GC Events Deep Dive: Tickets, Capacity, Add-Ons, Emails, and Group Registrations – GiveCampus University

This guide covers the GC Events questions we hear most often: setting capacity for one activity but not others, how ticket prices and the "Free" label display, what happens with fair market value after tickets sell, add-on availability, confirmation and reminder emails, promo codes, and how to run group events like golf outings. Use the sections below to jump straight to your question.

Simple vs. complex events

Simple events are a single registration: one event, one set of ticket types.
Complex events add activities (sub-events like a dinner, a golf round, or babysitting), each with its own ticket types, guest limits, and details. Complex events also support ticket packages (great for sponsorships) and add-ons.

If your event has multiple things people can sign up for—or different prices for different parts—you want a complex event.

Capacity and guest limits

You can cap attendance at three levels, and they work independently:

Event-level guest limit: caps the whole event. Leave it blank for unlimited.
Ticket type limits: each ticket type can have its own quantity, or be unlimited.
Activity guest limits: each activity in a complex event can have its own cap—so yes, your Alumnae Celebration can have a limit of 150 while every other activity stays unlimited. Just set the guest limit on that one activity and leave the others blank.

When a limit is reached, that ticket type or activity shows as capacity reached and can't be selected. If you've enabled the waitlist on your event, registrants can join it once capacity is hit. Remaining capacity counts both completed and reserved (in-progress) registrations.

Activity-level capacity in complex events

Complex events use a two-tier capacity system for activities. You set an overall guest limit for an activity and additional per-ticket-type guest limits within the activity. This lets you enforce a strict cap or allow a preferred maximum with a small overflow.

Control locations

Event-level controls (Ticketing step > Registration Limits section):
- Max guests per registration — sets how many guests can be included in a single registration.
- Overall guest limit — applies to the entire event; leave blank for unlimited.
Activity-level control (activity Details tab > Registration Limits section):
- Overall guest limit for this activity — sets the hard ceiling for the activity; leave blank for unlimited.
Per-ticket-type limits in an activity (activity Ticketing tab):
- Each activity ticket type has a Guest Limit field that restricts the number available. These limits function alongside the activity’s overall limit.

How limits interact

Both the activity’s overall guest limit and any per-ticket-type limits apply simultaneously. If either limit is reached, that ticket type or the activity becomes unavailable.
Completed and reserved registrations count against the activity’s limits, just as they do at the event level.
When the activity’s guest limit is reached, it shows as capacity‑reached, and new registrants cannot select it (although the waitlist, if enabled, remains available).
Activity limits function independently from the event-level overall guest limit. For instance, if the event limit is 100 but an activity is capped at 28, that activity will close at 28 regardless of event capacity.

Practical setups

1) Soft cap with overflow

Use this option when you want a preferred maximum with room for a small overflow:

In the activity's Ticketing tab, edit the desired ticket type and set its Guest Limit to your preferred maximum (e.g., 28).
In the activity's Details tab, set Overall guest limit for this activity to a higher number (e.g., 34) to allow overflow.

The ticket type stops selling at the preferred cap, but the activity accepts registrations up to the overall limit.

2) Single hard cap with no overflow

Use this option when the activity must not exceed a fixed headcount:

In the activity's Details tab, set Overall guest limit for this activity to the exact cap (e.g., 28).
Leave ticket-type limits unlimited (or set them equal to or above the activity cap) so that only the activity’s overall limit applies.

The activity closes exactly when the overall limit is reached.

Additional notes

Check the admin ticket counts to see remaining seats, calculated as the guest limit minus completed and reserved registrations.
If a ticket type has a very high Guest Limit but the overall activity limit is lower, the overall limit will stop sales once reached.
To keep certain ticket types available even near capacity, consider setting a separate ticket type with its own limit while planning the activity’s overall guest limit accordingly.

overall guest limit vs. ticket-type guest limit

The event’s overall guest limit serves as a hard cap that applies to all ticket types. Once that cap is reached, no further tickets of any type can be issued—even if an individual ticket type still has available spots. This means a ticket type with a high guest limit may still become unavailable if the overall capacity is met.

