Events Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about creating, managing, and configuring events in Zipper. Find answers to questions about event creation, registrations, payments, cancellations, waitlists, and more.

Product Capabilities and What It Can Do

Q: What types of events can I create?

A: You can create:

• Single Events: One-time events with specific dates and times
• Recurring Events: Events that repeat automatically (weekly, monthly, etc.)
• Event Groupings: Groups of related events organized into programs or series

Events can be free, paid, or accept multiple payment methods including punch cards and subscriptions.

Q: Can customers register for events without creating an account?

A: Yes! You can configure events to allow guest registration, which means customers can register without creating an account. This reduces friction for first-time customers. However, you can also require customers to be logged in if you prefer.

Q: What payment options can I offer for events?

A: You can offer multiple payment options per event:

• Free: No payment required
• Paid: One-time payment at registration time
• Punch Card: Customers use credits from purchased passes
• Subscription: Customers with active subscriptions can register free or at a discount

You can enable multiple payment options, giving customers flexibility in how they pay.

Q: Can I set capacity limits for events?

A: Yes! You can set maximum capacity limits for each event. When an event reaches capacity:

• New registrations are blocked
• Customers can join the waitlist (if enabled)
• You can promote customers from waitlist when spots open

This prevents overbooking and helps you manage event size.

Q: What happens when a customer cancels their registration?

A: When a customer cancels:

• You can choose whether to issue a refund
• If a punch card credit was used, it's automatically restored
• The spot becomes available for waitlist promotion
• You can track cancellation and refund status

You can also set up automatic refund policies based on how far in advance the cancellation happens.

Q: Can I require customers to complete forms during registration?

A: Yes! You can require customers to complete custom forms during registration. This is useful for:

• Collecting waivers
• Gathering health information
• Capturing preferences or requirements

Forms must include first name, last name, and email fields. You can require multiple forms per event.

Q: How do waitlists work?

A: When an event is full, customers can join the waitlist. You can:

• Enable waitlists per event
• Set maximum waitlist size
• Manually promote customers from waitlist to active registration
• Reorder waitlist to control promotion order
• Automatically promote customers when spots open (if configured)

Waitlists help you capture interest and fill spots from cancellations.

Q: Can I create recurring events?

A: Yes! You can create events that repeat automatically. Set up:

• Recurrence pattern (weekly, monthly, etc.)
• Start and end dates
• Event details and settings

The system will automatically create individual event instances based on your pattern.

How to Use the Product

Getting Started

Q: What do I need before I can create an event?

A: Before creating an event, you should have:

• An active organization account at https://app.joinzipper.com
• Organization owner or admin permissions (you need the "manage-schedule" permission)
• At least one location set up (if events take place at physical locations)
• A registration form created (if you want to require forms)

You can create events without locations or forms initially, but you'll need them to complete the full setup.

Q: How do I get started creating my first event?

A: To create your first event:

1. Log in to https://app.joinzipper.com
2. Click Calendar in the left sidebar
3. Click Create button in the top right
4. Select Event from the dropdown menu
5. Fill in event details:
   • Name: Enter event name
   • Date & Time: Set when the event occurs
   • Description: Add event description
   • Capacity: Set maximum registrations (optional)
   • Payment Options: Configure how customers pay
6. Click Create event

Your event will be created and customers can register.

Common Tasks

Q: How do I create a recurring event?

A: To create a recurring event:

1. Go to Calendar → Create → Event
2. Set the event details (name, description, etc.)
3. Configure recurrence:
   • Select recurrence pattern (weekly, monthly, etc.)
   • Set start date
   • Set end date (or leave open-ended)
4. Configure other settings (capacity, payment, forms)
5. Click Create event

The system will automatically create individual event instances based on your pattern.

Q: How do I manage event registrations?

A: To manage registrations:

1. Go to Calendar → find the event
2. Click on the event to view details
3. View registrations:
   • See all registered customers
   • View waitlist (if enabled)
   • Check registration status
4. Manage registrations:
   • Cancel registrations
   • Promote from waitlist
   • Mark attendance
   • Issue refunds

Q: How do I set up payment options for an event?

A: To configure payment options:

1. Go to Calendar → select or create event
2. Edit the event
3. Configure payment options:
   • Free: No payment required
   • Paid: Set a price for credit card payment
   • Punch Card: Allow customers to use credits
   • Subscription: Grant access to subscription holders
4. You can enable multiple options
5. Save the event

Customers will see all enabled payment options when registering.

Q: How do I require a form during registration?

A: To require a form:

1. Create a form with first name, last name, and email fields (if you haven't already)
2. Go to Calendar → select or create event
3. Edit the event
4. Find the Forms section
5. Select the form(s) you want to require
6. Save the event

Customers will be required to complete the form before registering.

Q: How do I cancel an event?

A: To cancel an event:

1. Go to Calendar → find the event
2. Click on the event to view details
3. Click Cancel event
4. Choose whether to refund registrations:
   • Cancel with refunds: Automatically refunds all registrations
   • Cancel without refunds: Cancels event but doesn't issue refunds
5. Confirm the cancellation

All registered customers will be notified of the cancellation.

Configuration and Settings

Q: How do I set capacity limits?

