Komedia theatre in Gardner Street, Brighton, has defended its 14 per cent booking fee surcharge.
The venue, which tags on a £1 booking fee to tickets costing as little as £7, claim that the additional cost is for the booking system and there is no charge for face-to-face transactions.
While the theatre maintains its stance on the charge, Brighton and Hove City Council’s lead member for tourism called on venues to advertise the full price of the ticket.
Councillor Alan Robins said separate booking fees were “irritating,” according to The Argus.
He added: “If you went shopping and brought your groceries to the till and they cost £90 but then they said ‘that’s £100 to put it through the till’, you’d feel really aggrieved wouldn’t you?
“If they want to charge £8 they should say it’s £8.”
The push for full ticketing transparency at the theatre comes with the Brighton Festival and Fringe just a month away.
Beatrice Bass, a Liberal Democrat activist and former musician who was involved in an online debate with Komedia, said: “As a former professional musician I find it counterproductive for the creative industries if venues charge high booking fees as it discourages people from attending events.
“Charging a booking fee that is more than ten per cent of ticket prices is disproportionate and Brighton venues should reconsider their ticketing system, especially for Fringe shows which are supposed to be very affordable.”
According to The Argus, a spokesman for Komedia said its online booking was expensive to run and the booking fee “enables us to ensure that you will enjoy the best possible customer experience when you buy tickets from us online.”
He said costs incurred by the venue were based on transaction value, which is why there is a per-ticket booking charge.
He added: “Tickets are available from the Duke’s café every day and also from our box office which is open most evenings that we have a show on.
“If you buy tickets in person you can avoid the booking fee.”
Image: Paul Gillett
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