The short answer
Yes, and many events do. The trick is keeping one count. If online sales and door sales are tracked separately, you can sell the last place twice. Add every door sale to the same list as your online bookings, and you always know how many are in.
Decide how many to keep for the door
If you expect walk-ins, hold some places back. Two ways to do it:
- Cap online sales below the room size. If the room holds 100, sell 85 online and keep 15 for the door.
- Sell online up to the limit and let the door take what is left. Simpler, but the door may get nothing on a busy night.
Say on the event page whether tickets will be available at the door. “Limited door sales, cash or card” sets expectations and stops people turning up to a full room.
Take the money in a way you can count
- Cash. Start with a float, count it at the start and end, and have two people sign off. Keep a tally as you go.
- Card at the door. A card reader on your phone is quick and saves handling cash. Its fees are separate from your ticketing platform’s.
- Bank transfer. Fine for people who booked by message beforehand, but match each one to a name before the night.
Whatever you take, write down who paid what. It saves an argument later about whether someone paid.
Put door sales on the list
The moment someone pays at the door, add them to the guest list. That keeps your headcount right, means the person can be found later if they leave something behind, and gives you one set of numbers at the end of the night.
Count up after
At the end, compare three things: online sales, door sales recorded, and the cash and card totals. If they match, you are done. If not, you will know where to look while it is still fresh.
On One Ticket
The box office lets you add people yourself, from any phone or computer. Record each one as cash, card at the door, bank transfer or a free comp. Box office orders carry no booking fee, because One Ticket did not process the payment, and they count against the same capacity as online tickets, so you cannot accidentally oversell. You can go over capacity on purpose if you need to.
Each door sale can get a ticket by email, or you can untick the email and hand over the code yourself. A ticket type can also be door-only: make it a secret ticket with no access code, and it is sold at the box office, never on the event page.
Every online and door order sits in the same Orders list and the same check-in list.
Related: Cash and a card reader at the door, How to check people in at the door with a phone and How do I give someone a free ticket?
Answers to your questions
Is One Ticket free to use?
Yes. The Free plan has everything you need to sell tickets, with no monthly cost, no setup fee, no payout fee and no card needed. Pro and Team are open now: upgrade any time in Settings › Plan. Limited-time offer: A$1 for your first year (first 100 organisers), then A$29/month for Pro or A$79/month for Team. Cancel anytime.
Who pays the booking fee?
The buyer, on a paid ticket, on top of the price you set, so you receive 100% of your ticket price. Free tickets carry no fee.
When do I get paid?
Ticket money goes to your own Stripe account, with no payout fee from One Ticket. Until your first paid event has gone cleanly, it is paid out two days after each event; after that, it is paid out as it sells.
Can I run a free event?
Yes. A free ticket costs nobody anything, and you don’t need Stripe connected to run a free event.
Do people need an account to book?
No. They book on their phone or computer without an account, and their tickets arrive by email with a QR code to show at the door.