How to set up Extras

In this article, we are going to explore the Extras function in Ticketsolve. Extras allow you to gather additional information about event attendees that might not be captured otherwise. An example of how Extras can be used would be meal and drink choices for an event or collecting information about additional attendees on family or group tickets. Extras can be used on Ticket Prices and Products.

Setting up Extras

To set up Extras on a Ticket Price, you will need to add some short JSON code to tell the system what information you want to collect. When the ticket with the Extras code is added to a cart, additional fields will appear to filled in.

 Important

Customise the Extras code first. Using the Extras code example below, copy and paste the code into a text edit page and follow the steps to edit the Extras code.

Adding Extras to Ticket Prices

To begin the set-up, go to Manage > Pricing.

1. Go to Manage > Pricing.

2. Use the search bar in the left column to search and select the Pricing scheme you require.

3. Click the Ticket price you want to add Extras to.

4. Click on the Settings tab.

5. Select the Setting "extras".

Now you need to add the code into the Extras box.

6. Copy and paste the Extras code into the box in the pop-up (paste over the existing curly braces {}). To edit the code, follow the steps in the Extras code section. 

7. Click Update to save.

Adding Extras to Products

1. Go to Manage > Products.

2. Use the search bar in the left column to search and select the Product you require.

3. Click the Product you want to add Extras to.

4. Click on the Settings tab.

5. Select the Setting "extras".

6. Copy and paste the Extras code into the box in the pop-up (paste over the existing curly braces {}). To edit the code, follow the steps in the Extras code section. 

7. Click Update to save.

Extras in the customer journey

 Important

Extras information is required. Once Extras are set-up, the Extras information fields must be filled in (both in the Box Office and online) before the sale can be completed.

Extras on a Box Office sale

In the Box Office view, when tickets with extra information required are added to the Cart, the Manage extras icon will turn red and be clickable.

Extra information will need to be added before the purchase can be completed. 

1. Click the Manage extras (note) icon.

2. In the pop-up fill in the information required for each ticket. 

3. Click Update Extras to save.

Amending customer Extra responses

To change responses after an Order is confirmed:

Go to Box Office > Search Orders

1. Search and select the Order to be updated. 

2. Click View order in the pop-up.

3. Click on the Extras tab at the top of the screen.

4. Make the changes as needed.

5. Click the Update Extras button to save the changes. 

Extras in the online checkout

During the online purchase journey, when customers add tickets with extra information required to their shopping cart, they will see an extra step in their purchase journey called 'Extra info'. Customers will need to add the required extra information requested before proceeding with their purchase. 

Reporting on Extras

Ticket Price Extras

You can see all the extra information captured per attendee for each Event in Ticketsolve or across a number of Events or Shows. There are two ways to view Extras per Event:

• Box Office > Events Dashboard
• Reports > Sales Reports > Event Extras

Event Extras responses in the Events Dashboard

Go to Box Office > Events Dashboard

1. In the Events Calendar, find and select the Event for which you want to see the attendee's extra information. 

2. Click the View / Print lists dropdown menu in the upper right corner of your screen.

3. On the Attendance list row, select one of three icons: CSV or PDF to download or the eye icon to view the list online.  

Event Extras Report 

Go to Reports > Sales Reports.

1. Enter 'Event Extras' in the search box in the left column of your screen. 

2. Click the Event Extras report to begin configuring. 

3. Select the report format: HTML, CSV, PDF, XLS.

Now you can choose to run the Report for a specific Date or Date range and see extra information captured for each attendee by Program, Show, Run or Event. You can fine tune the information as you wish, using the drop-down menu selections. 

4. Click Save As or Generate Report to finish. 

Product Extras

All Extras information collected for a Product can be reported on in the Product Sales Detail sales report.  The Product Sales Detail Report is run on sales date range and can be filtered by a specific Product tag if required. 

1. Go to Reports > Sales Reports > Product Sales Detail.

2. Select the report format: HTML, CSV, PDF, XLS.

3. Enter the start date you want to report on Product sales From.

4. Enter the end date you want to report on Product sales To.

5. Enter a tag related to the product(s) if you want to filter the report, such as ‘member’.

5. Tick to Include Extras.

6. Click Generate Report.

Extras Code to enter in Settings

The example code below will activate the Extras settings and display extra fields that must be filled in (both in the Box Office and online). In the example code below, the code will generate the following extra fields:

1. Attendee Name (fillable field) 

2. Choice of Meal (dropdown)

3. Choice of Drink (Which drink would like to accompany your meal?) (dropdown)

You can add edit the code below code to capture any specific extra information you want and also add extra fields if you require them. 

{
"metadata": {
"information": "Please fill in your Menu Choices",
 "optional": "no"
 },

 "fields": [
{
"name": "name",
 "description": "Attendee Name"
 },
 {
"name": "Meal",
 "description": "Choice of Meal",
 "options": ["Steak", "Fish", "Vegetarian"]
},
 {
"name": "Drinks",
 "description": "Which drink would like to accompany your meal?",
 "options": ["Red Wine", "White Wine", "Beer", "Soft Drink"]
}
]
}

We will use the above code as an example of how to make Extras fields. 

1. To alter the code for your needs, copy and paste the code above into a text edit page. 

2. When making edits to the code, only change the text leave the punctuation (i.e., don't remove any quote marks, brackets, curly braces etc.). 

2. Edit the "metadata" section. The “metadata” section contains the title of your extras information page and displays both online and in the Box Office. To edit, replace the title in our example above, "Please fill in your Menu Choices" with your desired title.

3. Edit the “fields” section.  The "fields" section contains the various types of extra information you want to gather as well as the choices. There are three main parts of the "fields" section you can edit:

• “name”
  • The name of the information field (note: cannot begin with a number and cannot have spaces between words). "names" will display in Reports and Lists but not in the Box Office or online. 
    • In our example code we have: "name", "Meal" and "Drinks". 
• “description”
  • Description of information field (note: cannot begin with a number). "description" displays online and in the Box Office. 
    • In our example code, we have "Attendee Name", "Choice of Meal" and "Which drink would you like to accompany your meal?"
• “options”
  • This is the answer field and can be set with pre defined options in a dropdown menu. If "options" is removed, customers will have to fill in the info themselves. "options" displays online and in the Box Office. 
    • In our example code we have:
      • The "name" field with no option (so must be filled in).
      • The "Meal" field with ["Steak", "Fish", "Vegetarian"]
      • The "Drinks" field with ["Red Wine", "White Wine", "Beer", "Soft Drink"]

4. To add fields in between other fields use the format below:

 {
"name": "Meal",
 "description": "Choice of Meal",
 "options": ["Steak", "Fish", "Vegetarian"]
},

5. To add a field at the end use the format below:

 {
"name": "Drinks",
 "description": "Which drink would like to accompany your meal?",
 "options": ["Red Wine", "White Wine", "Beer", "Soft Drink"]
}
]
}

6. Once you have edited the code as required, you can copy and paste the edited code into JSON Validator to check your code before adding to Ticketsolve. 

5. Once the code works as expected, you can continue setting up Extras.

Want to know more?

• Extras Academy
• How to add extra information to Shows and Events