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How Event Payments and Waitlists Work in Alosant

Learn how event payments, refunds, cancellations, and automatic or manual waitlists work in Alosant, including when users are charged and how waitlisted reservations are handled.

Summary

Event payments and waitlists control how users reserve spots for paid events and how attendance is managed when events reach capacity. This article explains how payments are collected, how refunds and cancellations work, and how automatic and manual waitlists behave in Alosant.

Who this is for

  • Community managers and administrators running paid or capacity-limited events

  • Teams managing event reservations, payments, and waitlists

  • Admins are responsible for refunds, cancellations, and attendance flow

Prerequisites

  • You have access to the Alosant Admin portal

  • You have permission to manage Events & Timeslots

  • Reservation Types are configured for the event

  • A payment system (Square) is set up if the event requires payment

Steps

Configure payments for an event

  1. Open the event in Events & Timeslots.

  2. Set the Payment Location ID to route payments to the correct Square location.

  3. Enable one or more Reservation Types.

  4. Enter a price for each reservation type.

  5. Save the event.

Understand how users are charged

  1. Allow users to reserve the event.

  2. Charge the user’s card on file at the time of reservation.

  3. Prompt users without a saved card to add one before completing the reservation.

  4. Require users joining a waitlist to add a card on file without charging it.

  5. Automatically charge waitlisted users if they move into the event roster.

Manage cancellations and refunds

  1. Allow users to cancel reservations more than 48 hours before the event.

  2. Prevent user cancellations within 48 hours of the event start.

  3. Enable Event Reservation Lock Out to block all user cancellations if needed.

  4. Cancel reservations manually as an admin at any time.

  5. Automatically refund payments when a reservation is canceled.

Understand automatic event waitlists

  1. Allow the event to reach maximum capacity.

  2. Add new reservation attempts to the waitlist automatically.

  3. Move the next eligible waitlist reservation into the event when a cancellation occurs.

  4. Notify the user by email when they are moved from the waitlist to the roster.

How the automatic waitlist selects users

  1. Match the canceled number of spots to a waitlist reservation with the same spot count.

  2. Choose the earliest-added reservation if multiple matches exist.

  3. Select the earliest waitlist entry that fits if no exact match exists.

  4. Move only one waitlist reservation at a time.

Enable and manage the manual waitlist

  1. Click your email address in the Admin.

  2. Select Settings.

  3. Toggle Manual Wait List on to disable the automatic waitlist.

  4. Navigate to Events & Timeslots.

  5. Click Waitlist.

  6. Reserve or delete waitlist requests manually.

Export an event waitlist

  1. In the Admin sidebar, select Events & Timeslots.

  2. Open the desired event.

  3. Scroll down and click User Activity.

  4. Scroll to the bottom and click Export to CSV.

  5. Review the wait_list column to identify waitlisted users.

Expected result

  • Users are charged correctly for paid events.

  • Waitlisted users are promoted to the event roster based on defined rules.

  • Refunds occur automatically when reservations are canceled.

  • Admins can export and manage waitlist and payment data.

Troubleshooting

  • Users are not being charged: Confirm a Payment Location ID and priced reservation types are set.

  • Waitlisted users are charged too early: Verify charges occur only when moved to the event roster.

  • Users cannot cancel reservations: Check the 48-hour rule or Event Reservation Lock Out setting.

  • Waitlist is not moving users: Confirm whether Manual Waitlist mode is enabled.

FAQ

When is a user charged for a paid event?
At the time of reservation, or when moved from the waitlist to the event roster.

Are users charged when joining a waitlist?
No. A card is required, but no charge is made until they are promoted.

Are refunds automatic?
Yes. Payments are automatically refunded when a reservation is canceled.

Can admins cancel reservations at any time?
Yes. Admins can cancel event reservations regardless of timing.

Notes / Escalation

  • Important: Waitlist logic prioritizes matching spot counts over waitlist order.

  • Important: Automatic waitlists move only one reservation at a time.

  • Internal-only note: Manual Waitlist disables automatic promotion and requires admin action.

  • Escalate to the Alosant internal teams if payments do not process, refunds fail, or waitlist behavior does not match expected rules.