Brown Paper Tickets still presents itself as a low-fee, socially conscious ticketing platform, but it carries serious payout and trust baggage from pandemic-era failures and continuing negative review themes. Planners should be cautious unless low fees matter more than payout confidence.
Washington's Attorney General announced a 2021 resolution requiring about $9M in refunds and organizer payments after pandemic-related failures.
Capterra, G2, Trustpilot, and Sitejabber show mixed to negative themes, especially around payouts and trust.
The current help center says phone support is temporarily unavailable.
Older pages and third-party listings may cite outdated fees; the current help center says USD service fees are $1.49 + 6% per ticket.
Brown Paper Tickets is basic ticketing, not a full event marketing, CRM, or onsite badge platform.
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free Events | Free | Free events are free on Brown Paper Tickets |
| Paid Tickets | $1.49 + 6% per paid ticket in USD | Attendee service fee according to current help center; check other currencies separately |
| Pre-Printed Tickets | $0.10 per ticket plus shipping | Optional for reserved or assigned seating workflows |
Brown Paper Tickets is still relevant in ticketing research because its fee positioning is simple and familiar to many arts and community organizers. The current USD help center fee is $1.49 plus 6% per paid ticket, with free events free.
The caution is bigger than features. Because payout failures and negative trust signals are part of the public record, organizers should verify settlement terms and support availability before putting meaningful ticket revenue through the platform.
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We research each tool by reviewing official documentation, pricing pages, and user feedback from Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra. If something's out of date or inaccurate, use the link below to flag it.
