Frequently asked questions
Noctern is free ticketing and venue management software for independent venues. If you don't find your answer here, try the Help Center or contact us.
For venues: pricing and getting started
What is Noctern?
Noctern is a free ticketing and venue management platform for independent venues. It handles selling tickets, running the box office and door, booking and paying artists, and reporting on what each show made, all in one system.
Is Noctern really free for venues?
Yes. Noctern has no setup fee, no monthly fee and no contract, and venues pay nothing to use it. Ticket buyers pay a service fee at checkout.
How does Noctern make money?
Noctern earns a service fee on each ticket sold. The buyer pays it, and it's shown before they check out.
Do venues keep their full ticket price?
Yes. By default the buyer pays your ticket price plus the service fee and tax. If you choose all-in pricing, buyers see one total price and Noctern works out your ticket price inside it.
Is there a contract?
No. There's no long-term contract, and you can stop using Noctern at any time.
How and when do venues get paid?
Ticket revenue is paid to your bank account through Stripe, with a payout report for every event that shows exactly what was sold, refunded and paid out.
What kinds of venues use Noctern?
Noctern is built for independent venues that run shows week after week: music clubs, jazz rooms, theaters, restaurants and supper clubs with live entertainment, and nonprofit arts organizations.
How do I get started?
Create a venue account at noctern.com/signup. You can build your seating layout, set up your first event and start selling without talking to sales. If you'd like a walkthrough first, email [email protected].
Can we switch from our current ticketing system?
Yes. Noctern can bring over your upcoming events and past sales history so reporting stays complete. Email [email protected] to plan a migration.
For nonprofits and fundraising
Can we take donations through Noctern?
Yes. Supporters can give at checkout or through a dedicated, shareable donation page with its own QR code. They choose the fund, can opt to cover processing fees, and your venue keeps 100% — Noctern takes no cut of a gift.
Does Noctern support recurring giving?
Yes. Donors can become monthly sustainers with automatic billing and failed-payment dunning, and a self-service manager lets staff and donors start, view or cancel gifts anytime.
Does Noctern send donation receipts?
Yes. IRS-compliant receipts go out automatically with your legal name, EIN and deductibility statement, and you can generate PDF acknowledgment letters and clear them from a built-in acknowledgment queue.
Can a 501(c)(3) run tax-exempt fundraiser events?
Yes. Registered 501(c)(3) venues can run tax-exempt fundraiser events with $0 tax on every line item, with built-in tracking of the annual tax-exempt event allowance.
Does Noctern support memberships and donations?
Yes. Venues can run tiered membership programs with free-ticket allotments and discounts, and nonprofit venues can take one-time and recurring donations and keep donor records.
For venues: features
Does Noctern support reserved seating and general admission?
Yes. The visual layout editor handles rows, tables, booths, sections and general admission areas, with different pricing tiers for each part of the room.
Can we sell tickets at the door?
Yes. Noctern includes a full box office for walk-up sales, seat holds, comps, guest lists and refunds, and it runs on a tablet or computer.
How does check-in work?
Staff scan each guest's QR code with any phone or tablet, with no special hardware. You can also check in a group from a photo of a printed guest list, and see arrivals live.
Can Noctern handle artist deals and settlement?
Yes. You can build guarantee or flat-fee, door deal, versus and bonus deals, send the artist a link to sign digitally, settle the show in one step with a PDF for the artist, and run 1099-NEC reports at year end.
How does Noctern help promote events?
Noctern can send your events to local calendar and listing sites, publish to your X, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and send buyers automatic confirmations and reminders.
What does Noctern connect with?
Payments run through Stripe, including cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets. Noctern reads bar sales from Square or Toast to show bar revenue for each event, exports a QuickBooks Desktop-ready daily journal for your bookkeeper, and tickets can go straight to Apple Wallet.
How is Noctern different from Eventbrite or Ticketmaster?
Noctern is built for venues that run shows every week, not for one-off events, and it's free for the venue. It also covers the work around the ticket that general platforms leave out: the box office, artist deals and settlement, and bar revenue tied to each show. A feature-by-feature comparison is at noctern.com/venue.
For ticket buyers
Where are my tickets?
Your tickets are in your confirmation email, and you can add them to Apple Wallet or print them. If you can't find the email, use Order Lookup at noctern.com/order-lookup.
Can I get a refund?
Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is canceled or rescheduled by the organizer. Service fees and taxes are non-refundable. See the full Purchase Policy at noctern.com/purchase-policy.
Who do I contact for help with an order?
Email [email protected] with your order details. For questions about the event itself, such as set times or accessibility, contact the venue.
Compare Noctern with other ticketing platforms on the features and comparison page, or email [email protected] to get your venue set up.