Know what you pay
Fees vary by event. Check whether a fee is fixed, or a share of your takings.
Guide hub
Pricing and costs for event traders
Your price has to cover stock, the pitch fee, travel, insurance, payment charges and your time, and still leave a margin. Add up the full cost of a trading day first, then work backwards to a price. These guides show how.
JM
Written by Jason MaceSpecialist in entrepreneurship and payments
The short answersPitch fees Margin Hidden costs Break-even
Four numbers every trader should know
Price above your costs
Margin is the gap between your selling price and your costs, shown as a percentage of the price.
Count everything
Fuel, parking, card charges, wastage and insurance all come out of your takings.
Know your target
Divide the day's costs by the profit on each sale to see how many sales you need.
The guides
Every guide on pricing and costs
How to price products for events
A step-by-step method from cost price to a selling price that leaves a margin.
Working out your break-even
How many sales a pitch needs to cover its costs.
Pitch fees explained
Fixed fees, percentage fees and what to ask before you pay.
Hidden costs of event trading
The costs that catch new traders out.
Should you register for VAT?
When VAT registration applies to a small trading business.
Pricing for different event types
How pricing changes between a farmers' market, a festival and a car show.
Common questions
Pricing and costs: frequently asked questions
How do I price products for an event?
Add up your cost for each item, including its share of pitch fee, travel and card charges, then add your margin. Compare the result with similar products at the event.
What is a good profit margin for event traders?
It varies widely by product. Set your margin after counting every cost, then check it against what customers at the event will pay.
Do I need to charge VAT?
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes the government threshold. GOV.UK sets out the current figure and how to register.
Are expensive pitches worth the fee?
Compare the footfall and likely sales with the fee. Ask regular traders at the event what a typical day brings.
How should I allow for card charges in my prices?
Treat them as a cost of each sale and include them when you work out your margin.
From Gala Tent
Commercial gazebos for professional traders
Insurance, safety and organiser checks all start with sound kit. Gala Tent makes commercial gazebos for traders who work events week after week.
More from the Gala family
Useful pages on our sister sites
Event Industry Trader is published by Gala Tent. These pages from Gala Tent and the wider Gala group go further on the kit, branding and payments covered here.
Sources
Where to check the rules
Rules vary by council and by event. Confirm requirements with the organiser and the relevant authority before you act.