Online Event Ticketing Software in Canada: Sell Tickets & Manage Fundraising Events

‍Online event ticketing software in Canada helps charities, non-profits, schools and community organizations sell tickets, collect guest information, process payments and manage fundraising events from one digital system.

Instead of tracking ticket purchases in one spreadsheet, guest details in another and event check-in on a printed list, organizers can manage more of the process online.

For fundraising events, ticketing can also be the beginning of the supporter experience.

A guest might purchase a ticket to a charity gala, join a table, check in at the venue and then participate in a silent auction, raffle where permitted or donation campaign.

The right event ticketing software online should therefore do more than process admission. It should help your team manage the journey from ticket purchase through event participation.

Here is how online event ticketing software works and what Canadian fundraising organizations should consider when choosing it.

What Is Online Event Ticketing Software?

Online event ticketing software is a web-based system that allows organizations to create, sell and manage event tickets digitally.

Organizers create an event page, add ticket options and make registration available online.

Supporters can visit the event page from a phone or computer, choose their ticket, provide the required information and complete payment when purchasing a paid ticket.

Depending on the software, organizers can also manage ticket capacity, table sales, guest invitations, registration questions, discounts, ticket transfers and event check-in.

For fundraising organizations, the software may also connect ticket holders directly with other fundraising activities.

This is particularly useful for events where admission is only one part of the overall campaign.

How Does Online Event Ticketing Software Work?

The process begins with setting up the event.

Organizers enter information such as the event name, venue, date, time and overall capacity.

The next step is creating ticket types.

For example, a Canadian charity gala might offer:

Early Bird Ticket: CA$125

General Admission: CA$150

VIP Ticket: CA$225

Table of 10: CA$1,500

Sponsor Table: Complimentary

Each ticket type can have its own price, description and availability.

The organization can then add registration questions, configure payment settings and publish the event page.

Supporters select their tickets and register online. Once ticket sales begin, organizers can monitor purchases and guest information through the ticketing system.

As event day approaches, that same information can be used to manage attendees and check-in.

Sell Event Tickets Online in Canada

One of the main reasons to use online event ticketing software is to make purchasing accessible from anywhere.

Supporters do not need to visit an office, call an organizer or wait for someone to manually confirm their registration.

They can open the event page, choose a ticket and complete the process online.

For Canadian fundraising organizations, this can be useful when supporters are spread across different cities or provinces.

A donor in Vancouver could purchase a table for a Toronto fundraising gala. A supporter could register for a school fundraiser from home. A corporate sponsor could purchase tickets without waiting for the fundraising team to manually process the request.

Online ticketing makes the event available wherever supporters can access the campaign.

Create Free and Paid Tickets

Not every attendee needs to purchase admission.

A fundraising event might include paid general admission tickets alongside complimentary tickets for sponsors, speakers, volunteers or invited guests.

Other events may be completely free but still need registration to manage capacity.

Online ticketing software should support the combination your organization needs.

GalaBid allows Canadian organizations to create both free and paid ticket types.

This gives event teams flexibility without requiring separate registration processes for different groups.

Create Multiple Ticket Types

Different attendees may need different ticket options.

A charity gala could offer early bird, general admission and VIP tickets.

A school fundraiser might have adult and student tickets.

A community event could offer standard admission and complimentary sponsor tickets.

Multiple ticket types allow the event organizer to control the price, quantity and purpose of each option.

Keep the choices clear.

Supporters should be able to understand what each ticket includes without having to compare long descriptions or complicated pricing structures.

Sell Individual Tickets and Full Tables

Fundraising galas and dinners often need more than individual ticket sales.

Corporate supporters, sponsors and larger groups may want to purchase an entire table.

This creates a different registration process.

The purchaser may know they need ten seats but may not know all ten guest names when buying the table.

GalaBid supports multi-seat table tickets so one purchaser can secure the table and assign guests afterward.

The purchaser can manage their guest list, send invitations and update assigned seats as plans change.

This can reduce the amount of manual follow-up required from the fundraising team.

Manage Table Guests Online

Table ticketing becomes much more useful when the purchaser can manage the people sitting at the table.

With GalaBid, table purchasers can assign individual seats to guests.

Invited guests receive an email and can accept or decline the invitation. They can also complete or update information associated with their registration.

If someone cannot attend, the purchaser can transfer the ticket to another guest.

For organizers, this creates a clearer view of who is actually attending rather than only showing the name of the person or company that purchased the table.

Manage Event Seating

Ticket sales tell you how many people are coming.

They do not necessarily tell you where everyone will sit.

For fundraising dinners and galas, seating management can become a separate administrative task.

GalaBid allows campaign administrators to create tables and assign guests to them.

