Pricing, Ease-of-Use and Square Integration Drew Fourth Generation Farmers to SimpleTix
-
by
Way back in 7th grade, my English teacher Mrs. Gildard told me I should be a writer. That advice stuck in my head, and eventually I followed it. In the winter, expect a few OOO while I snowboard. The rest of the year, I finish work early so I can go hiking or just hang out with my family, friends and dog Marley.
In 2021, fourth-generation farmers moved from their large family farm in Maryland to a smaller one in west Texas, pumpkin cannon in tow. Brandon and Taylor Huffman’s goals were threefold: Simplify, downsize, and create a community-oriented experience.
Twenty-two years of running a popular pumpkin patch came in handy. They created the springtime Sunflower Festival and fall-time Pumpkin Festival. As Western Belle Farm took shape, they talked about how to streamline sales operations to maximize profits and make their busy lives easier.
“This is a true passion for us, and there is nothing we love more than brainstorming new activities for children to play on, growing specialty crops for guests to enjoy, and overall creating a truly ‘fun’ place for our community to come spend a day.” – Taylor Huffman
Western Belle Farm found the ideal ticketing platform in SimpleTix
At the top of their ticketing platform wishlist was Square integration for seamless online and in-person sales. They also wanted reasonable processing fees and an easy-to-use platform that makes ticketing simple.
Like many farms, they didn’t want to be locked into a two-year contract with a ticketing platform whose feature-set is four years behind. In other words, they wanted a Ticketspice alternative.
“When we first heard about SimpleTix, we were really excited about their pricing,” Taylor Huffman said. “We were also impressed by their customer service and the small company feel of having the owner directly involved. After the demo, I felt the system was so easy that even a new admin could learn it and build out tickets.”
SimpleTix helps farms maximize profits
Lower processing fees per ticket has a ripple effect. It translates to lower ticket prices, even with sales tax included, and still allows Western Belle Farm to make a reasonable profit per ticket.
Having the ability to upsell also supports farm profits, which is why we added the Square Upsells feature to the platform.
Customers can easily add the purchase of animal feed, drinks, and more to their ticket order.
Meanwhile, farms can track inventory through the SimpleTix platform, ensuring that those items are always in stock.
Redeeming those upsells is super easy, too. Customers simply have their ticket re-scanned when picking up animal feed, and the system will mark it as redeemed.
SimpleTix does not charge any service fees for this feature.
“I wish I would’ve switched sooner and saved myself some headaches!” – Taylor Huffman
… And avoid unnecessary charges
All payment processing platforms charge fees for issuing refunds to customers. For an outdoor attraction that is weather-dependent, the bulk cancellation of tickets due to a severe weather event can lead to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fees for a farm – and sharply cut into their profits.
SimpleTix is working on a feature right now that will circumvent this.
If a customer needs to change their ticket day and/or time slot, they won’t need to cancel the existing tickets and purchase new ones. Instead, they will easily make that change within the SimpleTix platform, thus allowing the farm to avoid paying refund fees. If tickets are being switched from an off-peak pricing level to peak pricing, the customer will be charged for the difference.
If the farm has to bulk-cancel an event due to a severe thunderstorm alert, they can let all ticket holders know through the platform. And, they can offer other dates to their customers or convert the ticket price into a gift card for future use.
We want to support your farm’s long-term success
The SimpleTix team is dedicated to working hand-in-hand with farmers and adding new features every year that will support their success. If you’d like to see the platform in action – and better understand how it can help your farm maximize profits – schedule a demo today!
