Term

Description

Access control

Automated entrance (and/or exit) control of an audience. This type of system can only be implemented where the tickets have optical or magnetic markings.

Access rights

Access rights give an individual the right to use some or all of the SecuTix features.

Activity

A series of events of the same type during a season (a live performance, a festival, visits, etc.).
The term activity allows an organisation to classify its events by different categories, for example theatre / annual festivals, etc.

Activity profile

A collection of single-entry items that a sales channel may sell for a specific activity.

Actual availability

The difference between the capacity of the room (excluding any invalidated seats) and the number of seats sold.

Administration identification number

Various numbers or codes are allocated to organisations (VAT number, SIRET, APE, etc.) or to different functions (producer licence number, organiser licence number, distributor licence number, etc.).

Advantage

A ticketing component enabling a customer to obtain a discount on prices for the associated items. In addition, it may allow certain products to be purchased outside of the official sales window. An advantage may be one of the following types:

• A single use code: The advantage comprises a number of codes, each one of which may be used once. If a contact possesses a number of unused codes, he may share all or some of them with friends or business acquaintances.
• Contact: An advantage for use by a number of different contacts. This advantage is non-transferable.
• Public: Anyone at all may use the advantage.
• Indicator:  This advantage is used to select subset of contacts who have the indicator shown on the advantage. It is non-transferable.
• Partner: This advantage is designed for contacts who know the partner code; the code is the same for all contacts concerned. A contact may pass on the code but may no longer use it himself.

Agency

The intermediary between the organisation and the end customer of the seat or service.
An agency belongs to an internal B2B2C sales channel.

Alternative reservation

Synonymous with 'Fallback solution'.

Alternative venue

An alternative venue function allows an event organiser to allow an audience to move swiftly from one location to another when the audience is already perhaps ensconced in the first venue.

Anonymous sale

A paid distribution of tickets or services to an unnamed group of attendees.

Armchair

A seat with a back and arm rests. It is a very comfortable seat and an armchair will be found in the best seat category in the house at any show. It may be numbered or unnumbered. The armchair is one of the options in the seat quality parameter.

Association

A legal entity which is made up of a number of different people (audience or potential audience) who have joined it because of their interest in it. Associations are made up principally of communities and workplaces.

Audience

Actual or potential spectators or visitors to a performance, an event, an activity, a season, an organisation or an institution.

Audience category

General category (occasional visitor, guest, etc.) allows the audience to be classified according to its relationship with the event organiser. The available audience categories are:

• Season-ticket community
• Member community
• Occasional community
• Season-ticket contact
• Member contact
• Occasional contact
• Member group

• Complimentary

• guest

Audience display

A display screen where spectators may see where they will be sitting, with real time updates as seats are selected by the operator.

Audience subcategory

Audience classification according to the relationship between the audience and the organisation as well as social status (occasional or frequent attendee, adult, child, pensioner, unemployed, full rate season-ticket holder, reduced rate season-ticket holder, etc.)

Authorised currency

A unit of currency other than that of the organisation, which has been authorised by them as valid for payment of services.
The rate of exchange must therefore be regularly updated.

Availability

The number of seats remaining inside the venue across all contingents.
Monitoring actual and theoretical availability gives a good indication of how a room is filling up.

Average basket

The average order value of a contact over a specific period.

Badge

A season ticket or membership badge is usually a plastic card that identifies the carrier as a season-ticket holder or member.
There is an ID on the badge. SecuTix customers can use the badge to purchase tickets by charging it to this ID.

Bank agreement

An arrangement made with a contact in order to:

• Pay for purchases or add money to a credit account in several instalments using a direct debit agreement set up on a current account. See 'Payment by direct debit'.
• Refund a purchase or withdraw money from a credit account via a bank transfer.

Basic service

Optional extras (services) which may be purchased stand-alone with no conditions attached.

Basket

A collection of progressive operations carried out when placing an order.

Beneficiary

Anyone who benefits from a ticketing product or a piece of merchandise sold by the organisation. Unlike a cultural contact, this beneficiary is not a known contact of the organisation and therefore cannot be targeted for promotional activities. The beneficiary concept makes it possible to identify all attendees at a concert or a match.

Best selection

An automatic process which grants a member of the audience the best possible seat. Seat selection depends upon the venue configuration, the type of show and the seat category.

Billing contact

This is the person to whom the bill will be sent. The billing contact is the person responsible for paying for the products ordered (or one of them in the case of multiple buyers).

Block

Areas are divided into blocks. This is optional and generally only used at large capacity venues (for example stadiums)

Box office

A sales channel at a geographical location where would-be spectators can physically go and purchase tickets.

Bundled product

A term which refers to both season tickets and packages.

Calendar

A complete schedule by date and time of every performance of every event in a given period.

Cancellation

A decision taken by a member of the audience or the organisation to cancel all or part of an order.
The term 'cancellation' should not be confused with 'refund'. In terms of ticketing, cancellation is only authorised for reservations and options. Once a ticket has been paid for and it has to be cancelled, a refund must be made.

Cancellation invoice

Synonymous with 'Invoice reversal' but no longer used in SecuTix

Capacity

The maximum number of simultaneous admissions for a logical configuration and sales configuration.