Guests can be assigned automatically or manually moved between tables as the seating arrangement develops.

This can help event teams manage changing guest lists without maintaining a separate seating spreadsheet for every update.

Collect Registration Information

Different events require different attendee information.

A charity dinner may need meal choices.

A golf tournament may need participant information.

A school event may need details about the attendee group.

Custom registration questions can collect this information during the ticketing process.

Examples include:

What is your meal preference?

Do you have any dietary requirements?

Which organization are you attending with?

Do you require accessibility accommodations?

GalaBid allows organizers to create text, checkbox and multiple-choice questions and decide whether they are optional or required.

Questions can also be applied to particular ticket types.

Keep registration focused. Only collect information your team genuinely needs to organize the event.

Make Ticket Purchasing Mobile-Friendly

A large part of online ticketing happens on mobile devices.

A supporter may discover your event through an email, social media post, message or QR code and immediately open the ticket page on their phone.

The purchasing process should therefore be easy to complete without switching devices.

Before launching ticket sales, test the complete experience yourself.

Check how the event details appear, how easy it is to select a ticket, whether registration fields work correctly and whether payment can be completed without unnecessary steps.

A strong desktop experience is useful.

A strong mobile experience is essential for online ticket sales.

Accept Online Ticket Payments in Canadian Dollars

Canadian organizations should understand how payments are processed before choosing ticketing software.

Important questions include which payment processor is used, whether payments can be accepted in Canadian dollars, when funds are paid out and what processing fees apply.

With GalaBid, Canadian online ticket payments are processed through the organization's connected Stripe Canada account.

GalaBid does not hold the organization's ticket proceeds until after the event.

Payments settle through the connected Stripe account according to the organization's payout schedule.

Guests can pay using supported cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

This gives organizations a clear path between the ticket purchase and their own connected payment account.

Understand Ticketing and Processing Fees

Do not compare online event ticketing software based only on the headline price.

Different platforms can structure costs differently.

There may be platform charges, ticketing fees, payment-processing costs or fees for additional functionality.

Calculate the cost using your actual event.

A CA$25 community ticket and a CA$250 gala ticket can produce very different results under percentage-based pricing.

Also check whether processing fees can be absorbed by the organization or passed to purchasers where appropriate.

GalaBid provides options for managing applicable processing fees within the campaign.

Understanding these costs before tickets go on sale helps your organization set ticket pricing more accurately.

Add GST or HST Where Applicable

Some Canadian organizations may need to apply GST or HST to event tickets.

GalaBid allows applicable tax to be configured and added to ticket types.

The software provides the technical functionality, but it does not determine whether your specific ticket or event is taxable.

Your organization remains responsible for determining its tax position.

If there is uncertainty, confirm the appropriate treatment before launching ticket sales.

Create Event Ticket Discount Codes

Discount codes can support different ticketing strategies.

An organization might use an early bird discount to encourage earlier registration.

A sponsor could receive a dedicated code.

Volunteers or selected guests might receive a full discount on an otherwise paid ticket.

GalaBid supports percentage and flat-amount discount codes for paid event tickets, including 100% discounts.

Organizers can control which ticket types accept the code, how many times it can be used and how many discounted tickets can be purchased in one order.

This gives event teams more control over special pricing without creating an entirely separate event.

Create Private Ticket Options

Not every ticket needs to be publicly available.

An organization might need a ticket specifically for board members, sponsors, speakers or another selected group.

GalaBid allows ticket items to be hidden from the public campaign while still being accessible through a direct link.

The organizer can share that link only with the intended purchaser.

This provides a simple way to manage private ticket categories without displaying every option to the general public.

Send Digital Event Tickets

Digital ticket delivery reduces the need for physical tickets.

With GalaBid, once an invited guest accepts their invitation, their event ticket is issued and sent by email as a PDF.

The guest can keep the ticket on their phone or access the email when they arrive.

This also connects the ticket with the attendee record already managed by the event team.

For organizers, there is no need to print and distribute hundreds of physical tickets before the event.

Transfer Tickets When Guest Plans Change

Guest lists rarely remain unchanged.

Someone gets sick.

A corporate sponsor sends a different representative.

A table purchaser replaces one attendee with another.

Ticket-transfer functionality allows the assigned guest to be changed without rebuilding the entire purchase.

GalaBid allows ticket purchasers and campaign administrators to transfer tickets to another guest.

The new guest can then receive the appropriate invitation and ticket.

Keeping these changes inside the ticketing software helps maintain a more accurate attendee list.

Allow Invoice Requests When Required

Some corporate supporters may not be able to pay immediately by card.

Their accounting department may require an invoice before payment can be approved.

GalaBid can support an invoice-request option for eligible ticket setups when the feature is enabled.

