A commission is the share of the price the platform keeps on every sale before paying you. It looks like a small percentage buried in the contract, but it's the line that decides how much actually stays in your workshop. Most channels for selling workshops in Italy keep between 20% and 30% of the price. Handsome keeps zero. This guide shows you the comparison, channel by channel, and above all what a percentage costs you over a full year — because that's where the real game is played, not on a single ticket.
Be honest with yourself: when you list a €60 workshop you almost never think about the fee. You think about the customer, the date, the materials. Then the payout arrives and you realise that out of that €60 you only got €48. The missing €12 aren't scattered around: they're a fixed tax you pay on every single sale, forever. Let's put it in black and white.
Commissions compared, channel by channel
An honest disclaimer: exact percentages change over time, by country and by contract terms. That's why you'll only find prudent, public ranges here, not figures down to the cent that would already be outdated tomorrow. The point isn't who takes 21.7% instead of 22.3%: the point is the model. Some live off a percentage of your work, and some don't. Read each line as "Channel — typical commission — note".
- Airbnb Experiences — typically ~20% of the price — large tourist audience, but you pay the fee on every seat sold. More: Airbnb Experiences vs Handsome.
- GetYourGuide — typically ~20-30% — very strong on traveller traffic, one of the highest rates in the sector. Detailed comparison: GetYourGuide vs Handsome.
- Fever / Musement / Tiqets — typically ~20-30% — experience and ticketing marketplaces, great for volume but with eroded margins. See: Fever, Musement and Tiqets vs Handsome.
- Wecandoo — typically ~20% — artisan-focused (French model), on-target audience but full commission. Comparison: Wecandoo vs Handsome.
- ClassBento / Obby — typically ~20-30% — specialised in creative classes (UK/AU), same percentage logic. Details: ClassBento and Obby vs Handsome.
- Eventbrite — per-ticket fee (percentage + fixed charge per transaction) — built for events and ticketing, not recurring workshops; looks cheap but the per-ticket fee adds up. See: Eventbrite vs Handsome.
- Etsy — typically ~6.5% + listing and transaction fees — careful: it's a marketplace for products, not live experiences. Why it's not the same thing: Etsy vs Handsome, products or experiences.
- Website + Calendly DIY — no commission, but fixed monthly costs (hosting, domain, tools) and above all zero audience: you bring all the traffic yourself. Pros and cons: Website and Calendly vs Handsome.
- Instagram / WhatsApp — free on the surface — but you pay in wasted time, dead-end messages and no-shows with no deposit that leave your bench empty. How to handle it better: Instagram and WhatsApp to sell workshops vs Handsome.
- Handsome — 0% commission on the workshop price — €0 subscription, no exclusivity; the customer only pays a €0.49 refund guarantee, never taken from you.
The hidden tax: how much you really lose in a year
The trick with commissions is that you see them one sale at a time, when the real damage is cumulative. Let's run the numbers on a small workshop, nothing dizzying. You sell €1,000 of workshops a month. With a 20% commission you leave €200 a month on the table. That's €2,400 a year. At 30% it becomes €300 a month, €3,600 a year.
- €1,000/month in sales, 20% commission → you lose €200/month = €2,400/year.
- €2,000/month in sales, 20% commission → you lose €400/month = €4,800/year.
- €1,000/month in sales, 30% commission → you lose €300/month = €3,600/year.
- The same €1,000/month on Handsome (0%) → you lose €0 in commission: the whole price stays with you.
Look at those €2,400 and ask yourself what you'd do with them: a new kiln, the fee for an important market, professional photos of your workshop, or simply a month's salary. That is the "hidden tax": not a cost you choose, but income someone else collects on your craft, every month, for as long as you sell on that channel. And it grows exactly when things go well: the more you sell, the more you pay. It's the opposite of what a growing business needs.
What 0% on Handsome really means
"0%" isn't a slogan: it's how the platform is built. Handsome keeps nothing on your workshop price and charges you no subscription. Registration is free and takes about 15 minutes. When a customer books, the deposit reaches you 100% and directly in your account via Stripe Connect — it doesn't sit in Handsome's accounts to reach you weeks later: it's yours immediately. You collect the balance on site, however you prefer.
So how does it all hold up? At checkout the customer pays a €0.49 refund guarantee on top of the workshop price. It's paid by the customer, never taken from your earnings, and it protects the booking. You never lose any percentage, ever. No exclusivity: you keep selling on Instagram, your own website, in person, wherever you like. Handsome is one of your channels, not your boss.
- Commission on the workshop price: 0%.
- Monthly or annual subscription: €0.
- Deposit: 100% to you, directly via Stripe Connect; balance on site.
- Cost to the customer: only €0.49 refund guarantee, never charged to you.
- Included: SEO-optimised profile, verified reviews, gift cards, access to the B2B corporate channel (mediated), Handpoints — with no exclusivity.
So the other platforms are useless?
It's not that clear-cut, and it's only fair to say so. The big tourist marketplaces put you in front of a huge audience you couldn't reach on your own: if your workshop lives off passing tourists, a shop window like Airbnb or GetYourGuide can make sense despite the fee. The DIY route with your own site gives you total brand control, if you already have your own audience. The right question isn't "commission yes or no", but "is this percentage bringing me customers I wouldn't otherwise have?". If the answer is no, you're simply giving away margin.
Handsome's logic is exactly this: give you the visibility of a marketplace without the marketplace tax. You don't have to choose between "audience" and "margin": you can have the first while keeping the second. That's why it makes sense to use it alongside the other channels, not instead of them — and to see, numbers in hand over a few months, where the best bookings really come from.
Frequently asked questions
Domande frequenti
- Which workshop platform has the lowest commission?
- Among channels with a ready-made audience, Handsome has the lowest commission: 0% on the workshop price and no subscription. Tourist marketplaces (Airbnb Experiences, GetYourGuide, Fever, Musement, Tiqets, Wecandoo, ClassBento, Obby) typically keep between 20% and 30%. Eventbrite charges per-ticket fees. Website + Calendly has no commission but fixed costs and no included audience. Exact percentages change over time, so always check current conditions.
- How much do I lose per year with a 20% commission?
- It depends on your volume. On €1,000 in sales a month, a 20% commission costs €200 a month, i.e. €2,400 a year. On €2,000 a month that's €4,800 a year. The percentage grows with your sales: the more you grow, the more you pay. On Handsome that amount stays entirely with you.
- On Handsome, how much does the artisan actually keep?
- 100% of the workshop price. The deposit arrives directly in your account via Stripe Connect, and you collect the balance on site. Handsome keeps no commission on your price; the customer only pays a €0.49 refund guarantee, which is never deducted from your earnings. No subscription, no exclusivity.
Do the maths on your last year of work: take your real sales and multiply by the fee you pay. That number is what switching to 0% is worth to you. On Handsome you test it risk-free — no subscription, no exclusivity, no penalty if you change your mind. Signing up takes about as long as a coffee break.
0% commission, €0 subscription, deposit paid directly to you. Registration in ~15 minutes.
Sign up free and keep 100%
