CAPA announces 'All-In Pricing' true cost of tickets initiative

CAPA has announced its new "All-In Pricing" on CBUSArts.com, which will show patrons the true cost of admission, including ticket price and any fees, in an effort to improve the patron experience and protect against fraud.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Entertainment seekers looking to purchase tickets for CAPA productions will soon be able to see the true cost of admission by using the nonprofit's ticketing website.

In a news release, CAPA announced its new "All-In Pricing" will be available on CBUSArts.com starting Wednesday, July 17. The arts organization said patrons using the site will see the total checkout price, including the ticket cost and fees, when selecting their seats.

“We will be telling our patrons right up front what it’s going to cost them to buy tickets to a show,” CAPA President and CEO Chad Whittington said. “I think it's important to be in front of this, to take the lead on an initiative that we know our guests and the ticket-buying public in general want.”

According to Whittington, ticket prices and fee structure will not be affected by this change.

CAPA noted that customers will be redirected to the purchasing site when clicking the “Buy Tickets” link from any event page or description. The automatic link will work from the capa.com site or any of CAPA’s partners and resident arts groups’ marketing communications.

Another incentive that motivated this change, according to CAPA, included a trend in legislation for greater price transparency across the country. This includes a bill called the TICKET Act, which calls for reforms in the industry, that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The move is also being made to help improve convenience, heighten security, and protect against fraud, including awareness of the “potential pitfalls of buying through unauthorized third-party resellers.”

“The aim is to improve the patron experience, and an acknowledgment that that experience begins long before a guest enters one of our theatres,” Katie Cullen, CAPA Business Insights Marketing Manager, said.