How can event organisers stop ticketing fees from eating their profits?

High ticketing fees drain your margins, limit marketing budgets, and slow down growth. Whether you’re running a 500-cap club night in Auckland or a 5,000-person festival in Mexico City, the equation is the same: every percentage point lost to platform fees is money you could be using to book artists, invest in production, or reinvest in ads that actually sell tickets.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to keep more of your ticket revenue, from understanding where fees stack up to choosing a platform that give you control, transparency, and real value in return.

Why do ticketing fees cut so deep?

Most organisers assume high fees are just the cost of doing business. But traditional platforms often take 6–9% of every ticket sold, adding layers of “processing”, “service”, or “booking” fees that rarely benefit your event.

These hidden costs quickly add up:

• On a $50 ticket, an average 8% fee means $4 lost per sale.

• Sell 1,000 tickets, and that’s $4,000 gone before the doors even open.

And that’s before factoring in slow payouts. Many organisers wait weeks after the event to receive funds, making it harder to pay suppliers, artists, and marketing partners on time.

The result? Tighter budgets, slower growth, and less room to experiment creatively.

What does a fair ticketing setup actually look like?

For most organisers, high fees feel like an unavoidable part of selling tickets. You pay 8–10% per sale, and in return you get the basics: checkout, confirmation emails, and not much else. The problem is that those fees rarely come back to you in any meaningful way. They just disappear into the platform’s pocket.

A fair setup flips that model. Your ticketing partner should give you real value for every cent you pay.

That means:

1. Transparent, low fees. You should always know exactly what you’re paying, and why.

2. Direct payouts. Your money should hit your account instantly, not weeks later.

3. Built-in marketing tools. Look for features that actually help you sell more tickets, like discount codes, benefits or cart recovery.

4. Your brand, not theirs. Event pages should reflect your identity with your domain and design.

5. Less admin. More freedom. Fans should be able to swap, transfer, or resell tickets safely without you handling it manually.

When your platform operates like a partner, not a middleman, those fees stop being a loss and start becoming an investment in your event’s growth.

How can organisers reinvest those savings?

Every dollar saved in fees is an opportunity to grow. Here’s where that money can go instead:

• Better marketing: Run retargeting ads or hire a content creator.

• Production upgrades: Invest in lights, visuals, or sound that elevate the experience.

• Artist bookings: Secure higher-tier talent without raising ticket prices.

• Team support: Pay your crew faster and improve retention.

Think of lower fees not just as savings, but as an accelerator for your event’s long-term growth.

What’s the bottom line?

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice profit for convenience. Fair fees and transparent payouts aren’t luxuries, they’re what every modern organiser deserves.

If your current platform is eating your profits, it’s time to rethink who’s really on your team.

With 7am, you get:

• Lower fees. Instant payouts. More marketing power.

• Full brand ownership and audience control.

• Built-in resale, swaps, and transfers to cut down on admin.

• A community-first platform built by organisers, for organisers.

So instead of losing money to platforms that don’t understand your culture, you can finally work with one that invests back into it.

Ready to keep more of what you earn?

Create your event for free with 7am, and see how transparent ticketing can feel.

Need a hand getting started? Explore our Help Center for quick guides and setup tips.

FAQ

Why are ticketing fees so high for event organisers?

Because most platforms rely on fees as their main income. They stack service, booking, and processing costs on each sale, keeping a percentage that rarely benefits your event.

Can organisers avoid paying high ticketing fees?

Yes. By choosing transparent pricing models and avoiding platforms with hidden add-ons, organisers can reduce per-ticket costs and keep more of their revenue.

What should organisers check when comparing ticketing platforms?

Focus on transparency, payout speed, and brand control. You should always know what you’re paying, when you’ll get paid, and how your event appears to fans.

Related guide: Choosing the Right Ticketing System: A Step-by-Step Guide for Event Organizers