Card

A season ticket or membership card is usually a plastic card which identifies the carrier as a season-ticket holder or a member. The card may contain an ID chip (RFID card).
The card will have an ID (either stored on the chip or printed on the card). SecuTix customers can use the card to purchase tickets by charging it to this ID.

Cash

Coins or banknotes in a particular currency. Coins may be counted in tubes and banknotes in bundles.

Cash desk

All of the financial operations which occur during the sale of tickets or services.
All transactions which take place at each individual cash desk are written to the statement produced when a cash desk closes.
Cash desk status can be any of the following:

• Open: in use
• Closed: temporarily out of action as the cash desk operator has taken a break.
• Closed by operator: the cash desk contents have been reconciled by the operator. This cash desk may no longer be used to process sales transactions. However, amendments to transactions may be made by the accounts department.
• Closed by accounts. No amendments may be made to this cash desk. Any error detected after the cash desk has been closed by accounts will mean cancelling the payment and creating a new one, both transactions being carried out on a different cash desk.

Cash desk transfer

This is when an operator adds or removes money to and from the cash desk but it is not considered to be a settlement.

Cash desk variance

This can occur at any time when there is a difference between the amount of money taken and the totals recorded at the cash desk.

Cashing up

An authorised member of staff will remove all monies/payments before the final closure of the cash desk.

Ceiling

A term relating to costs which means either the maximum cost of a ticket (charges) or when placing an order (overheads).

Charges

An amount that pays for the specific service costs of a sales channel when processing an order for a ticketing item (reservation costs, management costs, agency costs, cancellation costs, etc.). These costs are calculated per ticket and related to the type of operation carried out (sale, cancellation, etc.). These costs may be a fixed amount, or a percentage of the ticket price, in which case the amount may have a floor and/or ceiling.

Charges table

The charges that an organisation determines for an individual event.

Closure

Final and irrevocable closure of all commercial and financial operations relating to the activity which is closing (performance, event, activity, season).

Cohort

Part of a large visitor group which has been allocated its own guide. If the group is too large to be properly managed by one guide, it may be split into different cohorts for the tour.

Community

A group of people who may or may not know each other and who have clubbed together to take advantage of preferential ticket rates. In SecuTix, communities are a type of structure.

Competition

A competition is a sporting event made up of a series of matches, with two teams playing against each other at a predefined venue and at a given date and time.

Complimentary ticket

A ticket provided free of charge (often called a 'comp'). These are mainly seats reserved by law for authorised and official representatives (doctor, fire service) and guest seats.

Composed product

Synonymous with 'Bundled product'

Conditional service

Optional extras (services) offered to customers if they purchase another product or are a member of a specific audience category.
Conditional services are managed within the SecuTix system by offering conditional, cross-sell opportunities.

Configuration

Synonymous with 'set up'

Contact address

The primary or secondary address of a contact.

Contact criterion

A criterion (socio-economic class, professional status, education level, etc.) which is part of a package of data that an institution or an organisation would be ideally want to hold about every contact.
Organisations can use data like this for statistical or commercial purposes.

Contact indicator

SecuTix compiles contact information automatically. The indicator usually contains information about the spending habits of a contact and may be used to target contacts in promotional activities.

Contact quality

The characteristics of a contact (type of guest, loyalty, etc.), defined or assessed for a particular season. These characteristics make it easier to define the relationship between a contact and an organisation each season.

Contact role

The function of a contact in the context of their personal or professional life. Each individual and each structure can have a contact role. The possible role types are:

• Partner
• Supplier
• Relay
• Guide
• Audience
• Support
• Producer
• Exhibitor

Contingent

The pre-booking of selected zones or seats at a venue for a particular show with the intention of saving them for certain audience categories or sales channels.
A contingent may be completely undefined, or linked to a specific audience type (season-ticket holders, guests, communities/groups, seats allocated by law to official representatives, the press, authorised representatives and the disabled). Each quota may also be applicable for all sales channels or they may be limited to one or several.

Contingent release

A function within the system which allows the contingent of a seat, a group of seats or an area to be changed.

Control point

1. The point  where pass-outs and free tickets issued just before the show are given out by the Office (synonymous with 'Standby desk').
2. The point through which the audience must pass in order to get into a venue where an event is taking place Where control is manual, the inspector checks the validity of the ticket and keeps the counterfoil. Where control is computerised, the ticket vending machine or scanner reads the barcode on the ticket to check that it is valid.

Counterfoil

Part of the ticket which is retained by the ticket controller as customers enter the venue, if ticket control is manually supervised.

Credit

A credit balance belonging to a contact. A credit may be used to purchase items.

Credit

An accounting method which allows an organisation to supply tickets to a customer before they are fully paid for.

Credit note

This type of invoice accompanies a refund or invoice reversal.

Cultural contact

Anyone who benefits from a ticket or a piece of merchandise sold by the organisation. This contact is established by the buyer at the actual time of purchase. For example: the buyer purchases a ticket himself and for another member of his family who is also a known contact of the organisation. This second person is now a cultural contact.

Cultural history

A complete list of activities (numbered and unnumbered seats, season tickets, memberships, packages, services) of an audience member, whether an individual or a structure.

