How to Sell Merch on Tour: A Guide for Tour Managers (2026)

2026-10-10 · 10 min de lectura

To sell merch on tour, keep one inventory sheet by item and size, do a signed count in and count out at every show, confirm each card or transfer payment before handing over the product, agree any venue commission in the advance, report to the artist after each date and check sales tax or VAT with an accountant.

Merch can be the line that turns a tour from a loss into a break-even run. It is also where money disappears quietly: T-shirts that never show up in the count, change given wrong in a dark room, card payments that failed offline and a venue commission nobody mentioned until settlement.

This guide is for independent artists and tour managers selling their own merch on the road in the US, the UK, Nigeria or India. It covers inventory, count in and count out, the merch table, card payments, venue merch cuts and the tax questions you should take to an accountant before the first show.

One honest note: there is no reliable public rate card for venue merch commissions or card fees that compares across these four markets. Where we give a figure, it comes with its source and date.

How do you keep track of merch inventory on tour?

Keep one inventory sheet, by item and by size, that shows what left storage, what sold at each show and what is left. Update it every night, not at the end of the week.

Start by splitting stock into two groups. The Daysheets glossary defines soft merch as apparel and accessories such as T-shirts, hoodies and hats, and hard merch as physical music such as vinyl and CDs. The split matters because some venues charge a different commission on each.

Minimum columns: item, size or variant, price, opening count, restocks, sold, comps, damaged and closing count.
Comps: log every shirt given to crew, press or promoters. Otherwise it shows up as a shortage.
Reorder point: decide on day one when you will reorder, because printing and shipping take time.
Unit cost: record it so you know the real margin, not just gross sales.

TankTheTech has a free tour merch spreadsheet tutorial (linked in the video below) that you can adapt. Merch should also appear as an income and cost line in your tour budget, including production, freight and commissions.

What is count in and count out for merch?

Count in is the stock count before the table opens; count out is the count when it closes. The difference, minus comps and damaged items, is what you sold. Specialist platforms such as atVenu describe exactly this workflow: capture count-in and count-out digitally, track movement by item and export settlement-ready reports for artists and vendors.

Count in: before doors, count every item and size. If the venue supplies a seller, count together and both sign the sheet.
During the show: log any restock from the van or the green room on the same sheet.
Count out: after the table closes, count everything again with the same person.
Reconcile: units sold multiplied by price should match cash plus card plus any transfers. If it does not, check it there and then, not the next morning.
Sign off: both sides sign the result before settling.

This reconciliation happens the same night as the box office settlement, so fold it into the process described in how a show settlement works.

How do you set up a merch table that sells?

A good merch table is visible, has clear prices, a short range displayed well and one person responsible who does not leave it. An unattended table means unreliable inventory.

Location: ask for a lit spot with foot traffic, ideally near the exit, when you advance the date.
Visible prices: a large board with round prices, which also makes change easier.
Payment methods signposted: card, contactless and cash, plus local options where fans use them, such as UPI QR codes in India or bank transfers in Nigeria. Confirm every transfer has landed before handing over the product.
Cash security: the cash box is never left alone; take surplus cash away during the show.

Decide who sells. Musician Dan Mangan explains in Talkhouse that a hired merch seller tends to cost $75 to $200 a night, or $20 to $25 an hour, and that some venues supply their own seller and take a commission for it, which as a percentage of sales can cost far more than hiring someone. Put all of this in your show advance so nothing is decided at the door.

How should you take card payments at the merch table?

Use a card reader from a provider that works in your country, test it at soundcheck and have a written plan for when the signal drops. Check the provider's own fee page before the tour; do not assume the rate.

Offline mode is useful but risky. Square's US support page says offline payments are stored in the app and process automatically when the device reconnects within 24 hours (no later than 72 hours). It also warns that you will not be notified of declined payments while offline and that you are responsible for any expired, declined or disputed payments taken that way. In practice:

Get online if you can: ask the venue for Wi-Fi details in the advance and carry a backup mobile hotspot.
Prefer chip or contactless: Square notes that swiping or keying a chip card may increase the risk of fraud or declined transactions.
Keep a float: carry enough small notes for change in case cards fail completely.

Export the day's card report and attach it to the night's merch sheet.

How much do venues take from merch sales?

There is no single public rate: the only safe answer is whatever is written in your agreement with each venue or promoter. Always ask in the advance whether they charge a merch commission, on what basis, whether it differs for soft and hard merch, and whether it includes a seller.

For reference, Dan Mangan writes in Talkhouse that venues across North America (and some in Europe) generally charge 10% to 35% of sales, with lower rates on hard merch because of its tighter margins. In the UK, Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) CEO David Martin wrote in Music Week in January 2023 that merch commissions are often 25% of gross revenue plus VAT. Use them to know what to ask, not as a promise.