Latest News
Related Articles
Accept In-Person Payments with Stripe in the SimpleTix Organizer App
-
by
Event organizers can now conduct Stripe in-person ticket sales directly through the SimpleTix Organizer app using Stripe Terminal Selling tickets at the door should be easy. Now it is. SimpleTix now supports Stripe in-person ticket sales directly inside our Organizer mobile app using Stripe Terminal, giving event organizers a simple, secure way to accept credit card payments anywhere. Whether you’re running a concert, festival, class, fundraiser, or community event, you can now turn your phone into a fully integrated mobile box office. Sell Tickets at the Door — Without the Chaos Door sales are often where revenue is won or lost. Long lines, cash-only limitations, manual entry errors, and disconnected payment systems create unnecessary stress. Even worse, using a separate POS system means double entry and messy reconciliation after the event. With Stripe Terminal integrated into the SimpleTix mobile app, everything stays in one system: Accept credit and debit cards in person Support Apple Pay, Google Pay, and contactless cards Automatically sync ticket inventory in real time Issue tickets instantly See online and in-person sales in one dashboard A True Mobile Box Office for Event Organizers Small and mid-sized event organizers need flexibility. Events don’t always happen behind a counter. Now you can sell tickets: At the entrance At pop-up locations Inside large venues At festivals and outdoor events From multiple staff members simultaneously All transactions process securely through Stripe, while ticket inventory updates immediately in SimpleTix so you never oversell. Fast, Secure, and Reliable Stripe Terminal provides enterprise-grade payment security, including: EMV chip card processing End-to-end encryption PCI-compliant transactions Contactless and mobile wallet support You get the reliability of Stripe’s payment infrastructure combined with the simplicity of SimpleTix’s event management platform. Why This Matters for Growing Event Organizers For small to medium-sized events, adding a full POS system can...
PayPal Ticketing Software: Sell More Tickets with Trusted Payments
-
by
When ticket buyers reach your checkout page, the last thing you want is friction. Every extra step, every unfamiliar payment form, every moment of hesitation costs you sales. That's why offering PayPal—the payment method over 400 million people already trust—can transform your ticket conversion rates. SimpleTix integrates directly with PayPal to give your attendees a seamless checkout experience. One integration unlocks PayPal, Venmo, Pay Later options, and credit card processing—all the ways your customers want to pay. Activate PayPal → Why PayPal Matters for Event Ticketing Your attendees aren't just buying a ticket. They're making a decision in a moment—often on their phone, often in a hurry. PayPal's brand recognition removes doubt at the exact moment it matters most. The numbers tell the story: merchants using PayPal see 46% higher checkout conversion compared to other payment methods. For event organizers, that translates directly to more tickets sold from the same marketing spend. PayPal isn't just another payment option—it's your all-in-one checkout solution. Through a single integration with SimpleTix, you can offer: PayPal — The trusted standard for online payments Venmo — Tap into 92 million active accounts (US) Pay Later — Let customers pay in installments while you get paid upfront Credit and debit cards — Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover at competitive rates Country-specific payment methods — Reach international customers with local payment options Increase Average Order Value with Pay Later Ticket buyers don't always want to pay everything at once—especially for premium events, multi-day festivals, or group purchases. PayPal's Pay Later options (Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly) let customers split their purchase into manageable payments while you receive the full amount immediately. This isn't just convenient for buyers. It drives measurable business results: merchants with Pay Later see 55% higher average order values compared to standard PayPal transactions....
Eventbrite Is Being Acquired. Here’s What It Means for You.
-
by
On December 2, Eventbrite announced it's being acquired by Bending Spoons for ~$500M, down from a $1.7B peak valuation. The deal takes Eventbrite private and puts it in the hands of a firm known for aggressive cost-cutting and price increases. If you're an Eventbrite customer, this is worth paying attention to. Who is Bending Spoons? Bending Spoons is a Milan-based tech company that acquires underperforming software brands (Evernote, Vimeo, WeTransfer, Meetup, AOL) and restructures them for profitability. Their playbook is consistent: cut headcount (often 50-75%), raise prices, and streamline operations. That's not speculation. It's their stated model. What This Likely Means for Eventbrite Customers Higher fees. Bending Spoons is explicit about monetization being a priority. Eventbrite has already experimented with pricing over the past two years. Expect that to accelerate. Reduced support. Major headcount reductions typically mean fewer experienced support reps and longer response times, especially during the transition. If you run complex events (reserved seating, multi-day festivals, timed entry), this matters. Product stagnation. Ownership changes usually mean roadmap resets and internal focus on cost savings. Don't expect new features anytime soon. Questions to Ask Yourself You don't need to panic. But you should treat this as a prompt to evaluate your options: What are you paying in total fees today? How sensitive is your margin to a 10-20% increase? How critical is hands-on support to your events? Can you afford slower response times mid-season? What's your contingency plan if pricing or policies change after you've already committed to your event calendar? If any of those questions give you pause, now is the time to explore alternatives, not after new pricing is announced. Why SimpleTix Is Different SimpleTix was built for organizers who care about margins, flexibility, and responsive support. A few key differences: Transparent pricing with a hard fee...