How to sell tickets for a charity event

How to sell tickets for a charity event online: ticket types, pricing, payment, scanning at the door and following up with buyers.

To sell tickets for a charity event, put everything on one online event page: what, when, where, price and what the money is for. Offer clear ticket types with a set number of places, make buying take two minutes on a phone, send the ticket straight to the buyer's inbox, and check people in at the door. Then promote the page repeatedly, because tickets rarely sell themselves.

What does a good ticket page contain?

  • Date, start time, address and how to get there.
  • The price per ticket and what is included (a drink, a meal, a seat).
  • A sentence on what the proceeds make possible, and how much of the price covers costs.
  • A clear button to buy, with the available places visible.
  • A contact address for questions and for guests who need accessibility help.

How do you choose ticket types and prices?

Start from your costs per guest and your break-even number. Then keep the offer simple. Two to four types is plenty: a standard ticket, perhaps a reduced one, a supporter ticket at a higher price for those who want to give more, and a group or table option. In WeGlow each ticket type has its own price, number of places and sale period, so you can open an early-bird type for a limited time.

A common rule of thumb is that a cheaper early period creates momentum, but be honest that it ends.

How do you avoid selling too many tickets?

Set the maximum number of places per type. When a guest starts paying, WeGlow holds the places for that purchase, so two people cannot buy the last seat at once. You can also limit how many tickets one order may contain; the platform supports up to 20 per order.

Can you ask for more than the ticket price?

Yes, and many organisations do. At checkout in WeGlow a buyer can add an extra donation to the ticket order. Be clear in your own words that this is optional.

Only that extra donation can be tax deductible: the Belgian government grants a 30% tax reduction on gifts of at least €40 per year to a recognised institution, but not on the ticket price itself. You can also give a discount code to partners, sponsors or volunteers' friends. For fees, ticket sales carry a service fee which the buyer can choose to cover; check the current terms in your dashboard before you set your price.

Which payment methods should you offer?

Offer the ones your guests already use. WeGlow works with payment providers such as Mollie, Stripe and Payconiq and supports methods like Bancontact, iDEAL and cards. Guests do not need to hold a WeGlow account to buy.

How do tickets reach the buyer?

After payment the buyer receives the ticket by email, and a PDF ticket can be generated. If someone loses the email, you can resend it. If you must cancel, you can cancel tickets from the organiser side. Each ticket carries a QR code that is cryptographically signed, so a made-up code is rejected.

How do you check people in at the door?

Use the WeGlow scanner for your event, protected by a PIN so only your volunteers can use it. Scanning a valid ticket marks it as used. Scanning the same ticket again tells you it was already scanned, which stops the same code from entering twice. Keep a backup plan for a bad connection, for example a printed guest list.

How do you get people to buy?

Start with people you already know and keep reminding them at fixed moments. The five steps below follow that order.

  1. Share the page with your own list first. Past donors, volunteers and members are your most likely buyers.
  2. Ask volunteers and partners to share a personal message, not just a link.
  3. Let participants start their own fundraiser page for the event in WeGlow, so supporters bring in friends and money.
  4. Send reminders at fixed points, for example four weeks, two weeks and the final days before the event.
  5. Show progress. WeGlow event pages display live totals, which gives hesitant guests a reason to join.

What should you do after the sale?

Buyers are warm contacts. From your WeGlow ticket screen you can send the buyers of an event to a list in WeGlow Mail, for practical information before the day and a thank-you after.

WeGlow Mail is free up to 250 contacts and included up to 2,500 contacts with the Pro plan (from €40 per month excl. VAT; check the current prices in your dashboard). Only mail people about this event unless they agreed to more, and always keep an unsubscribe option. You can try all this in your WeGlow dashboard; you need a free account first. If you want a head start, Glowie can draft the event page for you to check and confirm.

Frequently asked questions

When should ticket sales open?

As a rule of thumb, six to eight weeks before the event for a small one and earlier for a gala or a large event. This is our experience, not a study.

Can I sell tickets without a website of my own?

Yes. The event page lives on WeGlow and you share its link.

What if a guest cannot come?

Decide a refund or transfer policy beforehand and state it on the page. As organiser you can cancel tickets.

Can a buyer deduct their ticket for tax?

No, not the ticket price: a gift may not pay for anything in return. An extra donation on top of the ticket can qualify for a 30% tax reduction from €40 per year to a recognised institution, capped at 10% of net income or €408,130 per year.

Do I need to scan tickets?

No, but scanning gives you an exact attendance count and prevents double entry, which helps your report.

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Sources

Checked on 2 October 2026. The tax source was checked on 3 October 2026.

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