Ticketing fees: how we compare them
Fees are the most decisive — and most opaque — criterion of online ticketing. They're added to the ticket's face price and can weigh heavily on the total. This page explains what these fees cover, how we assess their transparency and how the platforms stack up against each other. We work in levels and scores: no euro amount is given, because the scales vary depending on the event.
What are we talking about?
The shown price of a ticket is almost never the final price. Several fees can be added: per-ticket service fees, per-order booking fees, fees tied to the delivery method, and sometimes options added to the basket. Our 'fees' criterion doesn't judge the absolute level — impossible to fix outside a specific event — but the readability: does the user see the total to pay, clearly, before confirming?
The types of fees to watch
| Type of fee | What it covers | When it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Service fees | The distributor's commission, per ticket | At selection or in the basket |
| Booking fees | Fixed fees per order | In the basket / summary |
| Delivery fees | Tied to the ticket delivery method | When choosing the delivery method |
| Added options | Insurance, premium e-ticket, etc. | Pre-ticked or offered in the basket |
A reading guide. The presence and weight of each fee depend on the event and the organiser.
Our assessment method
For each platform, we look at three things: at which moment of the journey the fees appear, whether the total to pay is visible before confirmation, and whether any options are pre-ticked by default. The clearer and earlier the final total is shown, the higher the transparency score. A platform that reveals fees only at the last step is penalised, even if its face price looks attractive.
Fee transparency: scores by platform (out of 100)
Fee transparency comparison
| Platform | Display of the total | Score /5 |
|---|---|---|
| OWTicket | Total highlighted before payment | 4.3 |
| See Tickets | Total visible before confirmation; variable share | 3.6 |
| Fnac Spectacles | Total shown; variable share depending on the event | 3.5 |
| Eventim | Total shown; sometimes high share depending on the market | 3.4 |
Qualitative assessment by Tickets Compare, focused on the readability of the total and not on the absolute level of fees.
Why no euro amounts
We don't publish numbered fee scales: fees change from one event, one seating category and one market to the next. Showing an amount would give a false precision and would age quickly. Comparing transparency — that is, a platform's ability to show the real total at the right moment — is more useful and more stable over time.