Dated pass

A ticket which permits multiple visits to a venue from a start date specified at the time of purchase.

Deferred payment

Payment that may be made in the future.

Deposit

Part payment of the cost of a ticket reservation. This part payment will confirm the reservation but does not constitute a sale.

Different types of settlement methods

A settlement method may be one of the following types:

• Deposit: confirming a reservation by placing a deposit early on
• Cancellation of bank card payment: Refunding money by cancelling an earlier card payment.
• Cancelling a cheque: Refunding money by cancelling an earlier cheque payment.
• Gift vouchers: Using a gift voucher purchased earlier. SecuTix can manage the purchase and use of gift vouchers.
• ESR: This type of settlement is only available in Switzerland. A contact pays for an order using an ESR payment slip printed on a SecuTix document. SecuTix processes the ESR settlement when the bank or the post office confirms payment.
• Bank card: Settlement by credit/debit card
• Bank card with manual validation: a member of the institution will validate the settlement. After validation, the order is finalised.
• Cheque
• Suspense account: This type of payment allows tickets to be produced before a 'real' settlement is received.
• Gift voucher: Using a gift voucher purchased earlier. This type of settlement is not managed in SecuTix.
• Discount voucher: Using a promotional code to obtain a fixed reduction on price (not a percentage). Using this kind of promotional code creates a settlement type of 'Discount voucher''. This means that the value of the order is not reduced.
• Direct debit: The order is paid for first of all through a suspense account. Direct debit is a staged, automated bank payment which allows the suspense account to be refunded.
• External: Although the order is considered as being paid in SecuTix, it is actually processed outside of the SecuTix system.
• Cash: payment in cash
• Reward points: SecuTix can manage a rewards program which accumulates points and convert them into a monetary value. This may then be used to make purchases. This type of payment is 'Reward points'.
• Direct debit Staged payments using the payment by direct debit option. Each payment is linked to specific tickets and only tickets which have been paid for may be printed.
• Account balance (credit account)
• Bank transfer A payment by bank transfer from a contact to the organisation or vice versa. A payment from the organisation to the contact requires a bank agreement to be set up.

Direct payment

Payment made immediately when ordering the product.

Dispatch

A sales channel which uses a courier service to deliver items. This channel is less and less popular.

Distributor

A third-party company which sells tickets for events or visits organised by an institution which uses the SecuTix system.

Donation

A gift offered to an institution. The donor may choose a preset donation value or choose any value he likes.

Duplicate

1. An exact copy of a ticket issued earlier (apart from the tax number which must be different) which also displays the word 'DUPLICATE' on both the ticket and the counterfoil.
2. An exact copy of an invoice which shows the word 'DUPLICATE'.

Electronic funds transfer system

See 'Payment services providers'

Entrance

The physical entrance to allow a spectator to gain access to a venue.
The entrance is marked on the ticket and is used to show spectators how to reach their seats. An entrance, as defined here, is not the same thing as a control point.

Equipment

The components of a workstation. This may consist of a PC and screen as well as peripheral devices to complete the sale, control and production of tickets and receipt of payment.

Establishment

A synonym for 'organisation'.

E-ticket

A synonym for 'paperless ticket'

Event

A show which may be of a cultural or sporting nature, staged by an organisation and designated as a product (a 'single entry' item) as indicated in the ticketing catalogue.
An event is an activity that will take place in a specific season for an organisation and will consist of one or several performances.

Exchange

This function is used when all or part of an order needs to be changed and may require extra payment or a refund.

Exchange rate

The value of a foreign currency authorised by the institution and the currency of the institution itself so that change may be given and an accurate cash balance maintained.

Exhibitor contact

A contact (for example an exhibitor at an exhibition) who can generate single-use codes for use specifically by his clients or prospects.

External order

An order received from an external sales channel.

External sale

A sale conducted through an external sales channel (such as Fnac or Ticket net). Sales of this kind are carried out by an automated link or by sending out quotas.

Fallback solution

This function allows the audience to choose an alternative reservation date in the event that the preferred date is not available. This function is primarily used in season ticket and postal reservations.

File

1. Full details about an audience member (an individual or a structure) whose name is known to the organisation.
2. The process steps for an order resumed subsequently so as to complete the sale.

File contacts

The purchase contact of a file, also called a file contact, is the person who placed the first order (by date) in the file.
The business facilitator contact of a file represents the sales agent who introduces the purchase contact to the cultural or sporting institution.
The owner contact of the file is the person who created it (using the sales portal shared amongst a small number of institutions using SecuTix).

Final cash desk closure

The time when the cash desk operator finally closes his workstation for the day. When this happens, he produces the cash desk statement, confirms the contents of the till corresponds to the statement and takes all the payments to the manager in exchange for an acknowledgement slip.

Financial history

A complete list of payments between an individual or structure contact and the organisation.

Floor

Term relating to costs which means either the minimum cost of a ticket (charges) or when placing an order (overheads).

Fold up chair

A seat with a collapsible back which is usually placed next to an armchair at the end of a row.
This kind of folding chair is not very comfortable and is usually found in a lower seat category.

Function

Any operation in the SecuTix system that may be used by the operator provided they have the appropriate rights. The functions are grouped under different system modules.

