---
title: Complimentary and bonus tickets
slug: complimentary-and-bonus-tickets
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-10-01T12:00:00.000Z
---

Sometimes you want to give tickets away instead of selling them. Jambo has two ways to do that:

- **Complimentary tickets** are free tickets you give to specific people, like guests, performers, staff, or contest winners.
- **Bonus tickets** are free tickets that come automatically with another ticket type, like a free drink ticket with every VIP ticket.

# Complimentary tickets

## Giving complimentary tickets

Your event must be published before you can give complimentary tickets.

1. Open your event's **Ticketing** tab
2. Click the actions menu on the ticket type you want to give
3. Click **Give Complimentary Tickets**
4. In **Username or Phone Number**, enter the person's Jambo username, or their 10-digit US phone number with no spaces or symbols (for example, 4075551234)
5. Enter the **Quantity**
6. Click **Give**

The tickets go straight to that person's Jambo account and show up with the rest of their tickets in the app.

If you enter a username that doesn't exist, you'll see **User not found.** Double-check the spelling, or try their phone number instead.

## Giving tickets to someone who isn't on Jambo yet

If you enter a phone number that isn't linked to a Jambo account, the Dash asks you to confirm. Click **Give** to reserve the tickets for that number.

The tickets are waiting for them as soon as they create a Jambo account with that phone number. Until then, they show as **Pending Registration** on your **Attendees** tab, with **Reserved via phone number** under the number.

:::hint{type="info"}
Jambo doesn't text the person when you reserve tickets for their phone number. Let them know to download the Jambo app at [jmbo.app/download](https://jmbo.app/download) and sign up with that number.
:::

## Good to know

- Complimentary tickets are free for the recipient, with no service fee or sales tax.
- They count toward the ticket type's **Sold** count and **Total Availability**.
- You can give tickets from any ticket type, including **Hidden** and **Closed** ones. A common setup is a hidden "Guest List" ticket type that you only fill with complimentary tickets.
- Complimentary tickets can't be refunded, and they don't pay out pay splits or promoter commission.
- On the **Attendees** tab, complimentary tickets are labeled **Complimentary**.

# Bonus tickets

Bonuses let a ticket type come with extra tickets of another type. For example:

- Buy a **VIP** ticket, get a **Drink** ticket
- Buy a **Table** ticket, get 4 **Entry** tickets

Every time someone gets a ticket of the first type, they automatically receive the bonus tickets for free.

## Adding a bonus

First, make sure the ticket type you want to give as a bonus exists on the same event. If it shouldn't be sold on its own, set it to **Hidden**.

1. Open your event's **Ticketing** tab
2. Click the actions menu on the ticket type people will buy
3. Click **Manage Bonuses**
4. Click **Add**
5. Choose the **Ticket Type** they should receive
6. Enter the **Quantity** they should receive with each ticket
7. Click **Add**

You can add several bonuses to one ticket type. Ticket types with bonuses show a badge in your ticket list, like **+1 bonus**. Click the badge to open its bonuses.

To change or remove a bonus, open **Manage Bonuses** and use the actions menu next to it. Removing a bonus doesn't take back bonus tickets people already received.

## Good to know

- Bonus tickets come from the bonus ticket type's availability. If the bonus ticket type sells out, people stop receiving it, or receive fewer.
- Bonus tickets are given for each ticket bought. Someone who buys 2 VIP tickets with a 1-drink bonus gets 2 drink tickets.
- On the **Attendees** tab, bonus tickets are labeled **BOGO**.
- Bonus tickets aren't refunded or taken back when you refund the ticket they came with.
- When you duplicate a ticket type or an event, its bonuses are copied too.

## Bonuses with complimentary tickets

When you give complimentary tickets of a ticket type that has bonuses, you'll see a **With Ticket Bonuses** checkbox. Leave it checked to also give the bonus tickets, or uncheck it to give only the ticket you selected.

## Bundle tickets

If a ticket type only exists to hand out other tickets, like a "Party Pack" that gives 4 entry tickets and 4 drink tickets, turn off **Scannable** in the ticket type's **Advanced** section. The bundle ticket then won't show up on the attendee's phone, and they'll only see the tickets they actually need at the door.