Transaction Fee FAQs

The Courtyard Transaction Fee FAQs

Why do I have to pay a transaction fee?

In order to run an efficient Box Office we use an external ticket system called Spektrix. Spektrix enables us to sell tickets for a wide variety of events, ensure you only receive marketing that you are interested in and keep our customer data safe and secure. We use this system for our online, over the phone and in person bookings and it is paid on subscription – the transaction fee helps to cover this cost.

Why can’t you pay for your system from the cost of tickets, surely that’s what the ticket pays for?

The costs of theatre and film are complex and very high. We are fortunate to be able to provide the majority of our live shows for under £30 and films £8 and under. This would not be possible without funding from external bodies, sponsorship and support from local business and organisations and generous donations from our customers and audience members. We typically get 20% from the cost of tickets as this is split between The Courtyard and the promoter of a touring show. This 20% only goes a little of the way to paying for what we provide and other charges are necessary to fill the gaps.

Why don’t you just add the money to the ticket price?

Adding a set amount per ticket would mean the costs need to be split between The Courtyard and the promoter or, in cases when the venue is hired, entirely to the promoter and we would be unable to use it for the vital costs of our Box Office system. It would also cost the majority of our customers more as the current transaction fee only applies once per booking meaning you are paying £2 if you are buying 1 or 100 tickets at a time.

Why is the transaction fee not a percentage of the total cost?

There are very few instances in which a percentage transaction fee would work out cheaper for our customers. For example, if we were to implement a 10% transaction fee and your total bill (pre-transaction fee) came to over £20 you would automatically be paying more than the current system. In this instance, the higher the value of your bill the higher the transaction fee, this is not something we want to incur.

How can I avoid paying the transaction fee?

Members who support The Courtyard by becoming a Friend or Patron are not required to pay a transaction fee. Our free young people’s memberships, Courtyard Club and Card, are also exempt from this fee. You can find out more about becoming a Friend or Patron on our membership’s page.