Key points

If a ticket type is set with a high guest limit (for instance, a sponsorship package for 300), but the event’s overall guest limit is lower (for example, 144), the overall cap takes precedence. When overall capacity reaches zero, no tickets can be issued regardless of individual settings.
This issue commonly occurs when large-quantity ticket types are combined with a smaller overall guest cap.

Resolving the conflict

Option 1 – Increase the overall guest limit

In the Ticketing step, adjust the Overall guest limit (found in the Registration Limits section) to be at least as high as your largest ticket type. This ensures that the individual ticket type guest limits govern availability.

Option 2 – Lower each ticket type’s guest limit

Open each ticket type in the Ticketing step and reduce the Guest Limit to a number that is equal to or below the overall event cap. This makes the availability logic clear and consistent on the registration page.

Troubleshooting checklist

Determine whether the overall event cap or an individual ticket type’s guest limit should be the primary constraint.
For large-quantity sponsorship or package ticket types, make sure the overall guest limit meets or exceeds the highest ticket type limit.
To enforce a strict overall cap, set each ticket type’s guest limit at or below the overall cap.
Verify the number of seats filled or in progress (attending/reserved) in the event’s admin view, as both count toward the overall limit.

Example

If you set up a ticket type called "Hole Sponsorship" with a guest limit of 300 but the overall event guest limit is 144, registrants will not see the "Hole Sponsorship" ticket because the overall cap prevails. To fix this, either raise the overall guest limit to 300 or lower the ticket type’s guest limit to 144 or below.

Tip: To see how many tickets remain for each activity, check the ticket counts on the event's admin view—remaining capacity is the limit minus attending and reserved guests.

Ticket prices and the "Free" label

The price text on your event landing page (for example, "Tickets starting at $50.00") is generated automatically from your ticket types and packages:

Multiple prices show "Starting at" the lowest price.
A single price shows that price per person.
All-free events show "Free."

Two things to know:

There's no setting to hide the price text on the landing page. It reflects your ticket setup automatically. If price display is a problem for your event, talk with us about how you've structured tickets—there's often a setup that gets the result you want.
The "Free" label on $0 tickets can't currently be relabeled (for example, to "Payment on-site"). If you're using a $0 ticket so guests can pay at the door, use the ticket type's name and description to make that clear—"Pay at the Door – $50 due at check-in" works well.

Fair market value (FMV)

Set FMV on each ticket type, package, and add-on. GiveCampus calculates the tax-deductible amount as the price minus FMV (never below zero), and registrant receipts show both.

Where to set FMV (Fair Market Value)

The Fair Market Value field appears with the Price (USD) field on ticket type, package, and add-on forms. Set it to 0 if the full ticket price is tax‑deductible.
Quick navigation for ticket-level FMV:
1. Open the event in admin and click Ticketing in the event sidebar.
2. Click + Add Another to create a new ticket type, or click the pencil icon to edit an existing ticket type.
3. Find the Fair Market Value field next to Price (USD) on the form.
4. Save the ticket type.
Effect of the per-ticket FMV:
- The tax‑deductible amount on registrant receipts is calculated as Price (USD) − Fair Market Value (the result never goes below zero). Both the total price and the tax‑deductible amount are shown on receipts.
- Once tickets have been issued for a ticket type or package, the Fair Market Value locks and cannot be changed. Double-check FMV before starting sales.
Setting FMV for add‑ons and ticket packages:
- These have their own Fair Market Value fields. Open the add‑on or package form in the Ticketing step and enter the numeric FMV.
Reviewing FMV settings:
- In the Ticketing step's ticket table, columns labeled Price and FMV show the configured values.

