All Inclusive Pricing in TicketsCandy

TicketsCandy includes mandatory buyer fees in the prices customers see before checkout. This applies across all supported countries and to online sales and POS. When applicable tax is included in the displayed price, buyers can also see its amount beside the price.

You still control whether to pass fees to buyers, set a custom fee, or absorb fees, subject to the options available in your country. Your tax settings control which purchases are taxed, whether buyer fees are taxed, and whether tax appears in the displayed price.

This guide explains those choices, why some behavior has changed, and what to review before selling. The regional guidance reflects sources checked on October 21, 2026.

Why TicketsCandy uses all inclusive prices #

All events selling tickets on TicketsCandy must show all-inclusive pricing. We are making this change globally because price-transparency laws and regulations require mandatory costs to be disclosed upfront, and this requirement applies across all of our supported countries. Organizers cannot switch back to advertising a lower price and adding mandatory buyer fees only at checkout.

For example, if a ticket has a $20 base price and a $2 buyer fee, its displayed price includes that fee: $22 before any applicable tax. The fee can still appear in a breakdown, but it is already part of the $22.

TicketsCandy uses one consistent all-inclusive pricing approach across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia, and Spain. The laws are not identical in every country. In particular, tax-display requirements differ. The US federal rule for live-event tickets allows certain government taxes to be disclosed later, before payment. Canadian federal guidance also distinguishes government-imposed taxes from mandatory business fees. Other markets generally require applicable tax in consumer prices, and provincial or state rules can add requirements.

Our global rule is that mandatory buyer fees are included upfront for every event. The separate Price display setting must be used according to the rules that apply to your sales.

Remember to review prices on your own website, social posts, emails, printed advertising, and box-office signs. Updating prices inside TicketsCandy does not update those materials.

Where to manage fees and taxes #

Sales channel	Where to manage it	What it applies to
Online sales	Event Dashboard > Event Settings > Payments	Online purchases and Pay at the Door bookings.
In-person sales	Sell In-Person > POS Settings	Orders created through TicketsCandy POS, including supported Square Terminal, Stand, and Reader workflows.

Online and POS configurations remain separate. Review both if you sell through both channels.

Within each channel, the selected fee option applies across the event’s eligible purchases. It does not switch when a buyer chooses a different payment method.

Choosing a fee option #

A buyer fee is an amount charged to the customer in addition to the underlying item price. It is included in the price displayed to that customer.

This is different from the fees Square or TicketsCandy deducts from your proceeds. The buyer-facing fee follows your event settings. Your actual payment-processing cost can depend on the payment method and your merchant account.

Fee option	What the customer pays	How your costs are covered
Pass Fees On	The item price plus automatically calculated buyer fees, with applicable tax handled according to your settings.	TicketsCandy calculates the buyer fee using the applicable platform and standard processing rates used by its pricing calculator.
Custom Fees	The item price plus your configured custom fee, with applicable tax handled according to your settings.	You choose the fee. Processing and platform costs are still deducted as applicable, so your custom fee may cover more or less than those costs.
Absorb Fees	No separate buyer fee is added. Applicable tax still follows your tax settings.	You cover applicable processing and platform costs from your proceeds.

Only one fee option applies at a time within each sales channel. In Spain, only Absorb Fees is available.

Pass Fees On #

Choose this option when you want TicketsCandy to calculate the buyer fee automatically. Customers see a price that already includes the fee, and the order summary explains the amounts.

The calculation considers more than a simple percentage of the base ticket price. Processing fees can also apply to money collected for fees and tax, and a fixed processing component may be shared across several items in one order.

Pass Fees On is intended to recover the costs used by the calculator. It is not a guarantee of an identical net payout for every payment method or merchant arrangement. For example, when an online buyer chooses Afterpay or Clearpay, the buyer’s fee stays the same, but you cover the difference between the standard processing rate used by TicketsCandy and Square’s higher applicable rate. See payment options and Afterpay.

