Ferve Tickets builds ticketing technology for theatres, festivals and arts organisations across Australia. Since moving its payment processing to ArtsPay in 2022, Ferve has paid less to process payments, and its annual payment processing through ArtsPay has increased by 597 per cent.
At a glance
| Customer | Ferve Tickets |
|---|---|
| What they do | Ticketing technology for theatres, festivals and arts organisations |
| With ArtsPay since | 2022 |
| Growth | 597% increase in annual payment processing through ArtsPay, 2022 to 2025 |
| Cost | Lower processing costs than its previous provider from the day it switched, reduced further through Least Cost Routing |
| Implementation | Migrated without disruption |
When the checkout is the product
For a ticketing platform, the payment is a critical moment. When a festival goes on sale or a popular show is announced, demand arrives all at once, and a checkout that slows down or fails costs the organisation selling the tickets.
Ferve Tickets provides the technology that theatres, festivals and arts organisations rely on to sell those tickets in demanding conditions. Its clients' revenue flows through Ferve's checkout, which means Ferve's choice of payments partner directly affects its clients' results.
By 2022, Ferve was growing quickly and its payment arrangements needed to keep up. Ferve went looking for a long-term payments partner that could:
- handle rapid growth in transaction volume
- lower its merchant processing costs
- support the more complex payment flows that festivals and performing arts organisations generate
- keep pace as Ferve looked at opportunities beyond Australia
- understand the arts sector Ferve serves.
Ferve moved its payment processing to ArtsPay in 2022. It became one of ArtsPay's earliest customers.
Lower costs from day one
The first result was immediate. Switching to ArtsPay reduced Ferve's payment processing costs compared with its previous provider from the day it moved.
Costs came down further when Ferve adopted Least Cost Routing (LCR) early. LCR automatically sends eligible debit transactions through the lowest-cost available network, so the business pays less to accept the same payment.
For a platform processing high volumes of transactions, differences in processing cost add up quickly. Rob Raulings, Ferve's co-founder, puts it simply: ArtsPay "saved us money".
Almost seven times the volume, on the same partner
Since 2022, the volume of payments Ferve processes through ArtsPay has grown every year.
| Year | Annual payment processing through ArtsPay |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 100 |
| 2023 | 191 |
| 2024 | 575 |
| 2025 | 697 |
Processing through ArtsPay grew 91 per cent in the first year, then roughly tripled between 2023 and 2024. By 2025 it was almost seven times its 2022 level.
That growth reflects Ferve's own progress as a business. What it shows about ArtsPay is that the payment infrastructure behind Ferve kept pace. Across four years, including the high-volume periods around major festivals and events, Ferve has relied on a stable payment platform, and it has not needed to change payments partner to support its growth.
For any platform, that continuity matters. Changing payments provider mid-growth means migration work, risk to live sales and time away from the product. A partner that can absorb a near sevenfold increase in volume removes that decision from the roadmap.
How the partnership has developed
The migration itself was completed without disruption. Since then, the relationship has developed well beyond payment processing.
As one of ArtsPay's earliest customers, Ferve has regularly taken part in the rollout of new payment capability, starting with Least Cost Routing. The two teams work together on how payments can support Ferve's growth, and ArtsPay has continued working with Ferve as Australia's payments landscape changes, including the recent changes to surcharging rules.
The relationship also works commercially for Ferve. Ferve says its payments arrangement gives it stronger differentiation when it sells to arts organisations, and it regularly recommends ArtsPay to theatres, festivals and arts organisations looking for a payments provider.
Why values were part of the decision
Ferve also wanted a payment solution aligned with its own commitment to the arts sector, and ArtsPay's model provided that.
ArtsPay is a certified social enterprise: 50 per cent of ArtsPay profits are directed to the ArtsPay Foundation, an independent, artist-led foundation supporting Australian artists and small arts organisations.
“"It was a no-brainer. ArtsPay aligned with what we believe in, saved us money, and gave us a payments partner that continues to grow alongside us. It's become more than a payment platform - it's a genuine partnership that helps us deliver better outcomes for our clients and for the arts sector." Rob Raulings, Co-founder”
What comes next
Ferve and ArtsPay are now exploring the next stage of the partnership, including box office hardware for venues and festivals, and payment options that could support Ferve's growth in international markets.
What Ferve's experience shows
For a growing business or software platform choosing a payments partner, Ferve's experience points to three things worth testing in any provider:
- Can it scale with you? Ferve's payment volume through ArtsPay grew almost sevenfold without a change of provider.
- Can it lower your costs, and how? Ferve's costs fell when it switched and again through Least Cost Routing.
- Will it work with you? Ferve has had a smooth migration, early access to new capability and a relationship that has lasted four years and counting.
Looking for a payments partner that can grow with your business?
ArtsPay provides enterprise-grade payment infrastructure for growing businesses and software platforms, with transparent pricing, Least Cost Routing and local support. Talk to our team about your payment volumes, costs and plans.
Building payments into your platform? Talk to ArtsPay about your payment infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
Does ArtsPay work with ticketing and software platforms?
Yes. Ferve Tickets, which builds ticketing technology for theatres, festivals and arts organisations, has processed its payments through ArtsPay since 2022. ArtsPay also works with other software and platform businesses that need payments built into their products.
Can switching payment providers reduce processing costs?
Yes, we can help merchants reduce payment fees. We analyse your transaction mix, card types, volumes and current pricing. Ferve's processing costs fell by switching to ArtsPay and adopting Least Cost Routing. ArtsPay can estimate fee reductions using transaction data available.
What is involved in moving payments to ArtsPay?
ArtsPay provides guided onboarding, implementation support and local support. Timeframes depend on the product and on your setup. Ferve's migration was completed without disruption.
Can ArtsPay support businesses outside Australia?
ArtsPay currently onboards merchants in Australia. Ferve and ArtsPay are exploring payment options that could support Ferve's growth in international markets.