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EventPalour supports both free event registration and paid ticket purchases through secure payment processing. This guide covers the complete ticket purchasing flow.

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Registration vs Purchase

EventPalour handles two types of event attendance:

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Free Event Registration

For events marked as “Free”:
  • No payment required
  • Simple one-click registration
  • Instant confirmation
  • Email confirmation sent automatically
For events with ticket pricing:
  • Secure payment processing through Paystack
  • Multiple ticket tiers available
  • Payment verification and confirmation
  • Digital tickets with QR codes

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Free Event Registration

1

View Event Details

Navigate to the event page and verify it’s marked as “Free”
2

Click Register

Click the “Register” button on the event page. You must be signed in to register.
3

Confirm Registration

The system checks if you’re already registered and creates your registration record:
// From app/actions/tickets.ts:191
await registerForFreeEvent({
  eventId: eventId
});
4

Receive Confirmation

You’ll receive an email confirmation with:
  • Event details and schedule
  • Venue or online link information
  • Registration QR code for check-in
  • Calendar invite option

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Registration Rules

  • You can only register once per free event
  • Duplicate registrations are prevented at the database level
  • Authentication is required before registration
  • You’ll see an “Already Registered” message if you’ve previously registered
1

Select Tickets

Browse available ticket types and select quantities:
  • Review ticket tiers (VIP, Early Bird, Standard, etc.)
  • Check pricing and currency
  • Select quantity for each ticket type
  • View total price calculation
2

Initiate Payment

Click “Purchase” to begin the payment process:
// From app/actions/payments.ts:32
const result = await initiatePayment({
  eventId: eventId,
  tickets: [
    { ticketId: ticketId, quantity: 2 }
  ],
  provider: "paystack" // Default payment provider
});
The system:
  • Validates ticket availability
  • Calculates total amount
  • Generates unique payment reference
  • Calculates fee breakdown
3

Payment Processing

Complete payment through Paystack:What happens:
  • Payment record created with status: PENDING
  • Paystack payment popup opens
  • Enter payment details (card, bank transfer, etc.)
  • Paystack processes the payment
  • Payment status updates to PROCESSING then COMPLETED
Payment includes:
  • Ticket price
  • Platform fee (for EventPalour)
  • Payment provider fee (Paystack)
  • Total amount to pay
4

Payment Verification

After payment, the system verifies the transaction:
// From app/actions/payments.ts:226
const verification = await verifyAndCompletePayment(reference);
This process:
  • Confirms payment with Paystack
  • Updates payment status
  • Creates purchased ticket records
  • Sends confirmation email
5

Ticket Generation

Once verified, your tickets are created:
  • Each ticket gets a unique ID
  • Tickets are marked as SOLD
  • QR codes generated for check-in
  • Digital tickets linked to your account
6

Confirmation

You receive a confirmation email containing:
  • Ticket details and quantities
  • Event information
  • Total amount paid
  • QR code for entry
  • Ticket IDs for reference

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Ticket Availability

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Checking Availability

Before purchase, the system validates availability: 
// From app/actions/payments.ts:84
if (ticket.availability_quantity !== null) {
  const totalPurchased = await calculatePurchasedTickets(ticketId);
  const remaining = ticket.availability_quantity - totalPurchased;
  
  if (quantity > remaining) {
    return error("Not enough tickets available");
  }
}

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Unlimited vs Limited Tickets

  • Unlimited: availability_quantity = null - No purchase limit
  • Limited: availability_quantity = number - Maximum tickets available

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Real-time Updates

Ticket availability is calculated in real-time based on:
  • Current sold tickets
  • Pending payment reservations
  • Transferred tickets
This ensures accurate availability and prevents overselling.

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Payment Breakdown

When you purchase tickets, the payment is split as follows: 
// From lib/payments/decimal.ts
const breakdown = {
  ticketAmount: ticketPrice,
  platformFee: calculatedPlatformFee,
  providerFee: calculatedPaystackFee,
  totalAmount: ticketPrice + platformFee + providerFee,
  organizerShare: ticketPrice - platformFee
};
Fee structure:
  • Ticket price: Set by event organizer
  • Platform fee: EventPalour service fee
  • Provider fee: Paystack transaction fee
  • Total: Amount charged to your payment method

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Payment Methods

Paystack supports multiple payment methods:
  • Card payments: Visa, Mastercard, Verve
  • Bank transfer: Direct bank transfers
  • Mobile money: M-Pesa and other mobile wallets
  • USSD: Bank USSD codes
  • QR codes: Scan to pay
Availability depends on your location and currency.

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Payment Security

EventPalour implements several security measures:
  1. PCI Compliance: Payment data never touches our servers
  2. Paystack Integration: Secure, certified payment processor
  3. Reference Tracking: Unique references prevent duplicate charges
  4. Verification: All payments verified before ticket issuance
  5. Webhook Validation: Payment webhooks validated with signatures

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Payment Status Tracking

Payments progress through these states:
StatusDescription
PENDINGPayment initiated, awaiting completion
PROCESSINGPayment submitted, being verified
COMPLETEDPayment successful, tickets issued
FAILEDPayment failed, no charge made
CANCELLEDPayment cancelled by user
REFUNDEDPayment refunded to user
You can view payment status in your account dashboard.

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Handling Payment Issues

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Payment Failed

If payment fails:
  1. Check your payment method has sufficient funds
  2. Verify your card details are correct
  3. Try an alternative payment method
  4. Contact your bank if issues persist
  5. Payment status updates to FAILED

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Payment Cancelled

If you cancel during payment:
  • No charge is made
  • Payment status updates to CANCELLED
  • Tickets are not created
  • You can retry the purchase

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Payment Verification Timeout

If verification takes too long:
  1. Check your email for confirmation
  2. View your tickets in dashboard
  3. Contact support if tickets don’t appear within 10 minutes
  4. Don’t retry payment immediately (may cause duplicate charge)

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Multiple Ticket Types

You can purchase multiple ticket types in one transaction: 
// Example: Purchasing different ticket tiers
await initiatePayment({
  eventId: eventId,
  tickets: [
    { ticketId: "vip-ticket-id", quantity: 1 },
    { ticketId: "standard-ticket-id", quantity: 3 }
  ]
});
The system:
  • Validates each ticket type
  • Calculates combined total
  • Creates separate ticket records
  • Sends one confirmation email

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Post-Purchase

After successful purchase:

View Tickets

Access your digital tickets in the dashboard

Download QR Code

Download or save your QR code for entry

Calendar Integration

Add event to your calendar

Transfer Tickets

Transfer tickets to another attendee if allowed

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Common Issues

  • Check your spam/junk folder
  • Verify email address in your profile
  • Check tickets in your dashboard
  • Contact support with your payment reference
Tickets may be:
  • Reserved by others during checkout
  • In pending payment status
  • Recently sold (cache delay)
Try refreshing the page or check back in a few minutes.
  1. Check your dashboard for tickets
  2. Wait 10 minutes for processing
  3. Check payment verification status
  4. Contact support with payment reference
The system automatically verifies and issues tickets - delays are rare.
Yes, you can:
  1. Purchase tickets with your account
  2. Transfer tickets to the recipient
  3. Provide them with QR codes
See the Ticket Management guide for transfer instructions.

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Next Steps

Ticket Management

Learn how to view, transfer, and manage your purchased tickets

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