Custom Fees #

Choose this option to set your own buyer-fee percentage. Your custom fee replaces the automatic passed fee; it is not added on top of Pass Fees On.

If your goal is to recover costs, allow for applicable TicketsCandy fees, Square processing costs, and any other costs you intend the fee to cover. A single percentage will not match every order precisely. A fixed processing charge has a larger effect on a small purchase than on a large one.

You may need a higher percentage to cover low-value orders, which can mean collecting more than the actual costs on larger orders. Test several ticket prices and quantities before choosing your rate. Describe the fee accurately and follow any local restrictions on its amount or purpose.

Absorb Fees #

Choose this option when you want to cover the applicable costs yourself. Customers will not see a separate buyer-fee amount, although any applicable tax can still appear.

Absorbing fees does not remove the costs charged by TicketsCandy or Square. Those costs reduce your proceeds. You can account for them when choosing your ticket prices.

Why fees also apply to Pay at the Door and cash #

Fees apply regardless of payment method. If Pass Fees On or Custom Fees is selected, the applicable buyer fee remains part of the order when a customer selects Pay at the Door online or pays cash through a supported TicketsCandy POS workflow, including Square Terminal.

Pay at the Door changes when payment is collected. It does not remove the fee from the online booking.

Similarly, a cash payment does not remove the configured POS buyer fee. Square itself does not charge a card-processing fee for recording a cash payment, but TicketsCandy’s event pricing does not change at the payment-method step. See Square’s fee guidance.

Keeping the fee consistent supports clear upfront pricing and avoids turning it into an extra charge triggered by a particular payment choice. For example, UK trading standards guidance distinguishes a booking fee that applies regardless of payment method from a prohibited consumer-card surcharge.

To stop adding a buyer fee, select Absorb Fees for the relevant channel. There is no separate exception that removes the configured fee only for cash or Pay at the Door.

Understanding Multi-item savings #

When Pass Fees On is enabled, TicketsCandy automatically calculates the buyer fee using a formula that accounts for platform fees, Square processing, and applicable tax. The goal is to cover the standard fees used by the calculator so you keep your base ticket revenue after those fees are deducted.

The tricky part is Square’s fixed processing charge, where one applies. It is charged once per payment, rather than once per ticket. Because a customer might buy just one ticket, each ticket’s displayed price initially includes enough to cover that fixed charge.

When a customer buys several eligible tickets together, TicketsCandy recalculates the fees during checkout and removes the duplicated fixed-fee amount. This appears as Multi-item savings in the Order Summary.

Multi-item savings does not reduce your base ticket revenue or take money out of your margin. Although it appears as a deduction from the order total, it is a fee adjustment, not a promotional discount. It only removes excess buyer fees so the customer pays the correct amount for the combined order.

Each ticket’s displayed price stays the same, with mandatory fees included upfront. The Order Summary shows the fee adjustment separately, making it clear why buying several tickets together costs less than buying them individually.

For a simple example, suppose three ticket prices each include $0.30 toward a fixed cost that only needs to be covered once. Together they include $0.90, so $0.60 is removed from the fees. Actual savings can differ because the full calculation also accounts for percentage fees, tax, and rounding.

Multi-item savings can also make checkout feel more rewarding. Customers see savings applied automatically when they buy several tickets, which can help them feel they are getting better value and may encourage them to complete the purchase. These savings come from recalculating the combined fees, so you keep your base ticket revenue without funding a promotional discount.

Can I remove Multi-item savings #

Multi-item savings is part of Pass Fees On whenever an order needs this adjustment. There is no separate switch to remove it. Removing the adjustment would leave the customer paying more than the intended passed fees.

If you prefer to set a fee without this adjustment, choose Custom Fees and select your own percentage to cover the costs you want to recover. Allow enough to cover smaller orders, understanding that the result will not precisely match every order’s actual costs.

Absorb Fees also has no Multi-item savings adjustment, because no buyer fee is added.

