Building online ticketing for an event in Abidjan, Lomé or Cotonou
The must-have features of an online ticketing system, mobile access control, and how to handle payouts after the event.
Concerts, trade shows, conferences, performances: online ticket sales are now standard in the region's larger cities. Here is what to plan for ticketing that holds up on the day.
The must-have features
- Several ticket categories, with quotas and sales end dates.
- Multi-operator mobile money payment and bank card.
- Ticket sent by email and SMS, with a unique QR code.
- A sales page in the organiser's brand, under their domain name.
- A real-time sales dashboard.
Access control on the day
A scanner app installed on a few Android phones is enough. Each QR code is validated once; a double-entry attempt is flagged immediately. The app must work even if the network is saturated at the venue: validations happen locally, then sync.
The most common failure on the day is not the software, it's the mobile network jammed at the entrance. Offline scanning is not an option, it's a requirement.
Handling payouts
Funds collected through an aggregator land in a merchant account, often with a settlement delay of a few days. You need: automatic calculation of net amounts after commissions, a clear statement per ticket category, and payout to the organiser on an agreed schedule. When several promoters share an event, the split must be configurable.
Build or reuse?
Building ticketing from scratch for a single event is rarely worth it. A proven ticketing block, customised to the organiser's brand and rules, goes live in one to two weeks. Custom development makes sense for an operator running events continuously who wants a tool of their own.