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Video Tutorial: How to Set Up a Password-Protected Pre-Sale in ThunderTix - Tue - Jul 21, 2026 - 12:38am

A pre-sale lets selected members, donors, or other customers buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public. This works with general admission, reserved seating, stadium seating, and other event setups.

Pre-sale buyers can get in one of 2 ways:

  • Passcodes. Create as many as you need, each with its own start and end date.
  • Email access. Patrons who qualify (members, a group or organization, or a list of email addresses) enter their email address instead of a code. That email is filled in on the checkout form and can’t be changed.
To set up a pre-sale:

  1. Go to Events → Event Manager and create your event, or open an existing one.
  2. Set the event’s Activation Date to the date and time tickets go on sale to the general public. Pre-sale options won’t appear until the activation date is in the future.
  3. In the event, click Public Display and select ‘Buy’ button & pre-sale settings.
  4. Set Pre-sale access to Active.
  5. Set a Pre-sale announcement date and enter your pre-sale announcement.
  6. Click + Create passcode, enter a name, the passcode, and the start and end date, then click Save passcode. Repeat for each passcode you need.
  7. (Optional) Set up email access so qualifying patrons can get in without a code.
  8. Choose whether the event should be Public or Semi-Private.
A Public event appears on your public event page, but customers must enter a passcode or qualifying email before buying tickets. A Semi-Private event doesn’t appear publicly, so you’ll need to share its direct link with the customers invited to the pre-sale.

To make changes later, go back to Public Display → ‘Buy’ button & pre-sale settings. Use the Actions menu next to any passcode to Edit, Inactivate, or Delete it. Passcodes stop working on their own when their end date passes. If you change a passcode, anyone who had the old one will need the new one.

When the pre-sale ends, if the event is Semi-Private, switch it to Public for general ticket sales. You can create a ThunderTix task to remind yourself.

For full step-by-step instructions with screenshots, see How can I set up a password-protected pre-sale?



Watch the video tutorial:
(Note: this video shows the earlier single-password setup. The steps above reflect the current version.)
www.thundertix.com/videos/setting-up-a-password-protected-pre-sale-for-your-event/

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