Why Spain only offers Absorb Fees #

TicketsCandy makes Absorb Fees the only fee option for events in Spain because Spanish rules place additional conditions on ticket booking and handling charges.

According to Spain’s consumer ministry guidance:

• An additional charge must relate to a service received by the buyer. It cannot simply transfer the cost of a service provided exclusively to the event organizer.
• Mandatory charges and applicable taxes must be included in the advertised final price, with the additional charges also itemized.
• Fees cannot vary with the ticket price or be calculated as a percentage of it unless additional services to the buyer justify that difference.
• Higher online charges than those for an in-person purchase also need justification through additional buyer services.

These conditions are stricter than simply including a fee in the total or charging it across all payment methods.

Spanish law does not ban every possible booking fee. TicketsCandy’s Absorb Fees restriction is a platform policy that avoids offering automatic and custom buyer-fee models that may not satisfy those conditions.

Set your ticket price to account for your business costs and configure any applicable tax. Do not add a separate mandatory charge outside TicketsCandy to work around the restriction.

Setting up taxes #

Start by confirming whether your organization must collect tax on the sales you make. Location alone does not determine the answer. The event type, products sold, registration status, exemptions, and local rules can all matter.

Enable taxes and enter the rate #

Enable tax collection when your sales require it, then enter the applicable percentage. For example, enter 10 for a 10% rate.

Do not copy a rate from an example in this article. Use the rate confirmed for your event and the items you sell.

If tax does not apply, leave it disabled for those sales. Do not charge VAT or GST simply because your country uses that tax. For example, UK rules require VAT registration before charging VAT. If you are required to register, address that obligation rather than leaving tax off.

Taxable items #

Choose where to apply the configured tax using these two options:

• Tickets: Covers all ticket-related items, including regular tickets, seated tickets, addons, passes, bundles, donations, and similar items.
• Products: Covers products sold through your event.

You can apply tax to Tickets, Products, or both. All items within each group follow that group’s setting. Passes, bundles, and donations do not have separate tax settings here. Confirm the appropriate setup with your local tax adviser.

Tax on buyer fees #

This setting controls whether the buyer fee is included in the amount used to calculate tax.

Setting	Calculation
Charge tax on buyer fees	Tax applies to the selected item prices and their associated buyer fees, using the configured tax rate.
Do not charge tax on buyer fees	Tax applies to the selected item prices. Their buyer fees are excluded from the taxable amount.

For Pass Fees On, buyer fees include the applicable TicketsCandy component and the amount collected to cover Square processing. For Custom Fees, the taxable buyer fee is the configured custom fee. Costs absorbed by the organizer are not added again as a separate taxable buyer fee.

The setting follows Taxable items. If only Tickets is selected, choosing Charge tax on buyer fees also taxes the fees associated with tickets; it does not make unselected products or their fees taxable.

With Absorb Fees, there is no separate buyer fee to tax, so this setting has no effect.

Selecting Charge tax on buyer fees applies the same configured rate to selected items and their fees. If your adviser says a fee needs a different rate, or must be taxed even though its associated item is exempt, this setting alone cannot represent that treatment. Confirm a supported setup with TicketsCandy before selling.

Price display #

This setting controls where tax is shown, not whether it is charged.

Setting	What customers see
Include tax in displayed prices	Applicable tax is included in the displayed item price. The description shows the included tax amount, and the Order Summary provides the breakdown.
Show tax only in the order summary	The displayed item price includes buyer fees but excludes tax. Applicable tax is added in the Order Summary before the purchase is completed.

Changing the Price display option alone does not change the tax calculation or the final amount owed. When tax is already included, the tax line in the summary is a breakdown, not a second charge.

Selecting Show tax only in the order summary does not make tax-exclusive advertising lawful. Choose Include tax in displayed prices wherever applicable tax must be included in consumer prices.

The Price display setting also does not turn a tax-inclusive price you typed into a tax-exclusive base price. Review the displayed result when setting your item prices so you do not unintentionally add tax to an amount that you already intended to include it.

