Payment solution for ticket platforms.
The event ticket business is complex. Ticket providers need a reliable payment service provider for fast, secure payment processing across different channels.
Back on Stage: Growth market ticketing
Still have available spots? Challenges for ticket providers
The event ticketing business is complex and presents some challenges. Especially for high-profile sports tournaments or concerts of international stars, there is an enormous rush, often tens of thousands of tickets are sold out in less than an hour. This places high demands on digital booking and reservation systems, but also on fast and secure payment processing. Since many fans now print out their tickets or store them on their smartphones on the go, it is also important to ensure that transactions are covered. In the event of insufficient funds in the account or attempts at fraud, it must be possible to cancel the tickets in question in the system and resell the seats. If an event cannot take place as scheduled, purchase prices and fees must be promptly refunded. Last but not least, ticket sales via different sales channels such as online, mobile, stationary sales and MoTo (mail and telephone order) must be coordinated in such a way that seats are not sold twice or expire unused.
Print@home or advance booking: How does the ticket reach the fan?
Most event organizers today use digital ticket portals for distribution. One of the pioneers in this business field is the ticket platform etix, which has been offering digital ticket sales and Print@Home tickets in Germany since 2001. With more than 50 million tickets sold each year, the Dresden-based company is now the world's largest owner-operated ticket service provider and cooperates with around 1,800 event organizers in Germany and abroad. The core of the platform is a digital booking and reservation system. Organizers can store all the key data for their events there, such as dates, hall plans, available seat allotments, price categories, ticket prices and discounts, and then market the tickets via their chosen channels.
- Direct sales online and mobile: Customers can book tickets online directly from the central database and print them out or save them as a mobile ticket on their smartphone via the ticket portal and via booking links on other websites, for example, the homepage of the respective band, sports club or venue. For a service fee, mailing is usually offered as well.
- Advance-booking offices: In addition to online sales, many event organizers use regional advance-booking offices where customers can book and pay for tickets in person at the box office. In some cases, orders can also be placed by telephone, for example with a local newspaper’s call centre or at travel and tourism agencies. Supermarkets, petrol stations, and kiosks have also discovered the pre-sale of event tickets as a low-risk, attractive additional business opportunity. In cooperation with ticket portals, some are already offering selected ticket allotments, some of which are discounted, in their stores.
Payment methods: Score with the right payment provider
Buying tickets for their dream event is often an emotional affair for customers, and many splash out on them. This makes a smooth payment process all the more important. If a concert visit fails due to a lack of payment options or if the payment service provider's server collapses under the onslaught of fans, frustration and anger are inevitable. By contrast, ticket portals can score with end customers and advance-booking offices with flexible and reliable payment options, especially with fast and convenient one-click payments.
Not only does the right payment provider ensures that fans can buy the coveted tickets, but it also ensures that all parties along the value chain receive their share of the ticket price. Similar to online marketplaces or crowdfunding portals, ticketing platforms also need to handle complex payment flows with numerous stakeholders in a secure and legally compliant manner. For this, they need the right partner.
As a professional, Bafin-licensed payment service provider with extensive experience in the platform business, secupay also offers the right services for ticketing, in particular:
- fast, web-based onboarding of new organizers
- BaFin-compliant payment processing via insolvency-proof trust accounts
- all relevant payment methods such as credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, instant bank transfer or prepayment
- fast OneClick payments for high customer satisfaction
- flexible pay-out options
- handling of mixed shopping carts, e.g. with tickets from different event organizers
- uncomplicated, web-based real-time connection of offline sales outlets and call centres via smart card terminals
- payment splitting between different stakeholders (e.g. event organizers, advance-booking offices and other service providers)
- refunds and partial refunds
