How Payments Work
When a fan buys a ticket online, the payment goes through a payment processor — typically Stripe, PayPal, or similar. The processor handles the secure transfer of funds, fraud detection, and compliance with financial regulations.
Tickts uses Stripe Connect, which means payments go directly to your own Stripe account. You are not waiting for the ticketing platform to release your funds — the money is yours immediately, minus Stripe standard processing fee of 1.5% + 20p per transaction.
What Are Processing Fees?
- Stripe UK — 1.5% + 20p per transaction (standard rate)
- This is not a ticketing fee — it is the payment processor charge, the same as if you used Stripe directly
- Free tickets — when tickets are free, there are no processing fees at all
Absorb or Pass On?
Tickts gives you the choice: absorb the Stripe processing fee yourself (meaning you receive slightly less per ticket), or pass it on to the buyer (adding a small amount to the ticket price). Most organisers absorb the fee to keep the fan-facing price clean and simple.
How Payment Processing Works
When a fan buys a ticket online, several things happen in seconds:
- The fan enters their card details on the checkout page
- The card details are securely transmitted to the payment processor (Stripe)
- Stripe communicates with the fan bank to authorise the payment
- If authorised, the funds are captured and the ticket is issued
- The funds settle into the organiser Stripe account (minus processing fees)
- Stripe pays out to the organiser bank account on their regular schedule
The entire process takes 2-3 seconds from the fan perspective. Behind the scenes, it involves multiple parties, encryption protocols, and fraud checks.
Payment Processing Fees Explained
Stripe charges 1.5% plus 20p per successful UK card transaction. This fee covers:
- Card network fees (Visa, Mastercard) for routing the transaction
- Interchange fees paid to the fan bank for authorising the payment
- Stripe infrastructure, fraud prevention, and support
For a £10 ticket, the fee is 35p (1.5% = 15p, plus 20p fixed). For a £50 ticket, it is 95p. These are the lowest standard rates available in the UK market.
Security and PCI Compliance
Stripe is PCI Level 1 certified — the highest level of payment security. Card details are encrypted and never touch the Tickts servers. As an organiser, you never see, store, or handle card numbers. This protects both you and your fans from fraud and data breaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do fans pay the processing fee?
This depends on your fee mode. In absorb mode, you pay the processing fee and the fan pays the ticket price only. In pass-on mode, the fee is added to the fan checkout total. Most organisers choose absorb mode for a cleaner buying experience.
How quickly do I receive the money?
Stripe standard UK payout schedule is 2 business days. If you enable Instant Payouts on your Stripe account, you can access funds within minutes (Stripe charges a small additional fee for instant payouts).
Choosing Between Payment Processors
Stripe is the dominant payment processor for online ticketing in the UK, but it is worth understanding the alternatives:
Stripe: 1.5% + 20p per UK card transaction. The industry standard for online payments. Excellent documentation, reliable service, and the broadest card acceptance. Used by Tickts and many other platforms.
PayPal: 1.9% + 30p per UK transaction. Familiar to consumers but higher fees than Stripe. Some older ticketing platforms use PayPal, but it lacks Stripe Connect equivalent for marketplace payments.
Square: 1.75% per in-person transaction, higher for online. Strong for in-person sales with their card readers, but less suited to online ticketing.
For UK event ticketing, Stripe offers the best combination of low fees, reliable service, fast payouts, and platform integration. The 1.5% + 20p rate is the lowest standard rate available from a major UK processor.