This can be useful for corporate table purchases, sponsorship-related tickets or other transactions where the purchaser's internal payment process differs from a standard online checkout.

The organization should decide in advance how requested invoices and offline payments will be managed.

Track Ticket Sales and Guest Status

Online ticketing software should help the event team understand more than how many tickets have been sold.

Organizers may also need to know which tickets are assigned, which guests have accepted or declined invitations and who has arrived.

GalaBid tracks ticket and guest information through the campaign dashboard.

This gives organizers a more current view of attendance as the event approaches.

Instead of repeatedly combining information from emails and spreadsheets, the team can work from the ticketing data already connected with the campaign.

Manage Event Check-In

Ticketing software should remain useful when event day arrives.

Check-in is often the first direct interaction attendees have with the event team.

If hundreds of guests arrive within a short period, organizers need a fast way to find registrations and record attendance.

GalaBid allows event staff to check guests in through the campaign dashboard or volunteer accounts.

Staff can search for attendees using mobile devices such as phones or tablets and update their check-in status.

Attendance progress can then be viewed through the system.

Use QR Codes for Event Check-In

QR-code check-in provides another way to process arrivals.

GalaBid event tickets include a QR code that can be scanned by authorized event staff through a volunteer account.

The guest presents the ticket received by email, and the staff member scans it to complete the check-in process.

Organizers can also search for a guest manually when needed.

Having both options can be useful when managing a busy registration area.

Give Volunteers Appropriate Access

Fundraising events frequently rely on volunteers.

Those volunteers may need to check in guests without needing full administrator access to the campaign.

GalaBid volunteer accounts allow event staff to perform relevant event tasks such as guest check-in.

This provides a more practical setup than sharing one administrator account among everyone working at the registration desk.

Before the event, organizers should still train volunteers and test the process they will use.

Connect Ticketing With a Silent Auction

For a fundraising event, the supporter journey should not necessarily stop once a ticket has been purchased.

A gala attendee may also want to bid in the silent auction.

If the auction operates in a completely separate system, attendees may have to register again before placing their first bid.

GalaBid can connect event ticketing with fundraising activities in the same campaign.

Once a ticket holder or assigned guest completes their registration, they can be ready to participate in available auction activity.

This can reduce duplicate registration and keep more of the event experience together.

Connect Ticketing With Donations

Not every supporter will want to bid.

Some may simply want to make an additional contribution to the cause.

Connecting event ticketing with donation functionality gives attendees another way to participate in the fundraiser.

The organization can communicate the fundraising goal throughout the event and direct supporters to the same campaign they already used for registration.

For Canadian registered charities, the organization remains responsible for determining whether a payment qualifies for an official donation receipt and what amount, if any, is eligible.

A ticket purchase should not automatically be treated as a charitable donation.

Connect Ticketing With Raffles

Fundraising events may also include raffles.

GalaBid can combine event ticketing with raffle functionality within the same fundraising campaign.

Registered attendees can then access available fundraising activities without starting from an unrelated registration process.

Canadian organizations must still confirm that they have the required permissions to conduct a raffle.

Raffles and other gaming activities are regulated in Canada, and requirements can vary by province, territory and municipality.

Ticketing or raffle software does not replace those requirements.

Online Ticketing for Charity Galas

Charity galas are a strong example of why fundraising ticketing can require more than standard admission software.

One gala might need individual tickets, tables, sponsor seats, meal choices, guest invitations, seating assignments and check-in.

Once guests arrive, the event may also include silent auctions, donations, live fundraising or raffles where permitted.

Using software that connects ticketing with those activities can reduce the number of separate systems the event team needs to manage.

Online Ticketing for Golf Tournaments

Fundraising golf tournaments can involve individual registrations, teams, sponsors and post-tournament events.

Different ticket categories can help organizers separate registration types.

Custom fields can collect participant information, while table or multi-ticket functionality may help with group registrations where appropriate.

If the tournament includes an auction, dinner or donation campaign, connecting those activities with ticket registration can simplify the participant experience.

Online Ticketing for School Fundraisers

Schools and parent organizations may need ticketing for fundraising dinners, performances, auctions, community events and other activities.

Some events require paid admission.

Others simply need free registration so organizers know how many people will attend.

Online event ticketing software can support both.

For volunteer-led organizations, ease of setup and event-day use should be an important consideration.

What to Look for in Event Ticketing Software Online

The best software is not necessarily the platform with the longest feature list.

It is the software that fits your event.

For a Canadian fundraising organization, useful capabilities may include free and paid tickets, multiple ticket types, table sales, guest management, custom registration fields, CAD payments, mobile checkout, discounts, ticket transfers, event check-in, reporting and integration with fundraising activities.

