Your registration price is only one number. The amount that reaches your bank account is another.
Event registration payment processing can include platform fees, processing fees, gateway surcharges, and optional costs tied to refunds, chargebacks, or international cards.
The smart move is calculating the full cost for your actual event, not choosing the smallest number in the headline.
Why Payment Processing Fees Are More Complicated Than They Look
Most platforms charge two core fees: a software or platform fee and a payment processing fee. In bundled processing models, card-network and interchange costs are usually included inside the processor’s published rate rather than billed separately.
Other charges may include custom-gateway fees, international-card rates, chargebacks, taxes, or optional payout fees. Before comparing platforms, ask who pays each fee, what amount the percentage applies to, whether there is a maximum, and when the money reaches your account.
How Fee Structures Work: Percentage vs. Flat vs. Capped
Percentage-based
What it means: The platform fee increases with the ticket price.
Best for: Lower-priced or marketplace-driven events.
Flat fee
What it means: The platform charges the same amount per ticket.
Best for: Predictable ticketing costs.
Capped fee
What it means: The fee grows to a stated maximum, then stops.
Best for: High-value registrations.
Eventbrite uses percentage-based U.S. pricing: 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket, plus 2.9% payment processing per order. Cvent uses custom, quote-based pricing, with payment processing fees defined in each customer’s agreement rather than published as a standard public rate. RegFox combines a percentage with a hard cap.
RegFox Standard
Platform fee: $0.99 + 1%
Processing fee: 2.9% + $0.30
Platform fee model: $4.99
RegFox Premium
Platform fee: $1.99 + 1%
Processing fee: 2.9% + $0.30
Platform fee model: $5.99
Eventbrite
Platform fee: 3.7% + $1.79
Processing fee: 2.9% per order
Platform fee model: No published cap
Cvent
Platform fee: Custom quote
Processing fee: Custom or contracted
Platform fee model: Not disclosed
What the fee cap looks like in practice: On a $500 registration, RegFox Standard reaches its $4.99 platform-fee cap. Eventbrite’s U.S. service fee is $20.29 before payment processing. That is a $15.30 difference in platform fees alone.
These are public U.S. rates reviewed in August 2026. Cvent does not publish its platform or processing rate. Ticket Tailor’s rate varies by currency and prepaid volume.
Event Platform Payout Speed: Which Platforms Pay You Fastest?
Payout timing matters because venues, vendors, marketing, and staffing usually need money before event day.
With RegFox’s built-in Webconnex Payments, event revenue is deposited on a predictable weekly schedule instead of being held until after the event. Payments completed by Monday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time are included in Wednesday’s payout and typically reach your bank account by early Thursday, once your account is verified and in good standing. Exact deposit timing may vary by bank.
Eventbrite’s standard payout does not begin processing until three business days after the event ends. Eventbrite says U.S. organizers can generally expect those funds within six to eight business days after the event. Earlier access is limited to qualifying accounts, and pre-event payouts are subject to a 20% reserve and a rolling $100,000 cap. Instant Payouts are available only to certain U.S. organizers and cost 3% per withdrawal.
Cvent Payments provides weekly remittances.
Payment Gateway Options: What Integrations Does Your Platform Support?
RegFox includes Webconnex Payments at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. If your organization already uses another processor, RegFox also supports Stripe, Authorize.net, Paya, NMI, Worldpay, Payflow Pro, CyberSource, E-Processing Network, and Pineapple Payments. Custom processors may include an additional fee, and availability varies by provider.
Using the built-in processor keeps payments, refunds, and reporting connected in one place. Bringing your own gateway can make sense if you have negotiated rates or specific finance requirements, but it also means one more account, one more fee structure, and one more sneaky little spreadsheet to manage.
Payment Plans and Flexible Checkout: What to Look For
Payment plans are useful for camps, academic programs, retreats, and multi-day conferences where the upfront price creates hesitation.
RegFox Payment Plans are currently in beta and included with Premium and Professional. Attendees can choose installments at checkout, while RegFox creates a schedule based on the purchase date, order total, deposit, and final due date.
Organizers can also accept offline payments such as checks, cash, wire transfers, or purchase orders.
How to Calculate the True Cost of Event Registration
Multiply your average ticket price by expected paid attendees, then add every platform and processing fee.
$100 registration
Estimated RegFox Standard fees: $5.19
Estimated Eventbrite fees: $8.39
$250 registration
Estimated RegFox Standard fees: $11.04
Estimated Eventbrite fees: $18.29
$500 registration
Estimated RegFox Standard fees: $19.79
Estimated Eventbrite fees: $34.79
Assumptions: One U.S. registration per order, no taxes or add-ons, and the organizer absorbs all fees. RegFox estimates include the Standard platform fee and Webconnex Payments processing. Eventbrite estimates include its U.S. service fee and payment processing applied to the listed ticket price. Actual totals may vary based on taxes, order structure, processor, location, and fee settings.
Why RegFox Is Built for Organizers Who Care About Every Dollar
Event registration fees should not keep climbing just because your ticket prices do.
RegFox combines capped platform fees, integrated payment processing, predictable weekly payouts, flexible gateway options, and payment plans in one connected platform.
Whether you are selling $50 workshop seats, $500 conference passes, or multi-payment camp registrations, RegFox helps you simplify checkout, manage payments, and keep more of your event revenue.
See how RegFox can support your next event. Review our transparent pricing or start building your registration page today.
Here to help you host your best event yet!
– The RegFox team
