Sub-tickets are optional add-on items or tickets that appear alongside your main tickets at checkout. Ticket purchasers can only select a sub-ticket after choosing a parent ticket — they cannot be purchased independently.
There are two types of sub-tickets:
- Product — physical or digital items such as merchandise, books, or parking passes
- Referenced Ticket — a ticket from the same event or another event in your account, sold at a discount alongside the parent ticket
Before you start
Parent ticket requirement: Sub-tickets must be linked to a parent ticket. Only Single and Group ticket types can be used as parent tickets. Reserved seating ticket types cannot.
Your event must have at least one parent ticket created before you can add a sub-ticket.
Step 1 — Create a sub-ticket
- Go to My Events and open the event you want to add a sub-ticket to.
- Click the Edit Event tab.
- Scroll to the Tickets section and click Create A Sub-Ticket.
- The Add Sub-ticket page opens. Select your sub-ticket type from the dropdown.
Option A — Product sub-ticket
Use this to sell merchandise, add-ons, or any physical or digital item alongside event tickets.
Required Fields
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Sub-ticket Type | Select Product |
| Parent Ticket | Select the ticket type this product will appear with |
| Product Name | The name of the product as it will appear at checkout |
| Price | The net amount you receive per item. Enter 0 for a free product. Sticky Tickets adds its fee on top of the total quantity |
| Sub-ticket Quantity | Total number of this product available |
Optional Fields
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Description | Short description shown at checkout |
| Image | Product image shown on the checkout page and on the PDF ticket. Upload using the Upload Image button |
Advanced Settings
Click Advanced Settings » to access:
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Max Per Order | Tick "Use the parent ticket's purchase count as max per order" to automatically match the sub-ticket quantity to the number of parent tickets selected. E.g. if a ticket purchaser selects 3 parent tickets, they can buy up to 3 of this product |
| Min Per Order | The minimum number of this product that a ticket purchaser must purchase |
TIP: Use the Description field to create urgency — e.g. "50% off — only available with this ticket purchase." This appears below the sub-ticket name at checkout.
Click Save Changes when done.
Option B — Referenced Ticket sub-ticket
Use this to cross-sell tickets from the same event or another event in your account at a discount.
Required Fields
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Sub-ticket Type | Select Referenced Ticket |
| Parent Ticket | Select the ticket type this sub-ticket will appear with |
| Reference Ticket | Select the event whose ticket you want to offer. Lists all your active events (excludes completed and cancelled). The first event in the list is the current event — select it to reference a ticket from the same event |
| Ticket | Select the ticket from the referenced event to use as a sub-ticket |
| Discount | Enter a dollar amount or percentage discount. Use 100% or the full ticket price to offer it free |
Optional Fields
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Note | A message shown below the sub-ticket name at checkout. Use to create urgency or explain the offer |
Advanced Settings
Click Advanced Settings » to access:
| FIELD | WHAT TO ENTER |
| Max Per Order | Tick to match the sub-ticket quantity to the parent ticket quantity selected |
| Min Per Order | Minimum number of referenced tickets a ticket purchaser must purchase |
| Distribute e-Ticket | Tick to include an e-ticket for the referenced ticket in the confirmation email |
PREVIEW: Before saving, check the Preview section to confirm how the sub-ticket will appear at checkout. The sub-ticket is enabled for selection once the parent ticket has been reserved
Click Save Changes when done.
Rules and Restrictions
Referenced Ticket Rules
| RULE | DETAIL |
| Same account only | The referenced event must be in the same organiser account |
| Event status | The referenced event must be Live, Paused, or Pending |
| No chaining | A ticket that already has a sub-ticket cannot itself be used as a sub-ticket |
| No parent as a sub-ticket | A parent ticket cannot be used as its own sub-ticket |
| No reserved seating | Single Reserved and Group Reserved ticket types cannot be used as sub-tickets |
| Promo codes | Promo codes applied to a referenced ticket are not applicable when purchased as a sub-ticket |
| One reference per parent | Each ticket can only be referenced by one parent ticket per event. It can be used by a different parent ticket under the same event |
Product Rules
| RULE | DETAIL |
| Free products | Set price to $0 for a free product |
| Booking fee | Sticky Tickets' fee is calculated on the total quantity amount, not per item |
Making sub-tickets visible on the event page
By default, sub-tickets are hidden on the event landing page and only appear once a ticket purchaser selects a parent ticket on the Buy Tickets page.
To show sub-tickets on the event landing page:
- Go to the Edit Event page.
- Click the edit icon next to the Tickets section.
- Click Advanced Settings.
- Tick Show sub-tickets on the event page.
Most Common Scenarios and Questions
My sub-ticket isn't showing at checkout.
-
Sub-tickets only appear after a ticket purchaser selects a parent ticket. Check that the parent ticket is available and that the sub-ticket is linked to the correct parent ticket type.
The referenced event isn't appearing in the dropdown.
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Completed and cancelled events are excluded. Make sure the referenced event is in Live, Paused, or Pending status.
The sub-ticket is showing at full price — my discount isn't applying.
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Check that the discount is entered in the Discount field. A dollar amount removes that value from the price; a percentage removes that proportion. To make it free, enter 100% or the full ticket price.
The product image isn't displaying.
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Make sure the image is in a supported format (JPEG, PNG, or GIF) and has been uploaded using the Upload Image button on the product sub-ticket form.
Can ticket purchasers skip the sub-ticket?
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Yes — sub-tickets are always optional. Ticket purchasers can select zero of the sub-tickets and only purchase the parent ticket.
What ticket types can be used as parent tickets?
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Only Single and Group ticket types can be parent tickets. Reserved seating ticket types cannot be used as parents.
Can I offer a sub-ticket for free?
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Yes — set the price to $0 for a product sub-ticket, or use a 100% discount for a referenced ticket sub-ticket.
Can a sub-ticket have its own sub-ticket?
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No — chained sub-tickets are not allowed. A ticket that already has a sub-ticket cannot be used as a sub-ticket.
Does a product sub-ticket generate its own e-ticket?
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Yes — product sub-ticket purchases have their own receipt. Whether an e-ticket is included depends on the Distribute e-Ticket setting.
Does a referenced ticket sub-ticket work in the Check-in App?
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Yes — referenced tickets purchased as sub-tickets function as if they were purchased directly from the referenced event and can be scanned in the Check-in App.
How do sub-ticket sales appear in my sales report?
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Sub-ticket sales (both products and referenced tickets) appear in a dedicated sub-tickets section on your Event Summary page. They are reported separately from parent ticket sales. For referenced tickets, the sales also appear on the referenced event's summary.
Need more help?
If you need help setting up sub-tickets, contact our support team.