Goods product

Synonymous with 'Merchandise product'; this term is being phased out in SecuTix.

Grace period

The amount of time that the organisation allows the audience to enter a performance after curtain up.

Group

A group of people who have clubbed together in order to take advantage of preferential ticket rates.

Group criterion

A criterion attributed to a visitor group.
For example: their level of knowledge

Group ticket

A group ticket gives several people admission at the same time.

Guest

A member of the audience who does not pay for his entry ticket or only pays the applicable tax.

Guide

These are the guides who provide visitors with a commentary.

Guide

See Guide contact

Hospitality

Those services on sale with seats at a match (for example a meal, a glass of champagne)

Hospitality bundle

A selection of hospitality options purchased at the same time with each option linked to a single match.

Individual

An independent spectator, visitor or member of a structure whose surname and first name as a minimum are known to the organisation.

Institution

A legal entity that is contractually entitled to use the SecuTix ticketing system.
An institution runs the ticketing system for one or several organisations.
An institution could be for example a private theatre, a festival organiser, a large museum, a leisure park, or a town hall responsible for running the ticketing operation of all the city's cultural and sporting attractions.

Internal sale

Sales carried out through an internal sales channel.

Invalidation

A function within the system which allows a venue seat to be marked 'invalid' because of a problem with it. In that case, the seat may not be sold or offered to a member of the audience.
An invalid seat is not included in the venue's capacity.

Invoice

An accounting document which shows the quantity, nature and amounts charged for different services. The totals are split to show the price after tax, before tax and the VAT component.

Invoice reversal

This document cancels an invoice, usually because the original invoice contained an error or was addressed to the wrong person. Once an invoice has been issued, it may not be modified. For that reason, any amendments to an invoice must be made using an invoice reversal followed by issuing a replacement.
Invoice reversal is not the same as cancellation of sale (refund).

Logical area

A physical area in which it is possible to ascertain the seat categories and quotas.

Logical configuration

A logical representation of a venue, associated with a physical configuration. The logical configuration defines the different seat categories as well as any contingents.
A new logical configuration is created based, for example, on performance type, stage configuration, scenography or stage machinery, etc.

Logical seat

The 'logical' location of a venue, which is usually numbered and where a spectator may sit to watch an event.
The seat may be frozen and includes an optimum selection tag which makes automatic seating possible.
A logical seat has a logical seat category.

Logo

Acronym, picture, symbol or emblem represented by a graphical image.
In the ticketing world, these logos may belong to the institution, the organisation, the producer, distributor, sponsor or patron.  They are normally printed on the entry tickets. There may be several logos on the same ticket based on area and/or audience category.

Loyalty

The behaviour of dedicated fans who attend all or some of the events from season to season.

Main audience categories

Groups of similar audience categories: occasional, season-ticket holders, season-ticket holder non-season ticket, members, guests.

Marketing offer

Any products, services or advantages which are offered to an anonymous or named target group (contact list).

Membership

After careful consideration and a high degree of confidence in the policies of an organisation, an individual may decide to support it by investing a significant amount of money, without necessarily buying seats or services.
A member may be rewarded as a result of his financial investment.

Merchandise product

An item of merchandise; managing this is the responsibility of the company that uses SecuTix. The SecuTix system offers stock control and merchandise replenishment. Merchandise may be freely classified under two categories: family and theme. There may also be subcategories of the main categories. For example, the family may be the type of item (a book, an item of clothing or a pair of shoes) and the theme the area of interest it relates to (classical music, football)

Mixed seating

A room in which the seating is numbered in one or several zones and unnumbered in others.

Multipayment

Synonymous with 'Multiple payment'

Multiple payment

Payment made using several different settlement methods (synonymous with multipayment)

Named sale

A paid distribution of tickets or services to a named group of attendees.

Non-contingent

Within a logical configuration or a sales configuration, these are seats which have not been pre-booked in a defined contingent/quota.

Non-dated pass

A ticket which permits multiple visits to a venue (a museum or theme park). The pass is valid over a certain period of time and there is no need for the customer to indicate the start date at the time of purchase.

Non-season ticket

An event may be deemed 'non-season ticket' when it is excluded from that particular season's special season-ticket rate.
In the event that a season-ticket holder wishes to attend this kind of event, he will be entitled to a rate reduction, somewhere between the full price ticket and the season-ticket rate. Think of it as a 'season-ticket holder non-season ticket' rate.

Numbered

A space or area or where the seats and/or rows are numbered.
Synonymous with 'allocated area'.

Numbered seating

A room or area where each seat is numbered and specifically assigned to a spectator (either named or unnamed).

Occasional

An individual or corporate contact who does not purchase a season-ticket or membership during the season and is not invited as a guest.

Office returns

This feature helps to manage offices that are not connected to a network.
You may have remote offices that can only sell tickets manually as they don't have access to SecuTix. SecuTix will print a set of tickets and deliver them to the remote office as if it had bought all the tickets like  any other buyer. When sales close, the remote office returns the unsold tickets. 'Office returns' refers to this procedure.

Official

Synonymous with 'protocol'.

