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How to Set up Early Access / Presales: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1169365
When you want to offer early access (i.e. set up a presale) to ticket sales, Member/Passcode access is the way to go. You can use this feature for presales in one of two ways:
- Set up early access with a Passcode, then send it to your specialpatrons for them to use (via email or snail mail). They'll type in the Passcode on the Public Ticketing Site (PTS) to unlock the presale
- Click here to use this option
- Set up early access with a Benefit Level; when members at that Benefit Level log in on the PTS, they'll get early access automatically
- Click here to use this option
- Note: this option is only available if you are using PatronPortal with Memberships and Benefits
We'll also touch on some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at the end. Let's jump in!
Heads up! If you're setting up a grouped seating sale (e.g. "Microsoft employees get discounted seats and can sit together in this section"), you'll also need to incorporate Access Codes to your presale.
1. Send a Passcode to your patrons
This option is perfectly simple - make a secret code, send the code and some instructions to your special VIP patrons, and they'll be able to use it on your PTS to purchase tickets ahead of the public.
1.1. Use the App Launcher to go to Member/Passcodes
1.2. Click New
1.3. Create your Passcode
- Passcode Name: for internal use only, give it a descriptive name
- Passcode: this is the code your patrons will type in to gain early access - make it something easy to spell/remember
- Click Save
1.4. Head to the PatronTicket Hub and click Create/Edit Events
1.5. Find and click on the Ticketable Event you want to give early access to
1.6. Scroll to the bottom, select the Event Instances you want to give early access to, then click New Member/Passcode Access
1.7. Use the page to grant access
There's a lot to unpack, let's do it step by step:
Helpfully, you'll be able to see the Event Instances and their public on-sale dates to help you make your choices (highlighted area above).
- Benefit Level: you're not granting access to a Benefit Level, so leave this blank
- Passcode: choose the Passcode you just created
- Start Date: when should your patrons be able to start using this code?
- End Date: when should patrons not be able to use the code anymore? This should probably just be the public on-sale date
- Click Save
1.8. You're done! Access has been granted
Now send the passcode your patrons should use via email / snail mail. In our case we'd send out the code:
NYEPARTY
2. Grant Early Access by Benefit Level
If you're using PatronManager Memberships, this option can grant eligible members automatic presale access to any performance when they log in to Portal - an awesome perk of purchasing a membership with your organization.
Note: this option is only available if you are using PatronPortal with Memberships.
2.1. Head to the PatronTicket Hub and click Create/Edit Events
2.2. Find and click on the Ticketable Event you want to give early access to
2.3. Scroll to the bottom, check the boxes of Event Instances you want to give early access to, then click Set Member/Passcode Access
2.4. Use the page to grant access, one Benefit Level at a time
Let's do it step by step:
- Benefit Level: which Benefit Level should get access to this presale?
- Passcode: leave blank unless you're using both options together
- Start Date: when does your member presale access start?
- End Date: optional: if the presale ends before the Public Sale Start Date begins, you can enter the cutoff here. Normally you'll leave it blank.
- Click Save
2.5. Done! Access granted
If you need to grant early access to another Benefit Level, repeat the steps above.
Did you come from our Setting up Your Membership Program: Home article? Click here to go back and continue working!
2.6. Your Benefit Level will now be able to purchase tickets to these performances early!
You can see which shows the Benefit Level has early access to via the Benefit Level record:
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using the "Not On Sale Yet" Message field to tell your patrons when seats will be available to the public. Here's how:
Navigate to your Ticketable Event page and set a message using the "Not On Sale Yet" Message field
This field is on the Event level, which means the text you enter here will appear on all associated Event Instances until those Instances' individual Sale Start Dates.
This message will appear on your Public Ticketing site above the Passcode field
Great question -- you've got options! Check out our article Pre-Sale and Exclusive Access Examples. There you will find an amazing flowchart to help you make the best decision for your upcoming event!
If the seats you're offering to this special group will stay reserved just for them, you should use a private Allocation, linked to your Member/Passcode Access via an Access Code. For steps on how to do this , check our are article Pre-Sale and Exclusive Access Examples.
Note: if you use this option and decide to put some of these seats on sale to the public later on, you can always reallocate seats into a public Ticket Allocation.
Sounds good! If you want them to have special seating you should use an Access Code, but for the discount, use a Discount Code that's linked to their Benefit Level.
This way they'll automatically get the discount as long as they're logged in to Portal, and they can purchase seats wherever they'd like (as long as you've hooked up the Discount Code to the relevant Price Levels).
Click here to learn more about this option.
Absolutely! When a patron purchases tickets using a Passcode, PatronManager stores that info in a field on the Ticket Order Item.
You'll find the "Passcode: Name" field available as a column or filter in most of your ticketing reports, e.g. in the "All Orders By Instance" reports, in the "Door List Template", in the "Main Discount Report", and more.
Note: the "Passcode: Name" field refers to the internal name of the Passcode, not the code your patrons type in on the ticketing site.
After saving your Member/Passcode Access, you are unable to change the Benefit Level or add a new Benefit Level if the field was originally left blank.
If you made a mistake, you can always delete the Member/Passcode Access and start over, or create a new Member/Passcode Access record just for the Benefit Level.
Nope! Your patrons only need the Passcode. If you're already using Patron Portal, and you want to give your members the same (or different) early access, you can associate their Benefit Level with a Member/Passcode Access record -- either with a Passcode or without.
Nope! While you can absolutely use both features at the same time, think of it this way:
- Member Access is automatic, as long as the patron logs in to Portal.
- Passcodes are manual, designed for folks who don't have Portal access, and must be typed in.
If you'd like to have both options available, you can set both a Benefit Level and a Passcode for the same early access date (or for different ones, if the dates vary).