Event ticketing comes with its own vocabulary, and not all of it is obvious. Whether you are setting up your first event or switching to a new platform, this glossary covers the 30 terms you are most likely to encounter.
Ticket types and pricing
Face value -- The base price printed on or assigned to a ticket, before any fees or surcharges. If you set a ticket at £20, the face value is £20.
Booking fee -- An additional charge added by the ticketing platform on top of the face value. This can be a percentage, a fixed fee, or both. Some platforms charge no booking fees at all.
General admission (GA) -- A ticket type where no specific seat is assigned. The holder can stand or sit wherever they like within the GA area. Common for standing gigs, festivals, and club nights.
Allocated seating -- A ticket type where the buyer is assigned a specific seat, identified by section, row, and seat number. Standard for theatres, cinemas, and seated concerts.
Reserved seating -- Often used interchangeably with allocated seating. The buyer selects or is assigned a specific seat at the time of purchase.
Early bird -- A discounted ticket tier available for a limited time or in limited quantities before the standard price takes effect. Used to incentivise early purchases.
Tiered pricing -- A pricing strategy where the ticket price increases as availability decreases or as the event date approaches. Early bird, standard, and late/door are common tiers.
Concession -- A reduced-price ticket for specific groups, typically seniors, students, children, or people receiving certain benefits. Eligibility criteria vary by event.
Access and entry
Door time -- The time the venue opens its doors for entry. This is not the same as the start time of the performance, which is usually 30-90 minutes later.
Will call -- A system where tickets are held at the venue box office for collection on the day. The buyer gives their name at the door and receives their ticket. Less common now that QR codes have replaced physical ticket collection for most events.
QR code ticket -- A digital ticket containing a unique QR code that is scanned at the venue entrance for validation. Delivered by email or saved in a digital wallet app.
E-ticket -- Any ticket delivered electronically rather than as a physical item. QR code tickets are the most common form of e-ticket.
Comp (complimentary ticket) -- A free ticket given to someone by the organiser. Common for artists' guest lists, press, sponsors, and VIPs. Often managed through promo codes with a 100% discount.
Guest list -- A list of people granted free or pre-arranged entry to an event, separate from standard ticket sales. Typically includes artist guests, industry contacts, and press.
Sales and management
Box office -- The physical location at a venue where tickets are sold or collected. Also used more broadly to refer to total ticket sales ("the show did well at the box office").
Sell-through rate -- The percentage of available tickets that have been sold. If you have 200 tickets and 150 are sold, your sell-through rate is 75%.
Capacity -- The maximum number of people a venue or event can hold, as determined by licensing and safety regulations.
Allocation -- The number of tickets set aside for a specific purpose or sales channel. A promoter might allocate 50 tickets to an artist's fan club presale and 150 to general sale.
Hold -- Tickets temporarily removed from sale, often for accessibility requirements, production needs, or future release. Held tickets are not sold but are not available to buy.
Release -- Making a batch of tickets available for sale. Organisers often release tickets in waves to create urgency and manage demand.
Financial terms
Settlement -- The process by which the ticketing platform pays the organiser for ticket sales. Settlement terms vary: some platforms pay within days, others hold funds until after the event.
Payout -- The transfer of funds from the payment processor (e.g., Stripe) to the organiser's bank account. Stripe typically pays out within 2 business days of a transaction.
Chargeback -- When a card holder disputes a transaction with their bank and the funds are reversed. Organisers can contest chargebacks with evidence of legitimate sale and delivery.
Stripe Connect -- A payment processing model where the ticketing platform routes payments directly to the organiser's own Stripe account, rather than holding funds centrally.
Processing fee -- The fee charged by the payment processor (e.g., Stripe) for handling a card transaction. In the UK, Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p per successful charge. This is separate from any platform booking fee.
Marketing and promotion
Promo code -- A short text code that unlocks a discount or special access when entered at checkout. Used for marketing campaigns, sponsor allocations, and guest list management.
Presale -- A period before general sale where tickets are available only to a specific group, such as mailing list subscribers, fan club members, or credit card holders.
On-sale date -- The date and time when tickets become available to the general public.
Post-event
Attendance rate -- The percentage of ticket holders who actually show up. If 180 out of 200 ticket holders attend, the attendance rate is 90%.
No-show -- A ticket holder who does not attend the event. No-show rates vary but typically range from 5-15% depending on the event type and ticket price.
Understanding these terms makes it easier to evaluate ticketing platforms, communicate with venues, and manage your events professionally. Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you encounter a term you are not sure about.
