4 Reasons to Accept Square Gift Cards on Your Ticket Page
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Riley Manning has worked as a travel and entertainment writer for more than 10 years. Today, he writes about unique events and the technology that helps make them happen.
As an event manager, you know firsthand the toll the pandemic took on the entertainment industry. You work hard to bring a wonderful experience to life for your customers while still meeting business objectives. The world is working its way toward a new normal, and businesses are adapting as quickly as possible. One positive step event managers can take is to make sure their ticketing platform is compatible with Square. SimpleTix makes the solution so simple.
Discover the top 4 reasons why accepting Square gift cards on your ticket page will keep you and your customers happy and bring them back again and again.
1. Keep Cash Flow Positive
According to Forbes Magazine, “in 2020, the entire global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market totaled $80.8 billion, the lowest figure since 2016 and a decline of 18% from 2019.” Forbes also reports that theatrical profits fell from $42.3 billion in 2019 to $12 billion in 2020. Dramatic decreases as a result of the pandemic make it difficult for people in the entertainment market to plan, launch, and report on the events they manage.
No matter the size of your event, ticket revenue comprises most of the revenue you bring in. This is even more true for small venues forced to operate within the tight constraints of a limited budget. Issuing refunds adds more financial pressure because the money made on the ticket sale has already been spent on paying bills.
Accepting Square gift cards helps keep your cash flow positive. Instead of having to issue a refund, a gift card offers a tangible sign of good faith that gives the purchaser confidence that they’re going to get something in return for the money they’ve spent on an entertainment event.
Like most people in the event management business, you’ve probably used a Square point-of-sales system before. Square allows you to take payments on-site through a simple card reader that works with a variety of mobile phones and tablets. When you pair Square with SimpleTix, what you get is easy ticketing solutions with instant payouts.
2. Customers Can Gift Them
Instead of losing money on a return, when paying customers use a platform that accepts Square gift cards, everyone wins. You keep money flowing into your event, and the customer can give the gift cards to a friend if, for whatever reason, they are not able to attend.
Square gift cards give friends and family the ability give gifts without restricting the flexibility of a firm ticket. By utilizing Square gift cards, you are meeting the needs and expectations of your customers, and happy customers are more likely to become future, regular customers.
Many SimpleTix clients have reported that their customers have already started gifting museum tours via a Square gift card.
3. Promote Season Passes and Memberships
Season passes and memberships are another way you can keep your customers coming back over and over again. While sporting events might be the first season pass event that comes to mind, many businesses are incorporating memberships and passes into their business models. For example, aquariums, zoos, and theme parks all offer special memberships.
Operating a zoo requires a lot of planning and ingenuity. To help mitigate some of the stressful events you might experience in the course of operating a zoo, SimpleTix’s Zoo software can impact your zoos’ operations, provide a better experience for your visitors, and drive the revenue that keeps your gates open to the public. Where does it all start? Ticketing, of course.
Season passholders and members get special discounts and items other people attending your event don’t get. You want to ensure you continue to deliver the absolute best customer experience to your members. Your members — people who habitually patronize your business — are your most valuable customers. Be good to them.
With Square gift cards, your valued customers can give the gift of a membership or season pass to the friend of their choice. Seeing them do this will be a source of confidence for you because it demonstrates how deeply your customers believe in your business, and makes it more likely those happy patrons will continue to renew their memberships.
4. Make Refunds Easy
A report by Madison Square Garden found that 75% of customers prefer to keep their tickets for a later or rescheduled event instead of getting a refund. However, even with the best planning, some customers will need a refund. When you use a ticketing platform that is compatible with Square, you give your customers more refund options.
For example, if a customer has to change plans, you can give them the option of having their money refunded to a Square gift card, rather than back to their credit card. Your customers won’t have to wait days or weeks for their refund to process and show in their account. Thanks to Square, you can instantly issue a refund to a Square gift card.
If an event gets canceled, you can even batch refund with the option to receive the refund as a Square gift card. Working with a ticketing platform that is compatible with Square gives you and your customers more options.
SimpleTix and Square Make Ticketing Easy
SimpleTix is the only ticketing platform that is Square compatible, offering you an exclusive alternative to Eventbrite and other ticketing platforms. In fact, Eventbrite doesn’t accept Square or Stripe payments, and it does not support Square card readers.
In addition to working with Square to make all things ticketing easier, SimpleTix’s fee structure is less complicated and less costly than Eventbrite.
You won’t find hidden fees or fine print when you partner with SimpleTix. And that means more money in your pocket. When you work with SimpleTix, you get an Eventbrite alternative that can help save you thousands and make your customers happier than ever with their ticketing experience.
SimpleTix has offered an affordable, premium event ticketing platform that outperforms Eventbrite and similar apps for over 12 years. Compared to the competition, SimpleTix offers better options at a better price point. To learn more, call us at +1 (855) 550-3670 or email us at support@simpletix.com.
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