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Pass Fourwaves service fees to participants

Activate an option to pass the platform service fee to participants.

Updated this week

When enabled, the Fourwaves platform service fees (and applicable taxes) are passed to the attendee’s total at checkout, instead of absorbing them as the organizer.

This option is available to all organizers and applies per event.

How to activate

  1. In your event, go to Configuration → Payments.

  2. Toggle Pass Fourwaves service fees to participants.

How it works

  • When the toggle is off:
    Fourwaves service fees are deducted from the organizer’s payout. The participant only pays the base cost of their ticket/items plus any applicable taxes.

  • When the toggle is on:
    Fourwaves service fees are added to the participant’s total at checkout. The attendee covers the fees (and taxes on those fees, if applicable).

Refunds

If you issue a full refund to a participant:

  • The participant will receive the full amount they originally paid, including service fees (and any taxes on them).

  • The organizer is still responsible for those service fees, as they are charged back to the organizer.

Additionally, Fourwaves does not apply additional transaction fees during the refund process.

Data and reporting

The transaction reporting has two relevant columns:

  • Items total (previously “Total”):
    Represents the total value of the form items and their taxes. This does not always match the amount paid on the credit card when service fees are passed to participants.

  • Charge total (new column):
    Represents the full amount charged to the participant’s credit card, including Fourwaves service fees (when the toggle is on).

How service fees are calculated

Example with a $100 ticket:

  1. Items subtotal: $100

  2. Taxes on items: $5

  3. Fourwaves service fee (3%): calculated on ($100 + $5) = $105 → $3.15

  4. Taxes on service fee (if Canadian billing address): e.g., 13% HST in Ontario = $0.41

Final total charged to participant = (1 + 2) + (3 + 4) = $108.56

Participants see the Fourwaves service fee as a separate line item at checkout and on their receipt.

With toggle off:
Participant pays $105 ($100 ticket + $5 tax).
Organizer receives $101.85 after the $3.15 Fourwaves service fee deduction.

With toggle on:
Participant pays $108.56 ($100 ticket + $5 tax + $3.15 fee + $0.41 tax on fee).
Organizer receives $105, since the participant covered the service fees.

When to use this feature

  • Toggle off if you want to absorb the platform costs as an organizer.

  • Toggle on if you prefer participants to cover the service fees in addition to their ticket and taxes.

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