1 per ticket, even for cheap tickets.
• When is payment made? — immediately, after the event, or only after X days?

Kaartjie 's rate in one sentence

€0.80 per ticket sold, including VAT and all transaction fees. No subscription, no setup costs, no hidden fees. Don't sell a ticket? Then you pay nothing. View all details on the rates page .

Conclusion

The costs of online ticket sales vary significantly between providers — and the difference often lies not in the main price, but in the additional items (transaction fees, VAT, subscription). Always calculate the net amount you will have left for your own ticket price before making a choice, and request a sample invoice if in doubt.

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