Official representative

Regardless of the type of show, it is never possible to sell all the seats as some are reserved for certain people who are legally obliged to be present during the performance. The two principal official representatives are the house doctor and the house fire officer.

Opening up the cash desk

The point at which the operator of the SecuTix system accesses the 'Sales' function.

Operation

A line of an order concerning any specific product subject to pricing options (prices or advantages). An operation has both a type and a kind

The type describes the action to be carried out and can be one of the following:

• Option
• Refund
• Sale
• Cancel option
• Reservation
• Cancel reservation
  
  
  The kind is the object that the operation acts upon and can be one of the following:
  Charges
• Commission
• Bundled product
• Shipment costs
• Order processing costs
• Settlement costs
• Item within a bundled product
• Any other product except a season-ticket, package or single entry
• Single entry

Operator

Any user of the ticketing system who is a member of an organisation with access rights for at least one of the functions of the SecuTix system.

Operator profile

The group of rights granted to an operator based on one or more operating methods.

Operator role

The operator profile assigned to a specific operator, set up by an organisation or specific sales channel. The set of tasks performed by an operator will decide what access rights they are granted in the system.

Option

An unconfirmed reservation order for a number of seats at an event or specific performance; or an order to reserve a certain number of season tickets for a specific offer. Option status can be any of the following:

• Requested
• Requested in advance
• Declined
• Validated

Option overbooking

Exceeding the sales capacity before all seat options have been assigned.

Option parameter

A set of parameters either to define how seating options should be managed for a particular activity; or how season-ticket options should be managed for a season.

Optional extra

Synonymous with 'service'.

Optional variable field

Any non-essential variable field which may contain detailed information about an event or a performance (creator, producer, language, etc.). Each variable must be assigned a value in order to be used.

Order

A sequence of ticketing or service operations relating to an order arriving from a spectator at the same time, in the same sales channel, at the same physical workstation for the same operator. Possible order types are as follows:

• Reservation release
• An exchange requested by the customer
• A refund initiated by the organisation
• Option release
• An exchange initiated by the organisation
• Option
• A refund requested by the customer
• An exchange requested by the customer
• Sale/reservation

Organisation

A legal entity which produces, managers or hosts cultural or sporting events and has a ticketing system managed by an institution.
Examples of organisations are: a theatre, a tour organiser, a festival organiser, a football club, a museum, etc.
Each institution comprises at least one organisation, which is the institution itself.

Overheads

The general operational costs to the sales channel when processing an order for a ticketing item (administrative costs, credit card commissions, costs of extending credit, etc.). These overheads are calculated per order, either for all payment methods or based on a specific method (payment only). Overheads are calculated as a fixed amount or a percentage; if they are calculated using a percentage, the amount may also have a floor and/or ceiling.

Overheads table

The overheads that the institution determines for an individual sales channel.

Package

A group of linked products (for example single entry plus service) which is sold simultaneously and has a specific product identity.

Paperless ticket

A ticket generated directly by a member of the audience or by a box office using an ordinary A4 printer (print@home ticket) or using a similar media (SMS, MMS, etc.). Using a ticket like this (also called an E-ticket) requires computerised entry control at the event.

Partner

See Partner contact

Partner contact

A contact responsible for staging a particular product (for example an event or visit). This type of contact is necessary when the organisation is playing the role of distributor. In this case, the partner contact represents the theatre or the museum for whom the distributor is selling tickets.

Paying contact

A person responsible for paying or who has paid for a product or service.

Payment by direct debit

With this kind of staged payment, the instalments are paid by a direct debit instruction. The organisation is authorised to take money from its customer's bank account after getting him to sign an automatic payment agreement. This bank agreement is identified by its unique mandate reference, sometimes called by its acronym (UMR).

Payment due date

This is the date on which an expected payment is due. The status of a bank direct debit can be any of the following:

• Failed: notification by the bank that the direct debit has failed.
• Cancelled: the direct debit has been cancelled perhaps because payment has been made by another method.
• Pending: waiting for the bank to send payment
• Paid: the direct debit has been received
• Transmitted: the deadline has been reached but the bank has not yet confirmed payment of the direct debit
• Suspended: the direct debit will not be processed while it is suspended

Payment in instalments

Synonymous with 'Staged payment'.

Payment service provider 

A service provider responsible for managing credit card payments or even automatic transfers from a contact's bank account into the account of an organisation or institution.
An institution will generally use one or two service providers: one for taking card payments via an EPT (electronic payment terminal) and the other for taking payment for distance sales. Every institution signs its own contracts as SecuTix works in partnership with Ogone (Ingenico ePayments).

Performance

Showing of an event for which the audience needs a paid or complimentary ticket. All performances take place on a specific date at a specific time and in a specific location. Performance status can be any of the following:

• Cancelled
• Cancelled and closed
• Closed
• Running
• Preparing
• Suspended
• Validated

Performance cancellation

This procedure allows the refund or exchange of all seats already purchased and the exchange or cancellation of all reservations because the performance itself has had to be cancelled.

Physical area

Any part of a venue which (for every physical configuration) may be clearly, physically defined. This type of area may contain numbered or unnumbered seats but not both at the same time.

