Promoter per-head fee vs percentage.

Worked example

At a $20 ticket, 10% is $2.00 a head against a $2.00 flat offer, so the two are equal at exactly that price, which is why the crossover matters: raise the ticket to $25 and the percentage pays $2.50 a head; lower it to $15 and it pays $1.50. With 150 heads, 5% refunds and 3% organizer fees, gross percentage pays $285.00, net percentage $276.45, flat $285.00 and tiered $327.50.

Methodology

Paid heads = heads × (1 − refunds). Gross percentage = paid heads × price × rate. Net percentage applies the rate after organizer-side processing. Flat = paid heads × fee. Tiered = gross percentage + bonus × paid heads above the threshold. The crossover price = flat fee ÷ percentage rate, and it ignores refunds because refunds scale both deals equally.

Which structure suits which night

A flat fee protects you when the ticket price may be cut for promotions or early-bird tiers; a percentage rewards you when prices rise or sell-outs allow a higher price. A net percentage trades some of your upside for the organizer covering fees first. A tier adds a reason to push past the threshold. Which is better depends on price, volume and trust in the organizer’s reporting. Also compare effort: use the hourly comparison to see what each payout means per hour worked, and the full commission calculator to add spend and guest-list pay.

What this page does not cover

• Typical or advertised promoter rates; both offers are your inputs.
• Bar spend, table minimums and guest-list pay; see the commission calculator.
• Contract terms such as payment timing, clawbacks and exclusivity.
• Taxes on the payout.

Sources (retrieved October 2026)

• Ticket Fairy: Referenced only as one ticketing platform that advertises referral features for buyers and organizers; no commission rate is claimed. Retrieved October 2026.
• Posh (posh.vip): Referenced only as one event platform whose footer lists organizer and referral terms; no rate is claimed and the terms were not read for this page. Retrieved October 2026.

Every other number on this page is an input you type or a labelled example. Platform fees change and differ by category, so confirm them on the platform before relying on a result.

FAQ

Is a per-head fee better than a percentage?

Neither always. Compare them at your expected ticket price and head count with this table; they are equal at flat fee divided by percentage rate.

How do I convert a percentage to a per-head amount?

Multiply the ticket price by the rate. 10% of a $20 ticket is $2.00 a head.

Do refunds change the comparison?

They reduce paid heads for both deals equally, so they change the totals but not the crossover price.

What does a net percentage mean?

The rate applies after the organizer-side fees are removed from ticket sales, so it is lower than the same rate on gross.

Are these rates typical?

No. They are examples; use your own offers.