Where to route the FMV amount (Ticket FMV Designation)

For event‑level designation controls:
1. Open the event in admin and click Ticketing in the event sidebar.
2. Scroll to the Ticket FMV Designation (or Ticket Designation) section.
3. Use the Select FMV Designation dropdown to choose the fund that will receive the FMV portion of every ticket sale.
For schools with split ticket designations:
- The Ticketing step shows two sections: Ticket FMV Designation and Ticket Gift Designation. Use the respective dropdowns to assign each portion to a separate fund.
For schools without split ticket designations:
- A single Ticket Designation section appears with a Select Designation dropdown.
Notes on designations:
- The dropdown lists designations created under Content and Settings > Designations. Ensure the necessary designations exist at the school level.
- The per‑ticket FMV amount is separate from the event‑level designation control, which routes the FMV portion to a specific fund.
Double-check your setup:
- Since FMV locks after ticket sales begin and designation choices affect fund routing, review both the per‑ticket Fair Market Value fields and the event‑level designation dropdowns before publishing.

Important: FMV locks once tickets have been issued for that ticket type or package. You can't change it after sales start—this protects the accuracy of receipts that have already gone out. Double-check FMV before you publish. If FMV was entered incorrectly and tickets have sold, contact support@givecampus.com and we'll help you sort out corrected receipts.

Add-ons

Add-ons let registrants purchase extras—a t-shirt, parking, a photo package—at the event or activity level. Each add-on has a price, an optional FMV, and an optional quantity limit, and you can restrict an add-on to specific ticket types.

Current limits to plan around:

Add-ons don't have their own start and end dates. To retire an add-on partway through registration (say, when your early-bird window ends), delete it or set its quantity to what's already sold so it shows as unavailable.
Add-ons don't display images. Describe the item in the add-on description, and consider showing a photo in your event description or a custom section instead.

FAQ — Why does an add‑on immediately show "Capacity Reached" even though no one has been purchased?

When you create a new add‑on, the Unlimited checkbox is unchecked by default and the Purchase Limit field defaults to 0. This means that unless you change the default setting, the add‑on will show as "Capacity Reached" even before anyone registers.

Each add‑on operates in one of two capacity modes:

Unlimited — no cap; the add‑on is always available.
Purchase Limit — a fixed quantity cap. If this value is 0 (with Unlimited unchecked), the add‑on appears sold out.

How availability is calculated

For add‑ons that are not set to Unlimited, remaining availability equals the Purchase Limit minus the number of completed purchases and reserved (in‑progress) purchases. A Purchase Limit of 0 yields no available units, triggering the "Capacity Reached" message.

Common pitfalls

The Unlimited checkbox is unchecked by default, so you must either check it or enter a positive integer in the Purchase Limit field.
A blank or 0 Purchase Limit is interpreted as the add‑on being sold out, even if no purchases have been made.
Add‑ons are available only on complex events; they do not appear in the edits for simple events.

How to fix the issue

Open your event in admin and click Add-Ons in the event edit sidebar.
Click the pencil icon on the affected add‑on to open the editor.
Either check Unlimited to remove any cap or enter a positive number in Purchase Limit.
Click Save.

If multiple add‑ons show the same issue:

Review each add‑on individually, especially if you used bulk creation or copied settings. Make sure each add‑on has Unlimited checked or a positive Purchase Limit.
Review admin counts to ensure that reserved or in‑progress purchases are not affecting availability.

Quick checklist for new add‑ons

To allow unlimited purchases, check Unlimited.
To set a cap, leave Unlimited unchecked and enter a positive value in Purchase Limit (for example, 50).
If an add‑on appears sold out immediately after saving, reopen it to confirm that Purchase Limit is not 0 and that Unlimited is appropriately set.

Important note about ticket-type "Guest Limit"

Guest Limit on a ticket type sets the total number of that ticket available across the event—it does not limit the number of guests per registration. To restrict how many guests each registrant can include, use Max guests per registration in the Registration Limits section of the Ticketing step.
Both completed and reserved registrations count toward the Guest Limit and overall event/activity capacities.
To offer unlimited tickets for a type, leave the Guest Limit field blank.