Physical configuration

Numbered and mixed: a representation, which is as accurate as possible, of the geographical distribution of physical zones and seats within a venue together with their individual characteristics. In both cases, there is a seat map included in the physical configuration.
Unnumbered: a collection of physical zones which make up the venue. In this case, there is no seat map included in the physical configuration.
A single physical configuration is usually sufficient for one venue, except where there may be changes to the relative layout of seats.

Physical desk

Synonymous with 'Workstation'.

Physical seat

The 'physical' location of a venue, usually numbered, where a spectator may sit to watch a show.

Point of sale

The specific location of an internal sales channel where sales take place.
It is at the point of sale where orders are placed, payments made and tickets produced.

Postponement

This is where an organisation may replace one ticket with another.
An organisation may postpone or cancel a performance or event; or a member of the audience who is prevented from attending for personal reasons may do so.

Press

Guests invited from the press.

Price level

The basic price for tickets may vary (with discounts of 10%, 20% etc.) based on the season ticket or membership in which it is included. Prices are configured according to the main audience categories of 'season-ticket holder' and 'member' and then available for use in price tables and applied to other types of season ticket and membership.

Printer tax number

The number assigned directly by a certified printer and stamped on the back of both parts of the ticket. This number sequence continues from ticket book to ticket book or screen to screen.

Printout

Printing hard copies of all documents showing (in general terms) the state of the ticketing operation from an accounting perspective at that precise moment.

Producer

See Producer contact

Producer contact

A producer of live entertainment. This contact is similar to a partner contact, particularly when it is not necessary to distinguish (from a financial or administrative perspective) between the venue and the producer of an event taking place at that venue.

Producer ticket

A ticket provided directly by the producer of the show, granting access to the holder independently of SecuTix, which does all the event management but does not print the tickets.

Product family

A group of products which are similar and are managed in the same way. A family of products is described using types and subtypes. Within the SecuTix system, you have the choice of the following products:

Product profile

A collection of items other than single-entrythat a sales channel may sell for a specific season.

Product quota

The maximum number of products for sale. A season-ticket quota would mean a fixed number for sale which cannot not be exceeded for a particular type of season-ticket. These quotas are normally calculated based on available capacity.

Product type

Product type enables the system to classify the different ticketing products. A product type may be associated with all products except events. Operators are free to create their own product types. Products sold at the box office are automatically classified by product type.

Prospect

An individual or structure that has not yet joined the organisation but whose name has been recorded because they might be interested in future events.

Protocol

A distinguished guest invited because of their administrative or political authority. Synonymous with 'Official'.

Purchase history

A complete list of ticket purchasing operations between an individual or structure contact and the organisation.

Rate type

A general attribute (standard, matinee, weekend, première, etc.) which groups performances together where the entry tickets are the same price (for the same seat category and audience subcategory).
This allows prices to be defined using a rates table rather than on a performance by performance basis.

Rates table

Basic price table for 'single entry' type products. This table contains the institution's price list, displaying its prices in the institution's main currency by audience subcategory and seat category.

Refund

The return by the organisation of the cost of a ticket to a member of the audience.
A refund will only be made on a ticket or service which has been paid earlier. The refund may be made by any method, regardless of the method chosen to purchase the ticket or service in the first place.

Relay

The person who acts as an interface between their community or group and the organisation.

Relay contact

See relay.

Replenishment

The act of restocking merchandise by an organisation.

Reseller

Synonymous with 'Distributor'.

Reservation

A booking which will be confirmed in due course but which secures a seat in the venue.
The term 'reservation' should not be confused with 'option'.

Reserve

A precise synonym for 'contingent'
This term is mainly used in arenas at sporting events to describe a set of seats grouped in a contingent that isn't sold immediately but is available  just in case

An enclosed space (which can be monitored by access control) where events and visits may take place.
There may be one or more rooms/spaces at the same venue.

Rows

A number of adjacent seats normally identified by letters of the alphabet.
The rows maybe linear or curved, horizontal, angled or vertical.

Royalty cost

The name given to the royalty value of guest seats, not be confused with 'comps'. Tickets sold at the 'royalty cost' recoup approximately the cost of royalties incurred by the organisation.

Safe capacity

The maximum number of simultaneous admissions authorised for a physical configuration. This safe capacity is determined by a specialist, independent committee.

Sale seat

A seat in a venue, usually numbered, where a spectator may sit to watch a performance and to which he is entitled as a result of buying an entry ticket. Seat status can be any of the following:

• Invalid
• Available
• Reserved
• Sold

Sales area

An area where seats are for sale, effectively a configured area (therefore by extension, a geographical area in a venue) for a performance taking place in a particular logical configuration.

Sales calendar

The window created for sales of single entries for a specific activity. There are different sales windows for different audience categories.

