Selling Tickets Online? Should You Charge a Fee for the Transaction?

Recently I got into a discussion with one of our trampoline park operators on whether they should charge a transactional fee for their online tickets.  The conversation reminded me that I wrote a blog a few months ago titled “How Much Is Convenience Worth?”, where I discussed the viability of charging a “convenience fee” for online transactions.

However, does it make a difference when the online transaction is necessary for operation rather than convenience?  If you operate a facility which controls their ticketing through time and capacity, i.e. laser tag, movies, trampoline parks, etc…, does it make sense to charge a “convenience fee”.  What if you are selling out; and it isn’t a convenience, but rather a necessity to purchase tickets online to ensure participation?

Although I could still make the argument that it is a convenience for the customer to purchase the tickets online rather than going to the location to find it is sold out; let’s focus on other advantages.

1.  Allows you to raise your prices without raising your prices.

2.  Helps cover the cost of operating an online store, including the credit card fees you will absorb for every transaction.

3.  Adds a revenue source that would not be acceptable at the counter, but is accepted online

Bottom line, in my opinion, is that anything that increases your bottom line is a good thing.  What do you think?

Want to see how CenterEdge handles online ticketing for trampoline parks?  Call us at (336) 598-5934 or click the button below to schedule an online demo..

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