Skip to main content
Learn how to find events, secure your spot, and complete your ticket purchase on Ticket Hub.

​
How Ticket Hub Works

Ticket Hub uses a fair queue system to prevent ticket scalping and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity:
  1. All buyers join a waiting list
  2. Tickets are offered in order (first come, first served)
  3. You have 30 minutes to complete your purchase
  4. Unclaimed tickets go to the next person in line
This system ensures real fans get tickets, not bots or scalpers!

​
Discovering Events

1

Browse Event Listings

Navigate to the home page to see all available events:
  • Events are displayed with images, names, and key details
  • See pricing, date, and location at a glance
  • Filter through active (non-cancelled) events only
2

Search for Events

Use the search functionality to find specific events:Search includes:
  • Event names
  • Descriptions
  • Locations
Example searches:
  • “music festival”
  • “London”
  • “tech conference”
3

View Event Details

Click on an event to see complete information:
  • Full description
  • Venue location
  • Event date and time
  • Ticket price
  • Availability status
  • Waiting list size (if applicable)

​
Joining the Waiting List

1

Check Availability

On the event page, you’ll see one of these statuses:

​
Tickets Available

You can join immediately and receive an instant offer.

​
Sold Out - Join Waiting List

No tickets currently available, but you can queue up.The system calculates availability based on:
  • Total tickets
  • Purchased tickets (valid + used)
  • Active offers (not yet expired)
2

Join the Queue

Click Join Waiting List or similar button:
Rate Limiting: You can join up to 3 waiting lists within 30 minutes. This prevents spam and ensures fair access.
After joining:
  • If tickets are available: You receive an immediate offer
  • If sold out: You’re added to the queue in waiting status
You cannot join the waiting list twice for the same event. Each user gets one spot per event.
3

Track Your Position

Once in the queue, you can see:
  • Your position in line
  • Current status (waiting, offered, purchased, expired)
  • Offer expiration time (if offered)
Status Meanings:
  • waiting: You’re in line, waiting for a ticket
  • offered: You have an active ticket offer
  • purchased: You’ve successfully bought your ticket
  • expired: Your offer expired without purchase

​
Receiving a Ticket Offer

When a ticket becomes available, you’ll receive an offer:
1

Offer Notification

You’ll be notified that you have an active ticket offer:
  • Offer is valid for 30 minutes
  • Countdown timer displays time remaining
  • You must purchase before expiration
The 30-minute window gives you time to complete payment without rushing, while ensuring tickets don’t sit unclaimed.
2

Review Offer Details

Before purchasing, verify:
  • Event name and date
  • Ticket price (in GBP)
  • Platform fee (1% of ticket price)
  • Total amount to be charged
3

Accept or Decline

You have two options:

​
Purchase Now

Proceed to checkout to secure your ticket.

​
Let It Expire

If you no longer want the ticket, simply wait for the offer to expire. The ticket will automatically go to the next person in line.
Once you start the checkout process, you cannot cancel. Complete the payment or abandon the session before the timer expires.

​
Purchase Flow

1

Initiate Checkout

Click the Purchase or Buy Ticket button:The system verifies:
  • Your offer is still valid
  • Offer hasn’t expired
  • Event is still active
  • Waiting list entry belongs to you
2

Stripe Checkout

You’re redirected to Stripe’s secure checkout:Checkout details:
  • Event name and description
  • Price in GBP
  • Application fee (1% to platform)
  • Session expires with your offer (30 minutes)
Payment methods:
  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • Other Stripe-supported methods
Payments are processed through Stripe Connect. Your payment goes directly to the event organizer (minus the 1% platform fee).
3

Complete Payment

Enter your payment details:
  1. Card number
  2. Expiration date
  3. CVC code
  4. Billing address
  5. Click Pay
The checkout session has these characteristics:
  • Secure HTTPS connection
  • PCI compliant processing
  • Auto-expires with your ticket offer
4

Payment Confirmation

After successful payment:
  • You’re redirected to /tickets/purchase-success?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}
  • Payment intent is recorded
  • Ticket is created in the database
  • Your waiting list status updates to “purchased”
  • Next person in line receives an offer automatically
The queue automatically processes after your purchase, offering the ticket to the next waiting person.

​
Receiving Your Ticket

1

Access Your Tickets

Navigate to your tickets page:
  • View all purchased tickets
  • See ticket status (valid, used, refunded, cancelled)
  • Access event details
2

QR Code Ticket

Each ticket includes:
  • Unique ticket ID
  • Event information
  • QR code for entry
  • Purchase date and amount
  • Payment reference (payment intent ID)
Ticket Status:
  • valid: Ready to use
  • used: Already scanned at entry
  • refunded: Refund processed
  • cancelled: Event cancelled
3

Event Day

On the day of the event:
  1. Bring your ticket (digital or printed)
  2. Present QR code at entry
  3. Staff scans your ticket
  4. Status updates to “used”
  5. Enjoy the event!
Save a screenshot of your QR code in case of connectivity issues at the venue.

​
Understanding Offer Expiration

If you don’t purchase within 30 minutes:
  1. Offer expires automatically
    • A scheduled job runs at expiration time
    • Your status changes to “expired”
  2. Ticket returns to pool
    • Next person in queue receives the offer
    • Process continues down the line
  3. You remain in queue
    • Your expired entry stays in the system
    • You won’t receive another offer for this event
    • To try again, you must leave and rejoin the waiting list
Backup cleanup: A periodic job (runs regularly) catches any offers that didn’t expire properly, ensuring system reliability.

​
Waiting List Insights

​
Queue Position

Your position is calculated by:
  • Number of people who joined before you
  • People currently in “waiting” or “offered” status
  • Purchased tickets don’t count in position
Example:
  • 5 people joined before you
  • 2 already purchased
  • 1 has active offer
  • Your position: #4 (3 people ahead + you)

​
Rate Limiting

To prevent abuse:
  • Limit: 3 waiting list joins
  • Window: 30 minutes
  • Reset: After 30 minutes
Error message example: 
You've joined the waiting list too many times. 
Please wait 15 minutes before trying again.

​
Common Scenarios

The system automatically processes the queue:
  1. Detects available spots
  2. Offers tickets to next users in line (in order)
  3. Updates your status to “offered”
  4. Starts your 30-minute countdown
You’ll receive a notification to complete your purchase.
Currently, each user can purchase one ticket per event. To buy multiple tickets, each person needs their own account and waiting list entry.
  • All waiting list entries are deleted
  • Purchased tickets are refunded
  • You’ll be notified of the cancellation
  • See Managing Refunds for details
Check that:
  • You’re logged in with the same account
  • The event is still active (not cancelled)
  • Your entry hasn’t expired
  • Refresh the page to see updated status
You can release your ticket offer if you have one. This lets the next person in line get the ticket. Look for a “Release Ticket” button on the event page.

​
Next Steps

Request a Refund

Learn how to request a refund if you can’t attend

Sell Tickets

Want to create your own event? Start selling tickets

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us