Sales channel

This is where an audience may buy tickets (box office, telephone, internet, Fnac, Tourist Office, ticket agency, etc.). Some sales channels are internal and linked directly to the ticketing system whereas others are external, do not access the ticketing system and work on a system of contingents.
An internal sales channel may have an operator (box office, telephone receptionist, or be completely self-service (internet, ticket vending machine). If the sales channel does not have an operator it is linked to a virtual operator).
The following sales channels are available:

• Agency
• Mail order
• Group cash desk
• Online flash sale
• Telephone
• Ticket vending machine (new)
• Real-time access
• Merchandise shop
• B2C website
• B2B website
• Agency website
• Exchange market website
• Producer/partner website
• Lottery website
• In-contingent agency
• Pool agency (i.e. shares a contingent with other agencies)
• Fnac online
• Digitick online
• Ticketnet online
• External channel with operator
• Datasport online
• SecuTix file

Sales configuration

The representation of the sales plan of a venue, relating to its logical configuration. The individual status of each seat is described in the sales configuration.
Each performance of an event will have a new sales configuration.

Sales period

The length of time during which items are available for sale to all or some audience categories. The sales period is part of a sales calendar

Season

The time period during which the activity or activities of an organisation take place. Very often, the season begins in September and ends in July.
From an accounting point of view, the season may straddle two financial years, which traditionally start in January and end in December.

Season tickets

A contract between the company and its customers which offers seats for purchase at reduced rates in return for a commitment to attend a certain number of events.
There are several types of season ticket as shown below:

• Calculated price: the price of the season ticket is calculated after taking into consideration the price of performances covered by the season ticket.
• Fixed price: the customer pays one overall price, which entitles them to a fixed number of seats that they can choose for themselves. The customer can choose seats after purchasing the season ticket provided they do not exceed the permitted number of seats.
• A championship pass: a special type of fixed-price season ticket that does not allow the customer to choose, as once purchased, it may not be modified but offers access to every match in a championship.

Season-ticket overbooking

Exceeding the quota allocated before season ticket options have been confirmed.

Season-ticket topic

The specific theme of a season ticket.

Seat category

The key characteristic of a numbered seat or an unnumbered area which means that it may be displayed on a geographical or event map.
The seat category makes it possible to ascertain the sound and viewing quality and identify any obstructions which might spoil the view of events on stage. Different seat categories offer the audience a range of admission prices.

Seat freezing

This is where the status of a seat (or a group of seats) is effectively locked (for example it may not be sold) until it is released.

Seat map

A highly detailed picture or sketch of the layout of seats in a venue together with their individual characteristics.
Seat maps are only produced for venues where the seating is numbered or mixed. The layout of the seat map will show zones divided into rows and seats and may include their categories.

Seat quality

The kind of seat associated with a physical seating space (armchair, chair, fold up chair, etc.).

Seat release

A function within the system which allows options or unconfirmed reservations to be withdrawn. In this case, the ticketing manager will cancel any unpaid reservations or options and put the seats back on sale.

Self-service box office

A ticket vending machine with limited or comprehensive computer-based functionality, where customers may perform various ticketing related tasks without the help of a box office cashier.

Service

Optional extras (programmes, DVDs, parking, etc.) or everything an audience may need apart from the ticket itself.

Settlement

A generic term which embraces all forms of payment and refund. Settlement status can be any of the following:

• To be sent
• Authorised
• In progress
• Pending
• Failed
• Settled
• Sent
• Cancelled

Settlement method

A method of processing purchase or refund transactions within the ticketing system (settlement Is synonymous with payment/refund).
Whatever the settlement method chosen (cash, cheque, credit card, pass-out ticket, travellers cheque, etc.) there is a corresponding settlement type within the system so that all appropriate rules and procedures may be followed.

Settlement type

Role or function associated with settlements. SecuTix offers the following settlement types:

• Cancellation/reversal of a previous settlement.
• A credit payment to the credit account
• Deposit payment
• A payment to a suspense account (in order to make a 'real' payment against an order)
• Paying for an order using a credit account
• A (partial) payment for an order using the deposit paid earlier into the account.
• Paying for an order using a suspense account.
• Direct payment
• Deferred payment (for example direct debit)
• Refund
• A (partial) refund from the organisation into a credit account
• A refund of the deposit from the organisation (for example when an account is cancelled)

Settlement type

Different types of payment or refund, the rules of which vary from country to country.

Shipment contact

A contact to whom a a delivery is sent, whether hard copy or paperless. The shipment normally contains tickets together with some documentation (for example a summary of contents).

Show

Synonymous with 'Event'.

Show

Synonymous with 'performance'.

Show

Synonymous with 'event'.

Single entry

A specific product family which relates to numbered and unnumbered seats. In this case, a product means an event.

Site

A location comprising one or more venues.
For example, the Opéra Bastille site includes two venues: the concert hall and the amphitheatre.

Space quota

The pre-booking of selected zones within an unnumbered venue for a particular show with the intention of saving them for certain audience categories or sales channels.
Synonymous with 'contingent' but for unnumbered seats.

Spectator

A member of the audience, who buys a ticket to watch live entertainment.

Staged payment

Payment made over a number of stages.

Start

Synomous with 'Cohort' but no longer used in SecuTix

State

Several entities (types of data) in SecuTix depend on a status (for example 'Preparing', 'Validated', 'Cancelled', ' Closed', etc.) which calls for stringent management procedures.

Structure

Synonymous with 'Association'

Stub

Part of a paper ticket which remains stapled inside the ticket booklet.

Sub-topic

A detailed description of the content of an event, linked to a topic.
When searching for events, sub-topics are used to give more information and to explain the topic(s) portrayed in them.