Consider the entire event workflow.

Think about what happens before the ticket purchase, during registration, between purchase and event day, when guests arrive and while fundraising activities are taking place.

The software should make those stages easier to manage rather than adding unnecessary steps.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing Online Event Ticketing Software

Before choosing a system, determine whether it can handle the specific requirements of your event.

Can you create both free and paid tickets? Can you sell individual tickets and complete tables? Can purchasers manage their own guests? Can you collect custom registration information? Can you accept Canadian dollar payments? Can supporters purchase comfortably from a phone? Can you create discounts and private ticket options? Can tickets be transferred? Can staff check guests in digitally? Can volunteers use controlled accounts? Can attendees move from ticket registration into your fundraising activities?

Also understand the payment structure.

Know which processor handles the money, what fees apply and when your organization receives its ticket revenue.

These questions provide a more useful comparison than choosing software based on one advertised feature.

How GalaBid Supports Online Event Ticketing in Canada

GalaBid provides event ticketing and check-in tools built for fundraising events.

Canadian charities, non-profits, schools, foundations and community organizations can create free and paid tickets, individual tickets and table tickets from the same campaign.

Organizers can add custom registration questions, manage guest invitations, create tables, assign seating and track attendee status.

Table purchasers can manage their own guests, while ticket transfers make it easier to handle attendee changes.

Canadian online payments are processed through the organization's connected Stripe Canada account. Supporters can pay using supported cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and GalaBid does not hold the organization's ticket revenue until after the event.

On event day, staff and volunteers can manage check-in from mobile devices, with manual guest search and QR-code scanning available.

Most importantly for fundraising organizations, ticketing does not have to operate separately from the fundraiser.

GalaBid ticketing can be used on its own or alongside auctions, donations and raffles where permitted within the same campaign.

This means the ticket purchase can become the first step in the supporter experience rather than an isolated transaction.

Online Event Ticketing Software FAQs

What is online event ticketing software?

Online event ticketing software is a web-based system that allows organizations to create tickets, accept registrations, process payments, manage guests and handle event check-in digitally.

Can nonprofits sell event tickets online in Canada?

Yes. Canadian non-profits, charities, schools and community organizations can use online ticketing software for galas, fundraising dinners, golf tournaments, school events and other activities.

Can I sell both individual tickets and tables?

Yes. GalaBid supports individual tickets and multi-seat table tickets. Table purchasers can assign seats and manage their invited guests.

Can I offer free tickets?

Yes. GalaBid allows organizations to create free as well as paid ticket types.

Can I collect meal preferences during registration?

Yes. GalaBid supports custom text, multiple-choice and checkbox questions that can be used to collect information such as meal choices and dietary requirements.

Can I create discount codes for event tickets?

Yes. GalaBid supports percentage and flat-amount discount codes for paid tickets, including 100% discounts.

Can guests transfer their event tickets?

Yes. GalaBid allows tickets to be transferred when the original attendee can no longer participate.

Can event staff check guests in from a phone?

Yes. GalaBid allows event staff and authorized volunteers to manage guest check-in using mobile devices.

Does GalaBid support QR-code event check-in?

Yes. Authorized event staff using a volunteer account can scan the QR code included with a guest's ticket. Guests can also be located manually when required.

How are Canadian ticket payments processed?

Online ticket payments are processed through the organization's connected Stripe Canada account. Payouts then follow the organization's Stripe payout schedule.

Does GalaBid hold event ticket revenue?

No. GalaBid does not hold the organization's ticket proceeds until after the event. Payments are processed through the connected Stripe Canada account.

Can event ticketing connect with a silent auction?

Yes. GalaBid ticketing can operate within the same campaign as available auction functionality, allowing registered event guests to participate in fundraising activities without starting again in an unrelated system.

Do supporters need to download an app?

No. GalaBid is browser-based, so supporters can access the campaign from a compatible phone or computer without downloading a dedicated GalaBid app.

Sell Tickets Online and Manage More of Your Fundraising Event

The right online event ticketing software in Canada should make the entire event easier to manage, not just the initial ticket sale.

Your organization should be able to create ticket types, sell individual seats and tables, collect guest information, process online payments, manage attendee changes and prepare for check-in from one clear workflow.

For fundraising events, ticketing should also connect supporters with the reason they are attending.

GalaBid brings event ticketing, guest management, check-in and fundraising functionality together so Canadian organizations can manage more of the event without moving supporters between disconnected systems.

Whether you are organizing a charity gala, golf tournament, school fundraiser or community event, your ticketing software should make registration straightforward for supporters and event management easier for your team.

Sell tickets online and manage your next Canadian fundraising event with GalaBid.