Model revenue, payment fees, prize cost and margin for a competition before you launch it.
Fill in the fields above (sell-through between 1 and 100%) to see the projection.
Results are estimates for guidance only and assume the inputs you provide — they aren't financial advice.
Modelling a competition before launch
The maths of a prize competition is simple — tickets sold times price, minus fees, prize and overheads — but the outcome swings entirely on sell-through, the one input you don't control. A 10,000-ticket draw at £1.99 with a £9,000 prize makes a healthy profit at 80% sold and loses money below about half that. That's why the break-even sell-through figure matters more than the headline profit: it tells you how wrong your forecast can be before the competition costs you money.
If the break-even point sits uncomfortably high, you have three levers: a higher ticket price (test it with the ticket pricing calculator), a larger cap, or a cheaper prize. Once you're live, track your daily rate against the draw date with the sales velocity calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do competition operators calculate profit?
Profit is ticket revenue (tickets sold × ticket price) minus payment processing fees, the prize cost including fulfilment, and overheads like marketing and draw costs. The variable that matters most is sell-through — a competition that looks profitable at 90% sold can lose money at 50%.
What is a typical sell-through rate for UK competitions?
It varies widely by operator, prize and price point. Established operators with engaged audiences regularly clear 80–100% on well-priced competitions, while newer sites may sit far lower. Model your downside: know your break-even sell-through before you commit to a prize.
What payment fees should I budget for?
Card processing typically costs 1.4–2.9% plus a small fixed fee per transaction, depending on your provider and volume. Because competition baskets are often small, the per-transaction fee can push your effective rate noticeably higher than the headline percentage.
Find Competitions tracks live ticket sales, pricing and sell-through across the UK competition market — see how your numbers compare to operators like you.