Work out what you really keep from merch after the venue's cut, sales tax and card fees. Per item, per night, plus how many shirts pay for the order. Free.
- What is a merch cut?
- A merch cut (or merch fee) is the share of your merch sales the venue or promoter keeps for letting you sell in the building. It is usually written into the show offer as a percentage, and is often between 10% and 25%. Some venues take none.
- Is the venue merch cut taken from gross or net sales?
- It depends on the contract, which is why this calculator lets you switch. 'Gross' means the percentage is taken from everything the fans paid. 'Net of tax' takes sales tax off first, which costs you less. Some deals also take card fees off first. If the offer just says '20% merch', ask which one before the night.
- Does the venue cut apply to music?
- Often it does not: many deals take a cut of soft goods (shirts, hoodies, hats) but not of records, CDs or tapes. Untick 'Venue takes a cut' on any item they do not cut.
- Who pays the card fees?
- You do, almost always: the card reader takes its percentage plus a small fixed fee per transaction from your money. Set what share of sales went on card and the calculator takes the fees off what you keep.
- How do I work out my break-even?
- Break-even is how many units you need to sell to pay back the order. The calculator divides what an item cost you in total by what you keep per sale after the cut, tax and fees, so you see the real number, not the sticker-price one.
Add what is on the table, what each piece cost you and what sold. Set the venue's cut, whether it comes off gross or after tax, the sales tax and your card fees, and you get the night's merch settlement: what the venue takes, what the card reader takes, and what you actually keep per shirt.