How the two tax settings work together #

Assume a $20 ticket, a $2 custom buyer fee, and 10% example tax. These numbers illustrate the settings; they are not a recommended tax rate.

Tax on buyer fees	Price display	Displayed price	Tax in summary	Customer owes
Do not charge tax on buyer fees	Show tax only in the order summary	$22.00	$2.00	$24.00
Do not charge tax on buyer fees	Include tax in displayed prices	$24.00	$2.00	$24.00
Charge tax on buyer fees	Show tax only in the order summary	$22.00	$2.20	$24.20
Charge tax on buyer fees	Include tax in displayed prices	$24.20	$2.20	$24.20

Taxing the buyer fee changes the amount owed. Changing only where tax is displayed does not.

With Pass Fees On, changing whether buyer fees are taxed can also change the automatically calculated fee, because the calculator accounts for the resulting processing cost.

Orders containing taxable and untaxed items #

Only the groups selected under Taxable items enter the tax calculation. Their associated fees are also included when you select Charge tax on buyer fees. When eligible items share a fixed processing component, TicketsCandy allocates that component across them and accounts for Multi-item savings. Only the portion associated with taxable items is included in the fee-tax calculation.

You do not need to divide the processing charge manually.

Reading the price breakdown #

A price description such as (incl. $0.51 fee & $1.03 tax) explains amounts already included in the displayed price. The customer is not charged those amounts again.

What is included	Example description
Buyer fee and tax	(incl. $0.51 fee & $1.03 tax)
Buyer fee only	(incl. $0.51 fee)
Tax only	(incl. $1.03 tax)
Neither	No fee or tax description.

If tax is enabled and Show tax only in the order summary is selected, only the included fee appears in this description. The tax amount remains in the Order Summary.

The fee amount excludes event tax. The tax amount reflects the Taxable items and Tax on buyer fees settings.

Wording, currency, and formatting follow the event’s location and language. For example:

• United Kingdom: (incl. £0.51 fee & £1.03 VAT)
• Australia: (incl. A$0.51 fee & A$1.03 GST)
• France in French: (dont 0,54 € de frais & 1,03 € de TVA)
• A US event displayed in Spanish: (incl. $0.51 de comisión & $1.03 de impuesto)

These are wording examples, not linked tax calculations. Translating an event does not change its currency or tax jurisdiction. Spanish text does not automatically make the tax IVA.

The Order Summary brings together item amounts, buyer fees, applicable savings, and tax to show the amount owed. Its tax and fee lines explain the total; they are not added twice. Where separate fees or taxes must be itemized, a short combined description does not replace that detailed breakdown.

Suggested settings by location #

The following suggestions are starting points for discussion with your adviser, not automatic tax instructions. They assume you have confirmed that tax applies. Do not turn taxes on for exempt sales merely to match a country row.

The examples focus on ordinary consumer sales. They are not a complete list of state, provincial, local, or industry-specific requirements. Rates are intentionally not listed because the correct rate can depend on the event and what is being sold.