A: To set capacity:

1. Go to Calendar → select or create event
2. Edit the event
3. Find the Capacity section
4. Enter maximum number of registrations
5. Optionally enable waitlist
6. Save the event

When capacity is reached, new registrations will be blocked or moved to waitlist.

Q: How do I enable waitlists?

A: To enable waitlists:

1. Go to Calendar → select or create event
2. Edit the event
3. Set capacity limit
4. Enable Waitlist option
5. Optionally set maximum waitlist size
6. Save the event

When the event is full, customers can join the waitlist.

Q: How do I promote customers from waitlist?

A: To promote from waitlist:

1. Go to Calendar → find the event
2. Click on the event to view details
3. Go to Waitlist section
4. Find the customer you want to promote
5. Click Promote next to their name
6. Confirm the promotion

The customer will be moved to active registration and notified.

Troubleshooting

Q: Why can't customers register for my event?

A: Customers might not be able to register if:

• The event is full and waitlist isn't enabled
• Registration window has closed (if configured)
• Required form isn't completed
• Payment method isn't available

Solution: Check event capacity, registration windows, form requirements, and payment options.

Q: Why don't I see payment options when registering?

A: Payment options might not appear if:

• Payment options aren't configured for the event
• Customer doesn't have valid payment methods
• Event is configured as free only

Solution: Check event payment configuration and ensure payment options are enabled.

Q: Why can't I cancel an event?

A: You might not be able to cancel if:

• You don't have "manage-schedule" permission
• The event is in the past
• The event has already been canceled

Solution: Check your permissions and make sure the event is in the future and not already canceled.

Q: Why don't customers receive confirmation emails?

A: Customers might not receive emails if:

• Email notifications are disabled for the event
• Customer email address is invalid
• Email delivery failed (check bounce tracking)

Solution: Check email notification settings, verify customer email addresses, and check email delivery status.

Edge Cases and Advanced Usage

Q: What happens if I change an event's capacity after customers have registered?

A: Changing capacity:

• Doesn't affect existing registrations
• Allows more registrations if you increase capacity
• Blocks new registrations if you decrease capacity below current registrations

Note: You can't decrease capacity below the number of current registrations.

Q: Can I have different prices for different customers?

A: While you can't set customer-specific prices directly, you can:

• Create multiple activities within an event with different pricing
• Offer subscription access that grants free or discounted registration
• Use punch cards that effectively provide different pricing

Q: How do I handle event cancellations with refunds?

A: When canceling an event:

1. Choose Cancel with refunds option
2. All paid registrations are automatically refunded
3. Punch card credits are automatically restored
4. Customers are notified of cancellation and refund

Refunds are processed automatically through your payment processor.

Q: Can customers reschedule their registrations?

A: Currently, customers cannot directly reschedule registrations. They would need to:

1. Cancel their existing registration
2. Register for the new event time

Or you can reschedule for them by canceling the old registration and creating a new one.

Q: How do I track event attendance?

A: To track attendance:

1. Go to Calendar → find the event
2. Click on the event to view details
3. Go to Registrations section
4. Mark customers as Attended or No-Show
5. View attendance reports

Attendance data helps you understand event participation and can be used for reporting.

Q: Can I create event groupings?

A: Yes! Event groupings allow you to:

• Group related events together
• Organize events into programs or series
• Market groups of events together
• Link events to punch card products

This helps you organize and market related events effectively.

Q: How far in advance can customers register?

A: You can control registration windows:

• Set when registration opens (e.g., 2 weeks before event)
• Set when registration closes (e.g., 2 hours before event)
• Leave registration open until event starts

Registration windows help you manage event planning and preparation.

Virtual Events

Q: Can I create virtual/online events?

A: Yes! When creating an event, you can configure it as virtual by:

1. Setting the location type to "Virtual" or "Hybrid"
2. Adding a meeting link (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
3. Configuring virtual attendance options

Registered customers receive the meeting link in confirmation and reminder emails.

Q: How do attendees access the virtual event?

A: Registered attendees can access virtual events through:

• Registration confirmation email (contains meeting link)
• Reminder emails before the event
• Customer dashboard (link visible in their upcoming events)
• Event details page (when logged in as a registered attendee)

Multiple Form Requirements

Q: Can I require multiple forms for event registration?

A: Yes! Events can now require multiple forms, organized into three categories:

1. Waiver form: Liability waivers or participation agreements
2. Cancellation agreement: Terms for cancellation and refund policies
3. Additional forms: Any other custom forms you need

Configure forms in the event settings under "Registration" > "Form Requirements."

Q: Are forms the same for all activities in an event?

A: Form requirements apply to the entire event registration. If you have multiple activities within an event, customers complete forms once during registration, not separately for each activity.

Family Payment Methods

Q: Can parents register and pay for their children?

A: Yes! With family accounts configured:

1. Parent's saved payment methods appear during checkout for children
2. Parents can complete registration on behalf of children
3. Payment is processed using the parent's payment method
4. Receipts are linked to both parent and child accounts

This works automatically once guardian relationships are set up in the customer profiles.

Cancellation Notifications

Q: Do customers get notified when I cancel an event?

A: Yes! When you cancel an event or remove registrations, affected customers automatically receive email notifications informing them of:

• The cancellation
• Any refund being processed
• Next steps if applicable

You can customize the message or disable notifications when cancelling if needed.