Free to create. Your buyers pay less than on Eventbrite.
No setup fee and no monthly fee. Free events are always free. On paid tickets there is one service fee, and you choose per event who pays it.
Service fee: 3.5% + $1.59 per paid ticket (Eventbrite: 3.7% + $1.79).
Card processing: about 3% of the order, the same as on every ticketing platform. The same fee applies to tables, VIP sections and private pay links.
You pick who pays
Fees are added at checkout and buyers see the full total before they pay. You receive your ticket price minus about 30¢ per order that Stripe keeps.
Buyers pay exactly your ticket price. The service fee and Stripe's fee (2.9% + 30¢ per order) come out of your payout.
Switch any event in your dashboard under Growth Tools.
What you receive. You receive your ticket price minus about 30¢ per order that Stripe keeps (for example, $24.68 on one $25 ticket). If you cover the fees instead, buyers pay exactly your price and the service fee and Stripe's fee come out of your payout.
| Order | Who pays the fees | Ticket price | Fees (service + card) | Buyer pays | Stripe keeps | You receive (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × $25.00 | Buyer | $25.00 | $3.27 | $28.27 | $1.12 | $24.68 |
| 4 × $25.00 | Buyer | $100.00 | $13.08 | $113.08 | $3.58 | $99.62 |
| 1 × $25.00 | You | $25.00 | $2.47 | $25.00 | $1.03 | $21.50 |
| 4 × $25.00 | You | $100.00 | $9.86 | $100.00 | $3.20 | $86.94 |
How it works: the service fee (3.5% + $1.59) is per ticket. When buyers pay, a card-processing charge (3% + 5¢ per ticket) goes to you to cover Stripe. Stripe then takes its fee once per order from your payout: 2.9% + 30¢ on standard US cards. So you land about 30¢ short per order, not per ticket. "You receive" is an estimate: pay-over-time (Affirm, Klarna), international cards, refunds and disputes cost more and also come out of your payout. Insights shows an estimate for each event; your Stripe payout details show the exact amounts.
What a buyer pays per ticket
| Ticket price | Eventbrite | SmartScale Events |
|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $17.85 | $17.62 |
| $25.00 | $28.52 | $28.27 |
| $50.00 | $55.20 | $54.89 |
| $100.00 | $108.55 | $108.14 |
With fees passed to the buyer. Eventbrite US: 3.7% + $1.79 service fee plus 2.9% payment processing, from Eventbrite's pricing page, checked September 24, 2026. Prices can change; check their page for current rates.
Getting paid
Payments are processed by Stripe. Money goes to your own payout account and on to your bank, according to your Stripe payout schedule. Connect or create a Stripe account and complete verification. Timing varies, and the first payout can take longer.
You set your refund policy. Refunds go back to the buyer's original payment method. If you ever have to cancel, we help you refund and notify everyone.
Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay and Link, plus Affirm or Klarna on eligible orders. You are paid in full.
Included with every event
Upload your flyer and Spark builds the event page and tickets in about a minute.
Posts for Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, an email, a text, countdowns and a promo schedule.
Promoter links with commission tracking, and a dashboard that shows where sales come from and what to do next.
Offline door scanner with staff PINs, and Run It Again to put your next date on sale in a minute.
Questions? Call or text (832) 981-2657 or email info@smartscaleevents.com.