Country	Suggested Price display option	What to confirm
United States	Include tax in displayed prices gives customers a price including configured tax. Show tax only in the order summary may be permitted for government taxes, subject to state and local rules.	Confirm taxable admissions, products, local taxes, and whether buyer fees are taxable. The FTC rule requires mandatory fees upfront for covered live-event tickets and permits certain government taxes to be disclosed before payment.
Canada	Select Include tax in displayed prices as the consistent starting point, especially for Ontario and British Columbia ticket offers.	Confirm GST/HST registration, place-of-supply rules, and any applicable provincial tax. Federal drip-pricing rules allow government tax exclusions, but provincial ticket rules can go further.
United Kingdom	Select Include tax in displayed prices for consumer sales with applicable VAT.	Confirm VAT registration, the rate or exemption for the admission, and the VAT treatment of buyer fees. CMA guidance requires unavoidable charges, including applicable VAT, in the upfront total.
Ireland	Select Include tax in displayed prices for consumer sales with applicable VAT.	Confirm the admission’s VAT treatment and whether the fee is part of the same supply or needs different treatment. CCPC guidance requires consumer prices to include VAT.
France	Select Include tax in displayed prices for consumer sales with applicable TVA.	Confirm the applicable rate and treatment of admissions and fees. DGCCRF guidance requires consumer prices including applicable taxes, commonly called TTC.
Australia	Select Include tax in displayed prices for consumer sales with applicable GST.	Confirm your GST obligations and which items and fees are taxable. ACCC guidance requires the displayed minimum total to include applicable taxes and unavoidable charges.
Spain	Use Absorb Fees and select Include tax in displayed prices when tax applies.	Confirm the applicable IVA treatment. There is no separate buyer fee to tax in Absorb Fees. Consumer ministry guidance requires the advertised final ticket price to include applicable tax and permitted mandatory charges.

There is no single country-wide choice for Tax on buyer fees that suits every event. Select Charge tax on buyer fees when the associated buyer fee belongs in the taxable amount at the configured rate. Select Do not charge tax on buyer fees only when excluding that fee is correct for your sale.

Examples for states and provinces #

Location	Practical starting point
California	Mandatory buyer fees must be included upfront. California’s price-display guidance permits certain government taxes to be excluded, so selecting Show tax only in the order summary can be possible when otherwise lawful. Do not assume every event item has the same tax treatment: CDTFA guidance on bundled event tickets calls for separating taxable and exempt components.
New York	First identify the event type. State guidance taxes many amusement admissions, including associated service charges, while listing exemptions such as certain live arts performances. For a taxable admission whose buyer fees form part of the taxable charge, selecting Tickets under Taxable items and choosing Charge tax on buyer fees may be appropriate.
Texas	Texas guidance lists concerts, many sporting events, and other amusement services as taxable. Confirm exemptions, the applicable state and local rates, and fee treatment before selecting Tickets, Products, or both under Taxable items. Do not use another state’s treatment as your template.
Ontario	Select Include tax in displayed prices for covered ticket offers. The Ticket Sales Act requires the offered total and an itemized list of applicable fees, service charges, and taxes. Review that information before a ticket is selected, not only in the completed cart.
British Columbia	Select Include tax in displayed prices for covered ticket offers. Section 4 of the Ticket Sales Act requires the total and a clear, prominent itemized breakdown of fees, service charges, and applicable taxes. Check tax treatment separately for admissions and merchandise.
Quebec	Include tax in displayed prices provides an inclusive view. Show tax only in the order summary may be possible because Quebec ticket-price guidance allows GST and QST to be excluded from the advertised price. Mandatory business fees must still be included. Confirm both GST and QST obligations and required disclosures.
Other Canadian provinces and territories	Start with Include tax in displayed prices for clarity, then confirm provincial requirements. Use the correct tax for the place of supply and check provincial taxes separately. CRA guidance explains that the rate and treatment depend on the supply and location.

If different taxes, different rates, or separate fee treatment are required within one event, ask your adviser and TicketsCandy support how to represent that correctly. Do not combine rates or apply one rate to everything unless that produces the required calculation and disclosures.

Review your event before selling #

1. Confirm your obligations. Ask your adviser about registration, rates, exemptions, taxable item types, buyer fees, and price-display rules.
2. Review online and POS separately. Do not assume changes in one channel update the other.
3. Choose the fee option. Check whether automatic recovery, a custom fee, or absorbing fees fits your pricing plan.
4. Configure the tax calculation. Enter the confirmed rate, select Tickets, Products, or both under Taxable items, and choose the appropriate Tax on buyer fees option.
5. Check displayed prices. Review regular tickets, seated tickets, products, bundles, and donations you offer. Choose the Price display option that meets your event’s requirements.
6. Try different carts. Review one item, several items, and a mixed order. Check Multi-item savings where applicable and make sure fees remain unchanged when the payment method changes.
7. Update your advertising. Use the appropriate upfront prices on external websites, signs, and promotions.
8. Check your records. Confirm that you can reconcile orders, payments, refunds, fees, and collected tax for reporting.

