How much do experience platforms keep from what you earn?

It depends on the platform. Airbnb states in its help centre that it typically charges a 20% service fee on experience reservations. Others have different terms: ask for the exact percentage and which amount it is calculated on.

Who receives the money paid by the customer?

The Maker. The payment is credited directly to the Stripe account linked to the profile, not to a platform account; the transfer to the Maker's own bank goes out a few days after the event.

Can I use several channels at the same time?

Yes, and it is the most common choice. The thing to watch is seats: if you sell the same dates on several channels, keep one master calendar and update it immediately.

Do I need a VAT number to sell workshops online?

It depends on how continuous and how large the activity is, not on the channel. Check your position with your accountant or at the desk of your [trade association](/associazioni).

Is it better to start with a website or with a platform?

Almost always with a platform. A custom site makes sense once demand is stable: first you need to learn which experiences actually sell, at what price and on which days.

Selling artisan experiences online in Bologna: the channels compared

Handsome is an Italian platform built for people who run workshops. The main difference is economic: the commission on workshop revenue is 0% and the customer's payment is credited directly to the Maker's Stripe account, not to a platform account: the transfer to your own bank goes out a few days after the event.

In short: international platforms bring tourist demand but keep a percentage of your revenue; social media and word of mouth cost nothing but have to be managed by hand; your own site gives full control but payments, calendar and receipts have to be built; on Handsome the commission on workshop revenue is 0% and the customer's payment is credited directly to the Maker's Stripe account.

The three questions to ask before choosing

Who brings the audience? If the channel puts you in front of people who do not know you, the percentage it keeps is visibility you are buying. If you bring the audience yourself, it is a pure cost.
How much is left for you? Not just the commission: count the time spent replying to messages, collecting deposits and issuing receipts.
Whose customer is it? Whoever owns the experience page, the calendar and the contact decides tomorrow's rules.

International experience platforms

They are the most immediate choice if you are targeting the tourist looking for something to do in the afternoon. The audience is already there, the app is already installed, payment happens inside their system. The cost is a percentage of your revenue: Airbnb, for example, states in its help centre that for experience reservations it typically charges a 20% service fee (official source).

In favour: an international audience already looking for experiences, reviews collected automatically, no acquisition work.
Against: the percentage on your revenue, rules and approval criteria set by the platform, and the customer contact staying with them.
To weigh up: if you mostly work with local groups, schools and companies, the tourist audience may not be the right one.

Instagram, the neighbourhood group, customers who come back. It is the channel almost every Bologna workshop already uses: no commissions and a direct relationship. The problem is not the sale, it is everything that comes after.

You handle available seats, confirmations, deposits, date changes and refunds by hand, often in a chat while you are at the bench.
Without a deposit collected upfront, a no-show leaves you with an empty seat and materials already bought.
A post stops working within days; an indexed page brings enquiries for months.

Your workshop's own website

This is maximum control: your domain, your words, nobody changing the rules. It is also the channel that demands the most work: you need a calendar that does not double-book, online payment, receipts, reminders and a written cancellation policy.

Cost: between domain, hosting, a booking plugin and payment fees, there is an annual bill even when the base software is free.
Time: every extra feature is another setup, and when something breaks there is nobody to write to.
When it makes sense: if you already have a steady flow of direct enquiries and you only need the tool to collect the money.

Page, calendar, deposits and receipts for your workshop, with no commission on your workshop revenue.

See how the booking software works

Handsome: what changes for a Bologna workshop

Handsome is an Italian platform built for people who run workshops. The main difference is economic: the commission on workshop revenue is 0%, and the customer's payment is credited directly to the Maker's Stripe account, not to a platform account you then have to wait on for a transfer.

Handsome keeps no commission on workshop revenue: the payment is credited directly to the Maker's Stripe account. The booking Guarantee of 0.50 euro per seat is already included in the round figure the customer sees — the price shown is the price paid, with nothing added on top — and Handsome invoices it to the Maker once a month, only for events that actually took place.

Compared with the other three channels, the practical difference is in what you do not have to build yourself or handle by hand while you are at the bench:

A public page and calendar for your workshop, in Italian and English, indexable on Google: unlike a post, they keep working for months.
Online deposit and balance paid on site, with automatic receipts and reminders in both languages: exactly the part you handle in chat on social media.
QR ticketing for events with admission, useful when you take your workshop off site.
Gift cards valid for 12 months on any workshop on the platform: they work like a wallet, so if the experience costs less the remaining balance stays on the card.
A link to local markets, where your event lives inside the market's own page: a local pool of people, different from the tourist one.
Handpoints, the points programme that gives returning customers one more reason to book.

Why in Bologna it pays to think in terms of audiences

Bologna has two different audiences, and the right channel changes depending on which one you are chasing. The first is the local one: as of 31 December 2025 the Bologna Chamber of Commerce counts 24,358 artisan businesses, over 30% of the active businesses in Bologna (businesses in Bologna in 2025). It is a fabric in which word of mouth between workshops, schools and companies still works.

The second is tourism, growing fast: in 2025 the province of Bologna passed 3.17 million arrivals and 7.18 million overnight stays, up 10.66% and 8.28% respectively on the previous year, according to Emilia-Romagna regional data, which is published by province (regional release). That is the audience international platforms reach best.

So use each channel for what it does well: tourist platforms for midweek slots with visitors passing through, a channel of your own for the local audience, longer courses and corporate groups, where a percentage weighs much more. Locally there is also CNA Bologna.

How a workshop price is built

There is no price list that works for everyone. There is, however, an honest way to build the price, and it applies on any channel.

Materials per person, including offcuts and pieces that get ruined during the work.
Hours of work: not only the class itself, but preparation, cleaning and any second firing.
The cost of the space for the time slot it occupies, even if the workshop is yours.
The percentage the channel keeps, if any: put it in the calculation upfront, do not discover it later.
Margin, that is the reason you are opening your workshop to the public.

Do the maths twice: once with a channel that keeps a percentage, once with a channel that does not. The difference per seat, multiplied by the seats you sell in a year, is the figure to decide on.

Domande frequenti

How much do experience platforms keep from what you earn?: It depends on the platform. Airbnb states in its help centre that it typically charges a 20% service fee on experience reservations. Others have different terms: ask for the exact percentage and which amount it is calculated on.
How much does it cost to sell a workshop on Handsome?: Handsome keeps no commission on workshop revenue: the payment is credited directly to the Maker's Stripe account. The booking Guarantee of 0.50 euro per seat is already included in the round figure the customer sees — the price shown is the price paid, with nothing added on top — and Handsome invoices it to the Maker once a month, only for events that actually took place.
Who receives the money paid by the customer?: The Maker. The payment is credited directly to the Stripe account linked to the profile, not to a platform account; the transfer to the Maker's own bank goes out a few days after the event.
Can I use several channels at the same time?: Yes, and it is the most common choice. The thing to watch is seats: if you sell the same dates on several channels, keep one master calendar and update it immediately.
Do I need a VAT number to sell workshops online?: It depends on how continuous and how large the activity is, not on the channel. Check your position with your accountant or at the desk of your [trade association](/associazioni).
Is it better to start with a website or with a platform?: Almost always with a platform. A custom site makes sense once demand is stable: first you need to learn which experiences actually sell, at what price and on which days.

Page, calendar, deposits and gift cards. 0% commission on workshop revenue, credited directly to your Stripe account.

Open your workshop on Handsome