Event ticketing site Eventbrite has launched its first piece of hardware – a nifty little credit card reader that sits on an iPad allows events organisers to collect payments at the door.
The device is less than two inches and costs just US$10, which will be reimbursed.
The move sees Eventbrite enter an interesting market until now dominated by Jack Dorsey’s Square and last week saw PayPal launch its iOS-based card reader made by Square.
However, the device won’t compete with Square or PayPal because it is focused purely on events.
Eventbrite, which was founded by CEO Kevin Hartz and his wife Julia, has sold more than 52m tickets worldwide and served almost 500,000 events last year.
The company is funded to the tune of US$80m by Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global Management. It employs 200 people.
Companies that use the card reader will be charged a 3pc fee on top of the service fee.
Forecasted ticket sales of US$1bn this year will deliver US$50m in revenue for Eventbrite and the company is expected to file for IPO later this year.
The new device will be available on Eventbrite’s Britestore shop.
“At any time during or after your event, you can view the day’s credit and cash transactions on your iPad,” the company explained in its blog.
“Your comprehensive Eventbrite event reports will include all of your online and at-the-door sales, so you always have a complete view of your event sales at a glance. If you collect any information from your buyers, you’ll not only be able to see this information in your attendee reports, but also have an opportunity to reach out to them for your next event.”