Supplier contact

A contact who supplies merchandise for sale in the organisation's shops.

Suspense account

Payment from a suspense account is when the cultural organisation offers credit to a contact. The balance in a contact's suspense account is the amount owed to the cultural organisation.

Suspension

This function temporarily interrupts a performance, a timeslot, an event, an activity, a season, a product, a point of sale or a sales channel. When one of these entities has been 'suspended', it may no longer be offered for sale.

Tariff

Synonymous with 'Audience subcategory'

Tariff area

Any area with a logical configuration or a sales configuration where the seats are the same category. This is synonymous with the term 'Logical seat category'.

Telephone box office

A sales channel where a number of operators are available to take requests over the phone from members of the public.
As well as reservations, calls may be requests for information about current performances as well as those in the future.

Temporary cash desk closure

A time when the cash desk operator temporarily closes his workstation.

Theme

An overall description of the content of an event (opera, dancing, musical, ballet, recital, etc.). This attribute makes it quick and easy to search sales channels when looking for an event where neither the name nor the date of the performance is known. This attribute is particularly useful in a website search box.

Theoretical availability

The difference between the capacity of the room (excluding any invalidated seats) and the number of seats sold and reserved.

Thermal ticket

Any official entry ticket produced at the venue using a thermal ticket printer.

Ticket

An official document which entitles the holder to enter the enclosure detailed on the aforementioned ticket.

Ticket model

Logical mapping of a ticket template during a season.

Ticket template

Any physical description of the overall shape and content of an entry ticket whether it is a ticket or a card.
A ticket template should be able to cater for the position, orientation, size, scale and style of the characters in each fixed or variable field of the ticket which may be mandatory or optional.

Ticket type

Since tickets do not all have the same function, they are divided into different types: standard ticket, E-ticket, pass-out ticket, etc.

Ticketing catalogue

A collection of different options specific to ticketing for the forthcoming season (events, performances, etc.) including the corresponding prices, charges and so on.

Ticketing item

A product item in a ticket catalogue.
For example, for an 'Event' or a 'Season ticket' product, an item is made up of a performance (or season ticket) and a seat category.

Ticketing product

A collection of ticketing products to be sold or given to an audience. The main products are events, season tickets, passes, packages, memberships and services.
Product status can be any of the following:

• Closed
• Running
• In preparation
• Suspended
• Validated

Ticketing tax number

The number assigned directly by SecuTix allowing the system to identify all elements allowing the ticket in question to be issued.
This tax number is unique to that one ticket throughout the whole season. The tax number is usually reset to '1' at the start of the season.

Till receipt

This is an invoice but one that has been printed by a cash register and is simply a till receipt or credit card slip.

Timeslot

The date and time in a season during which guided or self-guided visits are possible at a particular venue. Timeslot status can be either of the following:

• Running
• Suspended

Timeslot pass

A ticket which restricts a venue visit to a specific date and time, provided spaces are available.

Title

Contact characteristic: Mr, Ms, Miss, Sir, Dr etc.

Topic

The subject of a guided visit.

Transport

A transport pass which allows a contact to travel to the show or a visit. As a general rule, SecuTix passes control to an external transportation system to get a quotation and produce a ticket.

UMR

Unique Mandate Reference See 'Payment by direct debit'.

Unallocated seating

A room or area where a member of an audience may sit or stand anywhere he chooses.

Unnumbered

A seat or an area which does not have an identification number. Both standing and seated places may be unnumbered.
Synonymous with 'unallocated seating'.

Unspecified product

A product used for accounting adjustments or one which represents more complex products, managed outside the SecuTix system. The operator sets the price and applies a description at the time the sale is made.

User

Anyone using the SecuTix ticketing system. This may be a supervisor, an operator or an online customer.

VAT code

The internal code representing an applicable VAT rate, not representative of the actual rate to be applied at any one time.
For example: SR = Standard Rate

Venue location

The physical location of a cultural or sporting venue. A location must have at least one venue, one room and one physical configuration.

Viewing mode

When using this mode in a computer system, a user can request the display of additional information that is not normally displayed in the current function. An operator (with the necessary access rights) may view the seat map, the seating availability by category and quota as well as seating rates at any time, and so on.

Visit

An entry ticket for a show which does not include live performances. Visit status can be any of the following:

• Closed
• Running
• Suspended
• Validated
• Preparing

Visit pass

A ticket which permits the visitor to take part in a visit to a particular venue at a specific date and time, provided spaces are available.

Visitor

A spectator who has an entry ticket for a show which does not include live performances.
This term is usually used for organisations such as museums or exhibitions

Visitor group

A group of people taking part in a guided visit at a venue at a specific time.

Voucher (gift)

Vouchers may be used to pay for purchases. The value of a voucher may exceed its purchase price. Vouchers may be used once only with the option of giving change if they are worth more than the purchase.

Waiting list

When all seats have been taken, a waiting list contains the names of those whose orders cannot be immediately accommodated.
If reservations or options are not confirmed by the agreed date, seats will become free and those on the waiting list will be notified by email.

Workstation

Specific apparatus designating a point of sale. It is equipped with a certain amount of equipment.