Premium & Billing

Seat the Party is free to use for most planning tasks. You only pay when you want to share a public seating chart link or need more than 7 tables per event. There are two paid paths: a one-time $20 per-event purchase, or a Premium subscription — $30/month or $199/year when billed annually — for unlimited everything.

What is free

A lot is included at no cost. Here is what you get for free:

Full drag-and-drop seating interface with unlimited guests
1 event with up to 3 tables (without an account)
Unlimited events with up to 7 tables per event (free signed-in account)
Cloud sync — access your plans from any device (requires sign-in)
Export as plain text (requires sign-in)

Tip: For many events — especially smaller ones with 7 or fewer tables — a free signed-in account is all you need. Create a free account to unlock cloud sync and export without paying anything.

Per-event purchase ($20 one-time)

If you have one specific event that needs sharing or more than 7 tables, the per-event purchase is the most cost-effective option. For a single $20 charge:

Sharing enabled — A public shareable link is generated for that event. Anyone with the link can view the read-only seating chart.
Unlimited tables — The 7-table cap is lifted for that specific event. Add as many tables as you need.
One-time charge — No subscription. The purchase applies permanently to that event.

How to purchase sharing for an event:

Make the event you want to share the current event.
Click Share in the header.
If sharing is not yet enabled, a prompt appears to purchase. Click it to open the Stripe checkout.
Complete checkout. The share link is immediately available.

You can also purchase from the event details page or when you attempt to add an 8th table (which triggers the upgrade prompt).

Best for: A one-off event — a wedding, a birthday party, a corporate dinner — where you want to share the seating chart once. No ongoing commitment.

Premium subscription ($30/month or $199/year)

Premium is designed for people who plan multiple events or manage seating charts regularly. It includes everything in the free tier, plus:

Unlimited events — Create as many events as you need.
Unlimited tables per event — No per-event caps.
Sharing for all events — Every event automatically has sharing enabled. No per-event purchases needed.
Stripe billing portal — Manage your subscription, update your payment method, and download receipts from one place.

How to subscribe

Sign in to your account.
Go to Settings → Subscription.
Click Upgrade to Premium.
Complete the Stripe checkout with your card details.
Premium is activated immediately. All your events now have sharing enabled.

Cancel anytime. Go to Settings → Subscription → Manage subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you keep Premium access until then.

Best for: Wedding planners, event coordinators, venue managers, or anyone who regularly plans seating for multiple events. Premium unlocks sharing on unlimited events without per-event fees ($30/month, or $199/year billed annually).

Billing and receipts

All payments are processed securely by Stripe. Seat the Party does not store your card details.

A receipt is emailed to your account's email address after each charge (per-event purchase or monthly subscription renewal).
For subscription billing history, open Settings → Subscription → Manage subscription. The Stripe portal shows all past invoices and lets you download them as PDF.
For billing questions or disputes, contact support via the email on your receipt.

Choosing between per-event and Premium

Not sure which to pick? Use this as a guide:

Planning 1 event and need sharing → Per-event ($20) is cheaper.
Planning 2 or more events that all need sharing → Premium is often more economical than multiple $20 purchases.
Planning a large event with many tables → Either option removes the 7-table cap.
You are an event professional or planner → Premium saves time and money across multiple clients and events.

Full feature comparison

Feature	Free (guest)	Free (signed in)	Per-event ($20)	Premium ($30/mo or $199/yr)
Events	1	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Tables per event	3	7	Unlimited	Unlimited
Unlimited guests	✓	✓	✓	✓
Drag-drop seating	✓	✓	✓	✓
Cloud sync	—	✓	✓	✓
Export as text	—	✓	✓	✓
Share events	—	$20/event	1 purchased event	All events

Common questions

What happens when my Premium subscription ends?

If you cancel or your subscription lapses, your account reverts to the free signed-in tier (unlimited events, 7 tables per event). Sharing links for events you had active during Premium will no longer be accessible to visitors. Your data is not deleted — if you resubscribe, everything is restored.

If I already purchased an event for $20, do I get a credit toward Premium?

Not currently. Per-event purchases and Premium are separate. If you purchased individual events and then subscribe to Premium, the previously purchased events remain active and Premium adds sharing to all your other events going forward.

Can I get a refund?

Contact support within a reasonable period after your charge and we will work with you on a case-by-case basis. For subscription charges, cancellation prevents future charges but the current billing period is generally non-refundable.

Is there a discount for annual billing?

Yes. You can choose $199/year (billed once annually) instead of $30/month. Pick the option that fits how often you plan events; you can manage or change your plan in Settings → Subscription.