How to Sell Tickets Online for Free in the UK (2026 Guide)

Selling tickets online used to mean handing 6–10% of every sale to a platform before a single attendee walked through the door. In 2026, that's no longer true. UK organisers — from charity fundraisers to community festival promoters — now have genuinely free options that include QR code check-in, payouts to your own Stripe, and professional-looking event pages. By the end of this guide, you'll know exactly which platform suits your event and how to go live in under 30 minutes.

What Does "Free Ticketing" Actually Mean?

Platform fee vs booking fee — what's the difference?

When ticketing platforms advertise "free", they usually mean one of two things — and it matters which one. A platform fee (also called an organiser fee) is what you pay to list and sell tickets. A booking fee (or service fee) is what the attendee pays on top of the ticket price at checkout. Platforms that charge no platform fee often still add a booking fee on the buyer side. Some — like EntryTicket for free events and Ticket Tailor — are genuinely zero-cost for both parties on free-admission events.

When is selling tickets truly free?

• Free events: all major UK platforms waive fees entirely — no charge to organiser or attendee
• Paid events: "free" usually means no subscription or setup fee; a small percentage is charged per sale
• Low-fee paid ticketing: EntryTicket offers plans from 15p per ticket (Pro) to 49p + Stripe's 1.5% + 20p per ticket (Starter, no monthly fee)

The 5 Best Free Ticketing Platforms for UK Events (2026)

Not all free platforms are built the same. Here's how the main options compare on fees, payout speed, and what type of organiser each suits best.

EntryTicket — The UK's smartest ticketing platform

EntryTicket is the UK's most affordable event ticketing platform, with plans from just 15p per ticket. The Starter plan charges 49p + Stripe's 1.5% + 20p per ticket with no monthly fee — ideal for getting started. Growth (29p/ticket + £9.99/month) and Pro (15p/ticket + £24.99/month) plans suit higher-volume organisers. Free events are 100% free, and there's a dedicated Charity plan at 25p + Stripe's 1.5% + 20p per ticket with no monthly fee. It's designed mobile-first with QR e-tickets, payouts to your own Stripe account, and a check-in app included on all plans. Whether you're running community workshops, theatre nights, music festivals, club events, kids' activities, or large-scale conferences — EntryTicket handles it all with the lowest fees in the UK.

Ticket Tailor — Established flat-fee option

Ticket Tailor charges 60p + VAT per ticket (~72p effective) on a pay-as-you-sell basis. There's no platform subscription. Payouts go directly to your connected Stripe or PayPal account. With a 4.9/5 rating from over 550 reviews, it's the favourite for recurring events — theatre groups, comedy nights, fitness classes.

TicketSource — Syndication-focused option

TicketSource is free for free events and charges 7% + VAT (or 4.5% + VAT if you use Stripe) for paid events. One standout feature is automatic syndication to partner listing sites — your event appears on multiple directories without extra work. However, post-event payouts create cash flow challenges, and the percentage-based fees are significantly higher than EntryTicket's flat per-ticket pricing.

Skiddle — Nightlife discovery network

Skiddle is free for organisers: you set your ticket price and receive 100% of the face value. The platform adds 10% + 27p (minimum £1) as a booking fee on top of your price, which the buyer pays. This keeps your revenue clean, but can push the final price higher than you'd want for budget-conscious audiences. Skiddle has discovery in the music and nightlife space, though EntryTicket covers nightlife events equally well at a fraction of the buyer cost.

Eventbrite — Global marketplace option

Eventbrite charges 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket for paid events with no fee cap. That's significant — on a £25 ticket, the organiser nets roughly £22.67 (card processing included). The trade-off is access to Eventbrite's marketplace of 90 million registered users. For new organisers launching a large public event with no existing audience, that exposure has genuine value. For everyone else, the fees are hard to justify.