FAQ — Allowing one buyer to purchase multiple tickets or packages in a single registration

Q: How can I enable a single registrant to buy several identical tickets or packages in one transaction (e.g., multiple season-ticket packages)?

A: Use the event-level Max guests per registration control. This setting lets one person purchase multiple tickets or packages within a single registration.

Steps:

Open the event in admin and click Ticketing in the event sidebar.
Scroll to the Registration Limits section.
Set Max guests per registration to the maximum number of tickets or packages a buyer can purchase (for example, 4). The help text notes: Max guests per registration cannot exceed 50.
Save your event.

What to expect:

If Max guests per registration is greater than 1, the public registration flow displays a Number of Guests (including yourself) dropdown, allowing registrants to select the desired quantity up to the set maximum.
During the Guest Information step, the form collects details (name, email, and responses to any attendee questions) for each guest slot. The step also includes a system-generated prompt: Not attending yourself? You may edit any details in the first guest box.
Each guest slot corresponds to one ticket or package. For example, when selling season-ticket packages, set the ticket type price to the package price and configure Max guests per registration accordingly.
This control only limits the number of tickets per registration. The Overall guest limit (also in the Registration Limits section) governs the total number of attendees for the event, and it will override if the event’s capacity is reached.

Additional tips:

If tickets still appear unavailable despite increasing Max guests per registration, verify that the ticket type’s Guest Limit and the event-level Overall guest limit are set appropriately.
Both completed and reserved registrations count against these limits, so pending registrations may temporarily reduce available capacity.

How to fix a Guest Limit set too low:

Open your event in admin and click Ticketing in the event edit sidebar.
Edit the affected ticket type by clicking the pencil icon.
Update the Guest Limit to the intended total number (or clear it for unlimited) and save—the change takes effect immediately.

When a ticket type appears sold out too quickly:

Check if the event-level Overall guest limit (found in Registration Limits) is lower than the ticket type’s Guest Limit, as the overall cap takes precedence.
Confirm that the ticket type’s Guest Limit is set as a total cap, not a per-registration cap.
Review admin counts to verify how many seats have been completed or are reserved.

FAQ — Why did a ticket type set for "2 guests" sell out after only two registrations?

This occurs because Guest Limit defines the total available tickets for the event. If you want to limit guests per registration, use Max guests per registration in the Registration Limits section. To allow more tickets of that type, adjust the Guest Limit on the ticket type.

Registration windows and changes after close

Your event has one registration window (a start and end date). Individual activities don't have separate registration windows—they open and close with the event. If you need a sponsorship-only sales period before general registration opens, a simple approach is to publish the event with only your packages, then add the individual ticket types when general registration should begin.

After registration closes:

New registrations can't be started.
Registrants who have their manage-registration link (from their confirmation email) can still open their registration. If you need changes fully locked for a closed event—for example, to finalize catering counts—reach out to support and we'll help.

Confirmation, reminder, and summary emails

Confirmation emails send automatically when a registration completes. The email includes the registration summary, receipt details, and a manage-registration link. You can edit the email content in your event's email settings; the default includes "This email is your ticket" and a check-in QR code, which you can turn off for events that don't use ticketed check-in.
Reminder emails send a set number of days before the event starts—you choose how many days, and you can customize the subject and body in email settings. Reminders go to active registrations; guests whose registrations were canceled or marked not attending before the send won't receive them, but a reminder scheduled before you process a cancellation may already be queued, so make cancellations promptly.
Resending a confirmation: admins can resend a registration summary email from the registrant's record. If a registrant says they never got it, check their email address for typos first—it's the most common cause.

Promo codes

Promo codes discount tickets at registration, either by percentage or a dollar amount, and can have their own start and end dates.

Yes, a promo code can be 100 percent off, making the ticket free at checkout.
Promo codes can't be applied retroactively. Once a registration is complete, the code can't be added to it, and a code that's been used can't have its name or discount edited. If someone registered without their code, the cleanest fix is to refund the registration and have them register again with the code.

