Quick Answer
How to sell class reunion tickets online
Price between $75–$300 per person depending on what's included. Use 3 tiers (Early Bird / Standard / Last Call). Reunly is $39 flat - no per-ticket fees, no subscription.
Typical class reunion ticket pricing
5-year reunion
Mostly casual; bar tab pricing common
$50–$95
10-year reunion
Mixer + plated dinner most common
$75–$125
25-year (silver)
Full weekend, formal options, premium venues
$125–$200
50-year (golden)
Brunch + gala + memorial; lifetime-event pricing
$150–$300
Platform fee comparison (100 tickets × $100)
Reunly
flat, one-time
$39
Eventbrite
3.7% + $1.79 per ticket
$549
Cvent
subscription + per-ticket
$899+
PayPal
3.4% per transaction
$340
Venmo
1.9% + $0.10 per transaction
$190
Reunly saves $151–$860 vs the next-cheapest option at 100 paid tickets.
The 5 ticket types every class reunion needs
Most committees launch with one ticket: "Saturday Gala - $100." That leaves money and inclusion on the table. A real ticket-type structure looks like this:
Optional add-ons that boost revenue 8–15% without raising base ticket prices: yearbook reprint ($20–$45), professional photo download package ($25–$50), commemorative t-shirt ($25–$35), and program book ad placement for local businesses ($50–$500).
Refund policy that protects the committee
The single biggest budget-killer for class reunion committees: refunds requested after the caterer count is locked. You've committed to feeding 120, the refund-asker doesn't come, and you eat the cost on their plate. A tiered refund policy solves this:
Publish the policy at the top of the ticket page and in every reminder email. About 5–8% of attendees historically request refunds. Without a written policy, you negotiate every case individually; with a written policy, attendees self-select before buying.
Platform fees in detail: Eventbrite vs Zeffy vs Givebutter vs Reunly
The fee comparison above shows the headline number. Here's the full mechanic of how each platform charges, including the parts that aren't in the marketing copy:
One-time fee for the entire reunion. Includes payment processing through Stripe (committee pays Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 - same as direct integration). No per-ticket charges. No subscription. $39 doesn't change whether you sell 30 tickets or 300.
100 × $100 tickets: $39 + Stripe (~$320) = $359
Best for: Predictable, scales free, includes RSVP + budget + roster
Marketed as 'free for organizers' if you pass fees to buyers - but buyers see a $108.49 price on a $100 ticket and many don't buy. If you absorb the fee, you keep $94.51 of every $100 ticket. Also adds a 2.9% payment processing fee that's separate.
100 × $100 tickets: $549 in platform + $320 in processing = $869
Best for: Discovery (people may find your event)
Marketed as free, but at checkout each attendee is asked to add a 15–25% tip to support Zeffy. Most pay it (50–70% conversion); some are confused or offended. Designed for 501(c)(3) nonprofits - class reunion committees may or may not qualify depending on incorporation.
100 × $100 tickets: $0 platform + Stripe ($320) = $320 (but ~$1,200–$2,000 in attendee tips)
Best for: Truly $0 platform fee if classmates tolerate the tip ask
Similar tipping model to Zeffy. Plus tier removes tips for $50/month. Also nonprofit-focused. Built more for fundraising than ticketed events - RSVP customization is limited.
100 × $100 tickets: $0–$50 platform + Stripe ($320) = $320–$370
Best for: Strong donation features if you're combining tickets + memorial fund
Not an event platform - you collect money manually. No RSVP tracking, no ticket types, no reporting. Works only for very small (under 30 person) reunions where you can track it in a spreadsheet.
100 × $100 tickets: $340 in fees, no platform features
Best for: Familiar to most attendees
Bottom line: for any class reunion with more than 25 paid tickets, a flat-fee platform like Reunly saves $200–$800 vs Eventbrite. For under 25, Venmo or Zeffy can work if you accept the limitations.
The payment reminder sequence that actually collects
About 1 in 8 classmates who verbally RSVP "yes" will never pay unless you actively chase. Here's the cadence that converts 80%+ without nagging:
- Day of RSVP: Auto-email confirms the RSVP and includes the pay link. Most people pay within 24 hours of RSVPing.
