A presale lets you sell early to the people you choose, like members, fans, or your mailing list. Until the presale ends, buyers need an access code to buy tickets. Once it ends, your event goes on sale to everyone.
How do I turn on a presale?
Open your event, go to Settings › Registration, and select the Pre-Sale tab. Turn on Enable Pre-Sale, then set up four things.
Pre-sale visibility. Choose Gate checkout only to keep your event page public and searchable while tickets stay locked. Choose Gate the entire page to hide everything until a visitor enters a code. Visitors and search engines see nothing, so the page won't show up in search.
Pre-Sale Starts and Pre-Sale Ends. Pick the date and time the gate goes up and the date and time it comes down.
Access Code. Choose from your existing promo codes. Any valid code you select unlocks ticket purchasing during the presale, and its discount still applies.
Select Save when you're done.
Where do I make the access code?
Access codes are regular promo codes, so you create them the same way. There's no separate flow. See How do promo codes work? for the steps.
What does a buyer see?
While the presale is running, the Tickets card on your event page asks for a code instead of showing the usual ticket button. When a buyer enters a valid code, they can buy, and the code is added to their order for them, so they don't have to type it again at checkout.
Can one code do more than one thing?
Yes. A single code can open purchasing, reveal any hidden tickets it's attached to, and take money off. Two buyers with two different codes may see two different ticket lists.
When does a code stop working?
A code only works when both the presale window and the code's own start and end dates are open. If a code expires or reaches its order limit while someone is checking out, it won't go through at payment.
What happens if a buyer removes the code at checkout?
They'll see a message explaining that this takes them out of checkout. If they confirm, the code is removed and they go back to the code entry screen.
What happens when the presale ends?
The gate comes down on its own at your end time. The Tickets card goes back to normal, and anyone can buy.