How To Set Up A Waitlist + FAQs

How to Use the Enhanced Waitlist Feature + FAQs

Big Tickets has upgraded its waitlist functionality to give you more control, better insights, and a smoother attendee experience. Whether you're handling a pre-sale, a sold-out show, or future demand, our new tools make managing your waitlist easier than ever.

🔄 What’s a Waitlist?

A waitlist allows attendees to request tickets for a sold-out or upcoming event. When more tickets become available, they’re fulfilled in the order received — either automatically or with confirmation, based on your preferences.

🛠️ New Waitlist Enhancements (At a Glance)

• Manual or auto-charge options for released waitlist requests
• Confirmation deadlines to avoid unexpected charges
• New ticket summary view (Waiting, Converted, Deleted)
• Pause/resume requests for better control
• Expanded waitlist report with status filters and bulk actions

🧩 How to Enable Waitlist on an Event

1. Go to My Events > Manage Events

2. Use the dropdown under Actions and select Edit

   Navigate to the Customize tab

   Scroll to Waitlist Settings, then toggle Enabled

   Set your:

   • Cut-off Date & Time
   • Request Handling method (Charge Immediately or Confirmation Required)
   • Confirmation Deadline (in hours)

👤 What Attendees See When an Event Is Sold Out

When tickets are sold out, attendees will see a “Submit a Waitlist Request” button. Clicking it lets them select a ticket quantity and submit payment info.

After submitting, they receive a confirmation email. If their request is fulfilled and you're using the Charge Immediately method, their card is automatically charged. If you're using Confirmation Required, they’ll have a limited time (based on your settings) to accept and complete the purchase.

🧾 Statuses in the New Waitlist Report

Your Waitlist Report now includes these statuses for better tracking:

• Waiting – The request is pending
• Converted – The ticket was fulfilled and purchased
• Paused – The request was paused by the attendee or system
• Deleted – The request was removed or expired

From the same screen, you can also resume paused requests or take bulk actions like filtering, exporting, and redeeming.

📊 View Waitlist Performance at a Glance

Check how your waitlist is performing with the new Tickets Summary section:

• Total waiting requests
• Number of tickets fulfilled
• Deleted/inactive requests

Frequently Asked Questions

How do attendees sign up for the waitlist?

On your event’s ticketing page, attendees will see a “Login to request” button if the event is sold out and the waitlist is enabled. After logging in, they can select the number of tickets and submit a request.

They’ll be prompted to enter billing details and will receive a confirmation email once their request is submitted.

If tickets become available and their request is fulfilled, they will be automatically charged (if using charge mode) or prompted to confirm (if confirmation is required). After payment, they’ll receive a ticket email.

Can attendees request more than one type of ticket?

Yes. Attendees can request multiple ticket types and quantities.

⚠️ All requested items will be purchased if the request is approved. Only request what you're ready to buy.

Is there a layaway plan for waitlist tickets?

No. Waitlist tickets must be paid in full at the time of purchase.

Once a ticket buyer is on the waitlist, when will they get tickets?

There’s no exact timeline. Waitlist tickets are released as they become available.

🕒 Attendees must cancel their request manually if they no longer want tickets.

What is the cutoff for fulfilling waitlist requests?

To avoid last-minute or unexpected charges, requests are only processed up to 24 hours before the event start time. After that, any unfulfilled requests will be automatically canceled and not charged.

How are waitlist tickets delivered?

Tickets are sent via email as a PDF attachment once the request is fulfilled and payment is processed.

How do attendees manage their waitlist requests?

Attendees can log into their Big Tickets account and go to the “Waitlist Requests” tab to view or update their request.

Can attendees cancel their waitlist requests?

Yes. From the Waitlist Requests tab, select the Actions dropdown and choose Cancel Request.

❌ Canceling is final. They’ll receive an email confirmation and won’t be eligible unless they submit a new request.

What happens if an attendee’s card is declined?

They’ll receive an email notification and have 24 hours to update their payment method to remain eligible.

Can attendees update their payment method after making a request?

Yes. From the Waitlist Requests tab, they can select Update Request from the Actions menu to change payment details.

Can attendees request more than one type of ticket?

Yes — they can request multiple ticket types and quantities in the same wait

list submission.

Can attendees update or cancel their requests?

Yes — they can log into their Big Tickets account, go to Waitlist Requests, and click Update or Cancel from the actions menu.

What happens if a card is declined?

Attendees receive an email alert and have 24 hours to update their payment method.

Can attendees change their payment method?

Yes — from the same Waitlist Requests tab, attendees can update the card on file.

📥 How to See & Manage Waitlist Requests

To view and manage your full waitlist:

1. Go to Charts & Reports > Event Reports > Waitlist

   Click Report next to the desired event

   View details such as:

   • Requester info
   • Ticket types
   • Status
   • Order total
   • Timestamp

📸 [Use original screenshot: Waitlist Report – event list and detail view]

You can export the report to .csv by clicking Export Report.

📊 Waitlist Reporting & Management Tools

Big Tickets now gives you more powerful tools to manage and act on your waitlist with enhanced reporting and automation options.

✅ What's New in Waitlist Reporting:

• Improved Status Tracking: See live status updates (e.g., Waiting, Converted, Paused, Deleted) for every request
• Drag-and-Drop Reordering: Manually reorder requests to prioritize certain attendees
• One-Click Fulfillment: Redeem waitlist requests directly from the report
• Bulk Actions & Filters: Filter by ticket type and take batch actions (approve, export, etc.)
• Email Campaign Integration: Push available inventory to your waitlist using built-in email tools

🔍 How to View and Manage the Waitlist Report

1. Go to Charts & Reports > Event Reports > Waitlist
2. Select the event you'd like to review
3. Click Report next to the event to view individual waitlist request details

From here, you can:

• See how many attendees are waiting
• View request totals, email addresses, ticket types, and status
• Export to .csv using the Export Report button
• Take direct actions on individual or multiple requests

From this page, you can see how many Waitlist requests are pending. To view the details of attendees waiting for tickets, select "Report."

Click on a purchaser's name in the list to view details such as requested ticket type, address, or phone number. Then, click "Export Report" in the upper right-hand corner of the report to export this information to a .csv file.