- 14 days after unpaid RSVP: Friendly reminder "just making sure you got this" - adds a deadline reference.
- 45 days before event: "Early bird pricing ends in 7 days" - the deadline creates action.
- 30 days before event: Direct "we need final headcount this week" - committee chair personalizes.
- 14 days before event: Personal phone call from a committee member, not email. Works 70% of the time on chronic non-responders.
- Hard cutoff at 10 days out: Stop chasing. Lock the headcount with the caterer. Late-payers can attend with a $20 day-of surcharge - published in the policy.
The 3-tier ticket strategy that works
The single highest-leverage thing you can do on ticket sales is structure tiered pricing. It drives early commitment (so you can sign venue contracts confidently), creates urgency in the middle window, and discourages day-of stragglers.
- Early Bird (months 6–4 out): $20 below standard. Captures 40–60% of total attendance.
- Standard (months 4–1 out): Full price. Most active sales window.
- Last Call (under 30 days): $10–$25 surcharge. Forces decisions, covers last-minute headcount-change costs.
- RSVP-deadline lock: Hard close 14 days before event. After this you can't add tickets - caterer headcount is committed.
Sell tickets in 5 minutes
Set up tiered pricing, take payments, track who's paid - all in one place.
Start your class reunion in Reunly →Ticket pricing FAQ
How much should I charge for class reunion tickets?
Most class reunions price tickets at $75–$150 per person for a single-night gala, and $150–$300 for a full weekend (Friday mixer + Saturday gala + Sunday brunch). The break-even calculation is total event cost ÷ expected attendance - most committees add 10–15% margin for safety. Higher-milestone reunions (25th, 50th) command higher prices because attendees expect a fuller production.
Should I use early-bird pricing for class reunion tickets?
Yes - early-bird tiers boost early commitment, which gives you accurate headcounts months earlier and lets you firm up venue contracts. Typical structure: Early Bird (4+ months out, $20 off), Standard (1–4 months out, full price), Last Call (under 30 days, $10 surcharge). 40–60% of attendees typically buy in the early-bird window.
What's the cheapest way to sell class reunion tickets online?
Reunly is the cheapest at $39 per reunion (one-time, flat). Eventbrite charges 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket (so 100 tickets at $100 = $549 in fees vs Reunly's $39). PayPal/Venmo charge ~3% per transaction. For any reunion with 30+ paid tickets, a flat-fee tool like Reunly beats per-ticket platforms by hundreds of dollars.
Should class reunion tickets be refundable?
Set a clear refund cutoff date (typically 45 days before the event when you commit final headcount to the caterer). Before cutoff: full refund. After cutoff: no refunds because the cost is already locked in with vendors. State this policy on the ticket page and in every reminder email. About 5–8% of attendees typically need refunds; having a clear policy avoids one-off negotiations.
Can I sell different ticket types for a class reunion?
Yes - most reunions sell at least 3 ticket types: Full Weekend, Saturday Gala only, and Friday Mixer only. Some add a Spouse/Guest tier (slightly higher than classmate price to subsidize the committee's costs) and a Memorial Donation tier for classmates who can't attend but want to contribute. Reunly supports unlimited ticket types per reunion.
How do I handle classmates who say yes but never pay?
About 8–15% of verbal RSVPs never actually pay if you don't enforce a payment deadline. Solutions: (1) Don't count the RSVP as confirmed until payment is received, (2) Set a hard payment cutoff 30 days before the event with a payment reminder sequence at 60/45/30/14/7 days, (3) Offer a 'pay later' option only with a credit card on file that auto-charges 21 days before the event, (4) For repeat non-payers, the committee chair makes one direct phone call - it works 70% of the time.
Should I cover ticket fees or pass them on?
If you're using a per-ticket platform (Eventbrite, Givebutter), passing the fee to the buyer makes the ticket price feel higher but keeps your committee budget clean. If you're using a flat-fee platform like Reunly ($39 total), there's no per-ticket fee to pass on - buyers see the actual ticket price. Most attendees notice +3–5% fees but don't notice flat platform charges spread across all tickets.