How to take bookings for a free event

“Payment group” is a slightly misleading name, because they’re just as good when no money changes hands. A free toddler group, a church weekend with no charge, a carol service with limited seats: same tool, same data collection, no payment screens.

Setting up free bookings

1. Create the payment group in the usual way, following how to set up a payment group; nothing about a free event changes the basics.
2. Build your options and choices with no cost attached: places, sessions, seat choices, whatever the event needs. All the limits still work, so a hall’s capacity or a children’s group’s safeguarding ratio caps the numbers exactly as it would for paid tickets.
3. In the payment settings, set registrations that total zero to be treated as offline. The booker then sees a simple ‘complete registration’ button and never meets a payment screen.
4. If you’d like to invite a voluntary contribution, add an optional variable-amount choice, a donation towards running costs, say. Left blank, the booking stays free with a single click to confirm; if someone enters an amount, the payment options appear just for them. Free toddler groups do exactly this to gather contact details while gently inviting support.
5. All the data power still applies: collect what you need, including age-dependent questions for children, and confirmation emails go out as normal.

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Good to know

• When to use which: for a simple “let us know you’re coming”, the lighter options in taking bookings for an event may be all you need; reach for a payment group when you want limits, choices, per-person details or the option of money later.
• A free event run through a payment group converts beautifully into a paid or donation-supported one next year: copy the group and add prices.
• Free registrations still appear in your registration lists and reports, so you get proper numbers for catering and seating rather than a guess.