Calculate the real price of a ticket
Comparing two tickets on their face value alone is like comparing two grocery baskets on the price of a single item. To know what you'll really pay — and choose the best offer — you need to reconstruct the all-in total. The good news: the method takes just a few simple steps, with no complicated maths. Checkstickets walks you through it to get a ticket's real price and compare platforms on equal terms.
Why the calculation is essential
Two platforms can show the same face value yet charge you very different amounts, because of the fees added. Conversely, a slightly higher face value but lighter fees can come out ahead overall. Without reconstructing the final price, you can't compare honestly. It's the only figure that counts when you pay.
The method in five steps
- 1
Note the face value
Find the entry price shown on the listing, excluding fees. It's your starting point, in theory identical from one platform to the next.
- 2
List each fee line
On the payment screen, record the service, processing and delivery fees, one by one. Don't stop at the first interim total.
- 3
Tell per-ticket from per-order
Check which fees multiply with the number of tickets and which are fixed for the whole order. This is the step that avoids nasty surprises.
- 4
Add up for the right number of tickets
Multiply the "per ticket" fees and the face value by your quantity, then add the "per order" fees. You get the real total.
- 5
Compare that total across platforms
Redo the calculation on a second platform and compare the two final totals, never the face values alone.
A worked example to lock in the method
Let's take a purchase of two tickets and run the calculation. The amounts below are purely illustrative: they show how to add up, not how to represent a real offer. Note carefully the distinction between fees counted per ticket and those counted once for the order.
Reconstructing the total for 2 tickets (illustrative example)
| Item | Calculation method | Subtotal (×2) |
|---|---|---|
| Face value (€39.00 / ticket) | Per ticket | €78.00 |
| Service fee (€5.00 / ticket) | Per ticket | €10.00 |
| Processing fee (€1.50 / ticket) | Per ticket | €3.00 |
| Order fee (fixed) | Per order | €2.50 |
| E-ticket delivery | Per order | €0.00 |
| Real total to pay | — | €93.50 |
Illustrative figures for educational purposes only. They correspond to no platform or event: apply the method to the real amounts shown on the offer you're looking at.
The traps that distort the calculation
- Confusing the per-ticket price with the order total when buying for several people.
- Forgetting a fee item shown further down the payment screen.
- Comparing a face value with a final price already marked up on another platform.
- Overlooking the impact of the delivery method, which can add delivery fees.
- On a resale marketplace, forgetting that the price shown already includes the seller's margin.
FAQ
- How do I calculate the real price of a ticket?
- Add up the face value and all the fees shown — service, processing, delivery — for the exact number of tickets bought, telling apart the fees counted per ticket from those counted per order. The result is the real total, the only one to use when comparing two offers.
- Why distinguish per-ticket and per-order fees?
- Because some fees multiply with the number of tickets while others stay fixed for the whole order. If you don't tell the difference, you risk under- or over-estimating the total, especially when buying for several people. It's the most often overlooked step.
- Should I start from the face value or the price shown?
- In primary ticketing, start from the face value then add the fees. On a resale marketplace, start from the listing price, which already includes the seller's margin, then add the service fees. The starting point changes with the nature of the platform.
- Is the real price the same on every platform?
- No, and that's the whole point of the calculation. At equal face value, fees differ from one platform to the next, so the final total does too. Redoing the calculation on each platform is the only way to spot the genuinely cheapest offer.