How to Sell Tickets Online for Free — Step by Step

Step 1 — Choose your platform

Match the platform to your event type using the comparison table above. For most UK events — whether community events, festivals, theatre, nightlife, or charity fundraisers — EntryTicket is the smartest starting point. It offers the lowest per-ticket fees in the UK (from 15p), payouts to your own Stripe, and a mobile-first experience that works for every event type.

Step 2 — Create your account (takes 2 minutes)

• Sign up with your email address — no credit card required on free-tier platforms
• Add your organiser name and contact details
• Connect bank or payment details after account creation (not upfront)

Step 3 — Set up your event page

Your event page is your storefront — it needs to answer four questions immediately: What is it? When and where? Who should come? Why is it worth attending? Include:

• A clear event name that includes the city or venue name for SEO benefit
• A compelling 3–4 paragraph description written for a first-time attendee
• A high-quality banner image at 1200×630px minimum — blurry images kill conversions
• Accurate date, time, and full venue address (so Google Maps links work)

Step 4 — Configure your ticket types

• Free tickets, paid tickets, or multiple tiers (standard, VIP, early bird)
• Set a capacity limit — this creates scarcity and urgency
• Add custom questions if you need extra attendee information (dietary requirements, t-shirt size, age group)
• Early bird tiers at 15–20% discount drive early sales and social proof

Step 5 — Connect your payment method

Most platforms use Stripe or PayPal. Stripe is preferable for direct payouts and lower transaction fees. Check the payout timing carefully: On EntryTicket, ticket money is paid out to your Stripe account, and Stripe pays out to your bank on its usual schedule. Some other platforms hold funds until after the event. If you have upfront costs — venue deposit, catering, performer fees — payout timing makes a real difference to cash flow.

Step 6 — Publish and promote

• Share the event URL on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp groups immediately
• Submit to free UK listing directories: ChooseYourEvent.co.uk, Ents24.com, Meetup.com
• Create a Facebook Event and link to your ticketing page
• Send to your existing email list — even a small list converts well
• Add your event to the Google Events feed via the event page's Schema markup (most platforms handle this automatically)

Step 7 — Manage check-in on the day

• Download the organiser app on every smartphone being used to scan
• Log in and select your event before doors open
• Staff scan the QR code on attendees' phones or printed tickets
• Attendance count updates in real time — you know exactly who's arrived
• Fallback: search attendee list by name if QR code won't scan

UK-Specific Considerations When Selling Tickets Online

Do I need to charge VAT on ticket sales?

Standard 20% VAT applies to most event admission charges in the UK. However, VAT registration is only required once your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 per year (the threshold set in April 2024). If you're running community events with annual ticket revenue well below that, you don't need to charge VAT. Free events have no VAT obligation. Registered charities and certain cultural organisations may be exempt — check with an accountant for your specific situation rather than relying on general guidance.

GDPR and attendee data

When you collect attendee information — names, email addresses, dietary requirements — you become a data controller under UK GDPR. This means you need a clear privacy policy explaining how data is used, you must not retain data longer than necessary, and attendees have the right to request access to or deletion of their data. Choose a ticketing platform that is UK GDPR compliant and stores data on UK or EU servers.

Payment protection and fraud

UK ticket fraud increased 47% in 2024, costing organisers an estimated £10 million. Protect yourself by using platforms with PCI-DSS compliant payment processing (Stripe and PayPal both qualify), avoiding platforms that hold funds for extended periods after your event, and enabling QR code check-in with one-scan enforcement — this prevents fraudulent duplicate tickets from working on the door.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Setting ticket price too high without offering an early bird tier — you lose early momentum
• Forgetting to add a cancellation and refund policy — legally required and builds buyer confidence
• Choosing a platform with post-event payouts when you have upfront venue or supplier costs
• Not collecting email addresses at checkout — this is your most valuable asset for future events
• Writing a thin event description — attendees need to understand what they're committing to before they pay
• Not setting a capacity limit — visible scarcity drives conversions