Best Charity Event Ticketing Platforms UK (2026)

Ticketing fees are one of the quietest costs in charity events. On a 200-guest gala at £50 a head, the difference between platforms can be several hundred pounds, money that either reaches your cause or disappears in per-ticket charges. And for fundraising events, ticketing is rarely the whole job: the same guests need to bid, buy raffle tickets and donate on the night.

This guide compares the best event ticketing platforms for UK charities, schools and clubs in 2026, with fees in pounds, payout arrangements and the features that matter for fundraising events specifically.

Quick comparison

What UK fundraisers should look for

Fees per ticket, and who pays them. Percentage fees grow with your ticket price: a £50 gala ticket costs far more to sell on a 7% platform than a £10 quiz night ticket. Flat per-ticket fees favour higher-priced events. Most platforms let you pass fees to the buyer or absorb them, and VAT may be added on top of quoted fees. Model your actual event before comparing headlines.

Charity rates. Several platforms discount for registered charities, so always register your charity number when you set up.

Where the money goes. Some platforms pay out after the event; others route sales directly to your organisation's own Stripe account as tickets sell. For events with upfront costs (venue deposits, catering), getting ticket revenue as it comes in matters.

More than admission. For fundraising events, check what happens after the ticket: guest registration and check-in, table management, and whether ticket buyers flow straight into your auction, raffle and donations without registering twice. A general ticketing platform handles the door; a fundraising platform handles the night.

Gift Aid. Ticket purchases do not qualify for Gift Aid, because the buyer receives something in return. Donations captured alongside ticket sales can qualify, so a platform that handles both properly is worth having.

1. GalaBid

GalaBid's event ticketing is built for fundraising events rather than general admission. Tickets are sold through the same campaign that runs your silent auction, raffle, donations and paddle raise, so guests register once and everything is connected: check-in on the night, table management for gala dinners, and every ticket buyer already set up to bid and give.

The standard plan is free, funded by optional supporter tips at checkout, with fee-based plans available for organisations that prefer no tipping. Ticket revenue goes directly to your organisation through Stripe as sales happen: GalaBid never holds your funds. Digital tickets are delivered by email and text with QR codes for entry.

Fees: Free on the standard plan (optional supporter tips); fee-based plans available. Best for: Gala dinners, charity balls and any ticketed event with fundraising attached.

2. Eventbrite

Eventbrite is the biggest name in self-service ticketing, with a discovery marketplace that can put your event in front of people searching for things to do. For public events where reach matters, that visibility is its main advantage.

UK fees are 6.95% plus £0.59 per paid ticket, with payment processing included and VAT added to the fee unless you supply a VAT ID. Fees are passed to the buyer by default or absorbed by you. On a £50 gala ticket that is over £4 per ticket before VAT, which makes Eventbrite an expensive way to sell higher-priced charity event tickets. Free events are free, and there are no charity-specific rates or fundraising features.

Fees: 6.95% plus £0.59 per paid ticket (plus VAT on the fee). Best for: Public events that benefit from marketplace discovery.

3. TicketSource

TicketSource is a UK ticketing platform popular with theatres, community venues and charities. It is free for organisers, with a booking fee of around 7% including VAT (minimum 25p) normally passed to the buyer, and a lower rate if you process payments through your own Stripe account. Registered charities get discounted booking fees, and if an event is cancelled, customers are refunded in full including booking fees.

Its strengths are practical: interactive seating plans, a telephone box office for less digital audiences, ticket printing, and donation capture with Gift Aid support (a 5% admin fee applies to card donations). It is admission-focused, so fundraising beyond the door needs other tools.

Fees: Around 7% incl VAT booking fee, typically paid by the buyer; charity discounts available. Best for: Community venues and events needing seating plans or phone bookings.

4. Ticket Tailor

Ticket Tailor is a UK-founded, B-Corp certified platform with a flat-fee model: around 60p plus VAT per ticket pay-as-you-go, dropping substantially with prepaid credits, and registered charities get 50% off all fees. Because the fee is flat rather than a percentage, it gets cheaper relative to ticket price, which suits higher-priced charity dinners well.

Payments go directly to your own Stripe, PayPal or Square account as tickets sell, so there is no waiting for a payout. Free tickets are free within generous limits. It is a pure ticketing tool, so auctions, raffles and donations need separate platforms.

Fees: Flat fee around 60p plus VAT per ticket; 50% charity discount. Best for: Charities that want simple, low-cost ticketing with direct payouts.

5. Humanitix

Humanitix is a not-for-profit ticketing platform from Australia and New Zealand, now operating in the UK, that donates its profits from booking fees to children's charities. UK fees are around 4.67% plus 46p per paid ticket (excluding VAT), and free events are free.

For charities, the appeal is that even the booking fee does good. The trade-off is that it remains a percentage-based fee on your ticket price, and like the other general platforms it handles admission rather than fundraising.

Fees: Around 4.67% plus 46p per paid ticket (excl VAT); fees fund children's charities. Best for: Organisations that want their ticketing fees to support a good cause.

6. Zeffy

Zeffy is a Canadian fundraising platform that launched in the UK in October 2025, offering ticketing alongside donation forms, raffles, auctions and a CRM with no platform or transaction fees. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions requested from supporters at checkout.

One thing to weigh: there is no fee-based plan, so tipping cannot be turned off. At the time of writing, the suggested contribution on a Zeffy checkout typically starts at 17% of the transaction, and choosing a lower amount takes an extra step. On a £50 gala ticket that is a suggested £8.50 on top, so run a test transaction and check what your guests will see before committing.

Fees: No platform fees; supporters are asked for a voluntary contribution at checkout.Best for: Small charities running simple ticketed events online.

Which ticketing platform is best for UK charity events?

For public events that need discovery, Eventbrite's marketplace earns its fee. For community venues, TicketSource's seating plans and phone box office are hard to beat. For straightforward low-cost ticketing, Ticket Tailor's flat fee with the 50% charity discount is excellent value, and Humanitix adds a charitable angle to a similar job. For ticketed fundraising events, where the ticket is the start of the night rather than the whole of it, GalaBid connects ticketing, check-in, tables, auction, raffle and donations in one campaign with no platform fee and funds paid directly to your account.

Running an auction or raffle with your event? See our UK comparisons of silent auction software and raffle platforms

Start ticketing free with GalaBid

FAQs

How much do ticketing platforms charge in the UK?Anywhere from nothing to around 7% plus fixed fees per ticket, with VAT often added on top. Percentage fees cost more as ticket prices rise; flat fees suit higher-priced events. GalaBid's standard plan has no platform fee.

Can we claim Gift Aid on event tickets?No. HMRC treats a ticket as payment for attendance, so Gift Aid does not apply. Donations made alongside a ticket purchase can qualify in the usual way.

Who pays the booking fee, us or our guests?Most platforms let you choose: pass fees to the buyer at checkout or absorb them in the ticket price. Either way the money comes out of the event, so compare total cost rather than who is billed.

When do we receive our ticket money?It varies. Some platforms pay out on a schedule after the event; GalaBid and Ticket Tailor route payments directly to your own account as tickets sell, which helps with upfront event costs.

Can guests buy tickets and then bid in our auction with one registration?On GalaBid, yes. Ticket buyers are registered into the campaign, so on the night they can bid, buy raffle tickets and donate without signing up again.

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