You know the scene: ticket sales for a popular festival open at 10:00, and at 10:00:01 hundreds of people are hammering the buy button at once. Whoever has the fastest connection wins, anyone on an older phone misses out, and your support inbox fills up with "the site is acting up". For exactly that moment there is the virtual waiting room: a digital queue that absorbs the rush and keeps the sale fair and calm.
What your visitors see
The moment sales open, everyone visiting the event page first enters the waiting room. Here's what happens:
- The first few minutes are a draw. Everyone who arrives during the opening window has exactly the same chance of a good spot in the queue — whether they clicked at 10:00:01 or 10:03:45. When the window closes, positions are assigned by lottery.
- After that, you see live where you stand. Your position, how many people are ahead of you and an estimated waiting time — updated automatically, no refreshing needed.
- Your turn? Take your time. Visitors are admitted to ticket selection and checkout in small batches, each with a personal timer (say, 10 minutes) to complete their order.
- Too slow, or second thoughts? When the timer runs out, the spot automatically goes to the next person in line. Rejoining is always possible.
Anyone arriving after the opening window simply joins the back of the queue — just like a real one.
Why a draw beats "fastest finger first"
Without a waiting room, a sale opening is a reaction test. That may sound exciting, but it rewards exactly the wrong crowd: people with fibre connections, multiple screens and autofill — and in the worst case, bots. Loyal visitors who were ready right at 10:00 but clicked two seconds later walk away empty-handed.
By treating the first minutes as a single lottery round, enthusiasm counts instead of reaction speed. Everyone who showed up at the start gets the same chance. That doesn't just feel fairer — it is, and your visitors will notice.
What it does for you as an organiser
- No peak load on your sales page. The waiting room absorbs the hit; checkout processes visitors at a pace you control.
- A calm, steady sale. With only a small group checking out at a time, payments and ticket delivery keep running smoothly — even with thousands waiting.
- Less support. Visitors can see exactly where they stand and how long it will take. That saves a pile of "is it sold out yet?" emails during your most important hour.
- Fairness as a calling card. A transparent queue with a fair draw prevents bad blood afterwards — good for your brand and for next year's edition.
Configured per event
You enable the waiting room per event, only for the sales where you expect a rush. For each event you decide how long the draw window lasts, how many visitors may check out simultaneously and how many minutes each person gets in checkout. A parade with 5,000 people waiting needs different settings than a club night with 300 — we're happy to help you tune it.
Availability
The virtual waiting room is part of our Custom plan and available on request. Don't see the option in your dashboard yet? Drop us a line: we'll activate the waiting room for your organisation and help you tune it for your next peak sale.
Expecting a stampede at your next sale opening? Get in touch — we'll make sure you're ready for it.