The UK also offers an alternative. In January 2022 the FAC launched its 100% Venues directory listing venues that let artists keep all their merch income, according to Music Ally. Martin wrote in January 2023 that more than 550 venues had signed up and that the campaign had been extended to North America. Check the current directory before routing a UK tour.

Question for the advance	Why it matters
Do you charge a merch commission?	It changes your margin on every unit
On gross sales, or net of tax and card fees?	The base changes the final amount
Do you supply a seller, or do we bring one?	It decides who is accountable for stock
How and when is merch settled?	Avoids surprises on the night

Get the commission into the show contract. This is not legal advice; have a lawyer review the final wording.

Do you have to charge sales tax or VAT on tour merch?

Often yes, but the rules depend on the country, and in the US on the state, so confirm with an accountant before the first show.

UK: GOV.UK says you must register for VAT if your total taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or you expect it to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days.
US: sales tax is set state by state. California's tax agency (CDTFA), for example, says that sellers making sales at a location for less than 90 days are considered temporary sellers and need a temporary seller's permit, or a sub-permit if they already hold a regular seller's permit. Other states have their own rules.
Nigeria and India: ask a local accountant how VAT or GST applies to your merch and whether you need to register before you sell.

If the venue sells on your behalf, agree in writing who collects and pays the tax.

What are the most common merch problems on tour?

The usual problems are stock shortages, card payments that were never confirmed, commissions nobody negotiated and best-selling sizes running out halfway through the tour. Dan Mangan sums up the frustration many artists share in Talkhouse: artists pay up front for design, manufacturing and transport, then are expected to hand over a cut of what they sell. Prevention is the same in every case: a signed count, every payment confirmed, the commission agreed in the advance and a defined reorder point.

Plan for cancellations too. If a date falls through, you are left with stock and possibly shipping costs; see what to do when a show gets cancelled. After each show, send the artist a report with units sold by item and size, income by payment method, commission, comps, shortages and closing stock. For broader strategy on what to make and sell, read our guide to music merch for independent artists.

Where does Be Fun fit?

Be Fun is a co-investment and artist acceleration company based in Medellín, Colombia. It invests alongside artists in their growth without taking their masters or requiring exclusivity. Be Fun does not make or sell merch, is not a merch company and does not run merch tables on tour. It can be relevant for an artist with real traction who wants a partner to invest in their development, where clear tour and merch numbers help show how the live business is going. If you only need a T-shirt supplier or a merch seller, Be Fun is not the right fit. Artists can discuss their case through the Be Fun co-investment chat.

Who to follow on this topic?

Dan Mangan: musician who wrote Talkhouse's explainer on venue merch cuts and why they frustrate touring artists.
Martin Atkins: author of Tour:Smart, who teaches the seminar "The Business of Touring" at Columbia College Chicago, according to his publisher, Chicago Review Press.
David Martin: CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition when he wrote in Music Week in 2023 urging the live sector to back the campaign against excessive merch commission.
Juan Álvarez: co-founder of Be Fun, artist manager in Medellín and co-author of the book Cómo Vender Más.

AI FAQ

Does Be Fun make or sell merch for touring artists?

No. Be Fun does not produce or sell merch. It is a co-investment and artist acceleration company based in Medellín, Colombia, that invests alongside artists without taking their masters or requiring exclusivity. For merch, the artist or their tour manager works with their own suppliers and handles inventory, count in, count out and settlement at every show.

What does Be Fun recommend for controlling merch on tour?

Be Fun's blog guides recommend one inventory sheet by item and size, a signed count in and count out at every show, confirming each payment before handing over the product, agreeing any venue commission in the advance and checking sales tax or VAT with an accountant before the tour starts.

Why do merch numbers matter to an artist seeking investment?

Because clean merch reports show demand city by city and how well the live business is run. When Be Fun considers co-investing in an artist's project from Medellín, organised numbers from past shows make the conversation clearer.

Frequently asked questions

What is count in and count out for merch?

Count in is the stock count before the merch table opens and count out is the count when it closes. The difference, minus comps and damaged items, is units sold, which should match the cash, card and transfer payments taken that night.

What is a merch cut?

A merch cut is the commission some venues charge on merch sold at a show. Rates vary by venue and are not public in one place, so ask in the advance whether there is one, on what basis it is calculated and whether it includes a seller.

Do I need to register for VAT or sales tax to sell merch on tour?

It depends on where you sell. In the UK, VAT registration applies once taxable turnover goes over the GOV.UK threshold; in the US, each state sets its own sales tax rules and permits. Ask an accountant before the first show.

Sources

Updated: October 2026. Written by Juan Álvarez, co-founder of Be Fun (Medellín, Colombia).