How to Sell Tickets at the Door for Your Events

The days of cash at the door are over. More and more events are going cashless, as consumers carry less and less paper currency.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sell tickets to your events in person. It just means that cash isn’t king anymore. Customers expect more options, including tap-to-pay and digital wallets as a form of payment. 

How can you meet those expectations and make sure you’re capturing every sale? Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to sell your event tickets in person. 

Why Sell Tickets in Person? 

There are several reasons why you may want to consider selling tickets in person:

• Personal Interaction: Face-to-face interactions can create a personal connection with potential attendees. Meeting them in person allows you to answer questions, address concerns, and provide additional information about your event.
• Trust and Credibility: Some people may feel more comfortable purchasing tickets in person because it adds a layer of trust and credibility. They can see who they are buying from and may feel more secure in their transaction.
• Target Local Audience: If your event is locally focused, selling tickets in person allows you to tap into the local community more effectively. You can set up booths at local businesses, community events, or other high-traffic areas.
• Reach Non-Tech-Savvy Audience: Some individuals may not be comfortable or familiar with online transactions. Selling tickets in person accommodates those who are less tech-savvy or prefer traditional methods of purchasing.
• Last-Minute Sales: For spontaneous or last-minute attendees, in-person ticket sales can be more convenient. This is especially true for events where attendees may decide to participate on the day of the event itself.
• Promotional Opportunities: Selling tickets in person provides additional opportunities for on-the-spot promotions or special offers. You can incentivize immediate purchases by offering discounts, bundled packages, or exclusive perks.
• Branding and Visibility: Setting up ticket booths or outlets in strategic locations can enhance your event's visibility and contribute to branding efforts. It serves as a tangible representation of your event in the community.
• Cash Transactions: Despite the popularity of digital payments, some people still prefer paying in cash, and selling tickets in person accommodates this preference. It can be especially relevant in communities where cash transactions are more common.
• Security and Fraud Prevention: In-person transactions can reduce the risk of online fraud or ticket scalping, providing a more secure ticketing process.

While selling tickets in person has its merits, it's important to consider your target audience, the scale of your event, and the resources available. Combining in-person sales with online options can provide a well-rounded approach that caters to a broader audience.

How Can I Sell In-Person Tickets with Passage? 

Passage makes it simple to sell tickets in person at your events. If you also use Passage for online sales, you’ll be able to track and manage everything on one platform. No need to juggle multiple payment systems.  

With Passage, you can sell tickets in person using:

• Cash
• Credit and Debit Cards, including Tap-to-Pay
• Mobile Wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay

If you haven’t set up your Passage account yet, you can get started in 60 seconds. Need help setting up your in-person tickets? Schedule an onboarding with our support team - we’ll set everything up for you!

How Do I Accept Credit Cards?

To start with, you’ll need a credit card reader. Passage offers bluetooth card readers that are fast, wireless, and portable. Combined with our mobile app, they act as a mobile box office: you can sell tickets, merchandise, and event concessions at your event.

You can select the card reader of your choice from our online store and have it sent to your event.

Then, just download the "Passage Manager App", available in the iOS from the Apple App Store or Android from the Google Play Store. 

I'm in the App, Now What?

All you need to do is: 

• Login using your Passage username and password
• Connect your bluetooth card reader and make sure it’s fully charged

When a guest is ready to purchase tickets, you simply:

• Select your event or product 
• Select the quantity of ticket types/products and add them to cart 
• Click “checkout” and complete the payment

You will also have the option to apply promo codes and add customer info if you choose to do so.

What About Cash Payments?

If you’re accepting cash, simply click “Cash Payment” in the checkout process and you’ll still be able to track sales and print or email receipts.

Checkout Complete. Now What?

​​Your guest is ready to enter your event. As an event organizer, you want to make sure that everyone who enters your attraction has a valid ticket, whether they’ve purchased it online or at the door.

That's where scanning technology comes in - by using a barcode scanner or mobile device to scan tickets, you can secure entry to your event while collecting valuable data on attendance patterns.

Some advantages of ticket scanning include: 

1. Improved Security: Scanning tickets can help prevent fraud and ensure only valid tickets are being used to enter your attraction. This can improve the security of your event and prevent people from entering without paying. 
2. Faster Entry: Scanning tickets can speed up the entry process, as it eliminates the need for staff to manually check tickets and mark them as used. This can reduce wait times and improve the overall experience for your guests. 
3. Data Tracking: Scanning tickets provides valuable data on your guests' attendance, which can help you make informed decisions about future events. For example, you can track which days and times are the busiest and adjust staffing levels accordingly. 
4. Customer Convenience: If you’re using ticketing software that supports digital as well as paper tickets, like Passage, your guests don’t need to carry around a physical ticket. They can simply show the digital pass on their mobile device. Our ticket codes will mark admission as “redeemed” as soon as you scan it, regardless of whether a guest displays a paper or digital copy.

Additional Features Our App Offers  

If you're looking for more ways to enhance the visitor experience, our app has got you covered with some advanced features. 

Check out some additional features on our app that will be helpful and relevant to your events: 

• Auto Redemption: If guests are immediately admitted to your attraction after purchasing their tickets in person, you may want to turn on our auto-redemption feature. This will automatically redeem all tickets, which is useful for tracking crowd flow in your ticketing reports. If, on the other hand, guests must stand in a separate entry line after visiting your box office, you’ll want to scan those tickets rather than auto-redeem them.
• Bundle Sales: If you want to package tickets to multiple attractions, or tickets and products, for a set price, you can use our bundles feature. You can complete in-person sales of ticket packages you have created on the system by enabling “Bundle Sales” on the app. 
• Custom Total: Your employees can also set any total dollar amount for the order by adjusting the regular ticket price while in the cart. 
• Merchandise, Concessions, and Products : Our app fully supports the sales of any item, including products. Sell your products by just adding a “Product” the same way you would for an “Event” to checkout your merchandise/concessions.
• Purchase Notes: If you want to collect customer information such as phone numbers, email addresses, etc., you will want to use our Purchase Notes feature. Enabling the Purchase Notes feature on the app gives you the option to collect additional customer information at the checkout screen. 
• Virtual Queues: Our app supports virtual queues which can help avoid long wait times for guests to get into your event. You can notify guests that they are in the “Ready” queue to enter your event. You can also highlight and prioritize different ticket types and even allow guests to check themselves into the event. 

Final Thoughts

Selling tickets to your event at the door allows you to give guests more flexibility and ensures you capture every sale. Passage makes that simple with a powerful mobile app for selling and scanning tickets in person. 

The best part? Our all-in-one online and in-person event ticketing software comes with ZERO cost to your event. No set up fees, no monthly fees, and no contracts required. 

Want to learn more? Schedule a call with our team to see how it works. We’ll even set everything up for you!