Group events and golf outings

For golf tournaments and similar events, GC Events supports group registrations: the first person registers and creates the group, and additional registrants join it. A few patterns that work well:

One captain pays for the foursome: create a "Foursome" ticket (one purchase covers four golfers) and add custom registration fields—text fields work great—to collect the other three golfers' names, emails, and handicaps.
Golfers pay individually: create a "Single Golfer" ticket and add a custom field like "Who is in your foursome?" so you can group them later.
Mixed (some comped, some paid): use a 100 percent promo code for the comped golfers, or create a $0 ticket type restricted to that group.

Custom registration fields support text, numbers, checkboxes, dropdowns, and multi-selects, and you can attach them to the event, an activity, or an add-on.

Note: GC Events doesn't currently support e-signature waivers. If your event needs a liability acknowledgment, add a required checkbox field ("I agree to the participant waiver") with a link to the waiver text.

Offline registrations

You can import offline registrants from a CSV. The most common import failures are:

A missing First Name or Last Name on any row (every attendee needs both).
Invalid or missing email addresses.
Affiliation or ticket type values that don't match the event's setup exactly.

Download the template from the import screen, match its column headers exactly, and check for stray blank rows at the bottom of your file before uploading.

Refunds

Admins can issue full or partial refunds on a registration's payment. The registration itself stays in place after a refund—so if the guest is no longer attending, also cancel the registration so your guest list and reminder emails stay accurate. There's no one-click way to convert a paid ticket into a donation; refund the registration and invite the guest to give on your giving form instead.

After the event

When an event moves from Active to Completed, the landing page stays publicly visible at the same URL (registration is closed). Archiving the event is what removes it from view.

Common questions

Can one activity sell out while others stay open? Yes—activity guest limits are independent. Each activity closes on its own when its limit is reached.

Why does my $0 ticket say "Free"? That label is automatic for $0 tickets and can't be changed. Use the ticket name and description to explain on-site payment.

Can I change FMV after tickets sold? No—it's locked to protect issued receipts. Contact support if a correction is needed.

Can guests see how many tickets are left? Sold-out ticket types and activities are marked when capacity is reached. Admins can see remaining counts in the event's admin view.

Can I open sponsorship packages before individual tickets? Not with separate dates—there's one registration window. Publish with packages only, then add individual ticket types when you're ready.

Anonymous guests are cluttering my guest list. Can I change that? Guests without names display as "Guest." There isn't currently a setting to group or re-sort them.

Why am I not seeing the "Tickets will be reserved for" countdown during registration?

If your event has no capacity limits, the countdown labeled "Tickets will be reserved for" will not appear during registration. This timer is shown only when there is at least one capacity constraint in the event setup.

How the timer is triggered

The timer appears when the event is capacity-limited. An event is considered capacity-limited if any of the following conditions are met:

An event-level guest limit is set.
At least one visible ticket type has a finite quantity.
At least one visible ticket package has a finite quantity.
Any activity on a complex event has a guest limit or a visible activity ticket type has a finite quantity.
An add-on is configured with a finite quantity.

For ticket types and packages, only those that are visible to registrants count. (All add-ons with a finite quantity are considered, as they do not have a visible/hidden setting.)

For unlimited events

If your event is fully unlimited—with no event guest limit, no visible ticket types or packages with limits, no limited activities, and no quantity-limited add-ons—the countdown will not be shown at any point during registration.

Additional behavior

The UI displays the label exactly as: "Tickets will be reserved for".
Hiding the countdown is only a visual change. Reservation and expiry checks still run. If a registrant abandons a registration, the reservation may still expire as defined by the system.

How to display the timer

To show the countdown, add a capacity constraint. For example, set an event guest limit, assign a finite quantity to a visible ticket type or package, set a guest limit for an activity (or assign a limited activity ticket type), or set a finite quantity for an add-on.