If the amount customers see is higher than the final price you intended, review the underlying item price and fee option. Selecting Show tax only in the order summary only moves the tax to the summary; it does not reduce the amount owed.

Tax reporting and Square documents #

Does TicketsCandy file or pay my taxes #

No. TicketsCandy calculates tax using your settings, but you remain responsible for registration, accurate collection, reporting, filing returns, and paying the relevant authorities.

Collected tax is not automatically remitted to the government through these settings. Keep the required records and account for tax when managing the money from your sales.

Square processing a payment or issuing a tax form does not mean your sales tax, VAT, GST, or other event tax has been filed or paid for you.

Where can I get financial reports #

Use your connected Square Dashboard for payment activity, processing fees, refunds, and transfers. Export the reports you need for the relevant period and location.

Square also offers tax and service-charge reports where the underlying transaction data supports them. For example, its US guidance lists Reports > Accounting > Sales taxes, Fees, and Service charges. Menu names and availability can differ by country and account. See Square’s reporting guide and report export instructions.

Reconcile those records with your TicketsCandy orders and reports. A tax calculated in TicketsCandy should not be assumed to appear as a separate tax line in every Square report. Check the records for your actual sales, and keep supporting order-level details for your accountant.

Where can I download Form 1099-K #

For eligible US accounts, Square provides Form 1099-K in Square Dashboard > Account & Settings > Tax forms. Eligibility depends on the applicable reporting rules and account activity. See Square’s Form 1099-K guide.

Form 1099-K reports gross payment volume. It is not a sales-tax return, a statement of net profit, or proof that tax has been paid. Its amount can include collected taxes and payments later refunded, without subtracting processing fees.

Physical cash payments are not included in Square’s Form 1099-K. A missing form does not remove your responsibility to report income and other taxable activity correctly.

What if my event is outside the United States #

Use the financial reports and any tax documents or fee invoices available for your country in Square. Form 1099-K is a US reporting document, not a universal tax certificate.

Ask your local accountant which records are needed for VAT, GST/HST, QST, IVA, income tax, or other filings. You may need TicketsCandy order details and your own bookkeeping records in addition to Square exports.

How should I handle cash and Pay at the Door records #

Keep records of cash collected and of Pay at the Door bookings that were actually paid, canceled, or left unpaid. An unpaid booking is not proof that money was received.

Your adviser should confirm when the tax becomes reportable under the rules that apply to you. Timing can depend on an invoice, payment, or another tax point, so do not assume every jurisdiction reports tax only when funds reach your bank.

Can I use my bank deposits as my sales total #

Do not use deposits alone to determine gross sales or tax collected. Deposits can reflect fees, refunds, adjustments, and transfer timing. Reconcile the original orders and payments with the amounts transferred, and give your accountant the supporting records.

Related articles:

• How can I manage and report sales tax for my event through TicketsCandy?

Other common questions #

Why does my payout differ from the price the customer paid #

The customer’s total can include tax and buyer fees. Your proceeds then reflect applicable platform and processing costs, along with refunds or other adjustments. A different payment-processing rate can change your proceeds without changing the buyer’s total.

Does Absorb Fees also absorb tax #

No. The fee option controls buyer fees and organizer costs. Taxes continue to follow your separate tax settings.

Are tax amounts shown for seated tickets too #

Seated tickets follow the event’s online fee and tax settings. Review their displayed prices and breakdowns alongside regular tickets.

Does including tax in displayed prices guarantee compliance #

No. The Price display setting controls how the configured tax appears. It cannot confirm the correct rate, registration status, exemptions, fee legality, or every required disclosure. Review the complete customer-facing offer using the requirements confirmed for your event.