Free vs paid registration flows
Free and paid tickets reach the same guest list, but they take different paths to get there. Free tickets are claimed instantly inside Eventually. Paid tickets go through your Squarespace store's checkout. An event can mix both, and each ticket follows its own path in the same order.
Free tickets
A guest picks a free ticket, fills in the registration form, and is registered on the spot. Nothing goes to Squarespace, so no store connection is needed and there is nothing to pay.
This is why free events work on every plan and before you have connected a store at all.
Paid tickets
A guest picks a paid ticket and checks out through your Squarespace store, staying on your own site rather than a third-party ticketing page. Squarespace Payments takes the payment, and the registration is confirmed when the order reaches Eventually.
Paid tickets therefore need a connected Squarespace store. Publish a paid event without one and buyers see a disabled Sales open soon control instead of a purchase button, while any free tickets on the same event keep working normally.
Events with both
When someone buys a mix in one order, Eventually splits it: the free tickets are claimed immediately, and the paid ones go to checkout. The guest completes one purchase and ends up with every ticket.
Recording free tickets in your store
You can send free tickets through Squarespace checkout as $0 orders, so they appear in your order history next to paid ones. That trades the instant claim for consistent order records.
Two things switch it on for a given ticket: turning on the per-event setting, or having a paid ticket in the same order. See Record free tickets in your store.
What is the same either way
Registration questions, and when they are asked.
Confirmation emails, reminders, and calendar links.
QR codes and check-in.
Capacity, ticket limits, and waitlists.
Eventually never charges a per-ticket fee on either path. Paid tickets carry Squarespace Payments processing fees, which go to Squarespace.
Related guides
Choose when to collect attendee details — Before checkout, after, or not at all
Connect your Squarespace site — Turn on paid ticket sales
Common checkout issues and solutions — When sales stay blocked