Frequently asked questions

What is Ichiba?

Ichiba is a marketplace for pop-up markets. Venues and event organizers (“hosts”) list their events, independent makers and small businesses (“vendors”) apply for booths, and shoppers (“attendees”) RSVP or buy tickets to come. Ichiba handles applications, payments, messaging, and the logistics in between.

What are the different roles?

You pick one when you sign up: a Venue (a host with a physical space), an Organizer (runs events at partner locations without owning a space), a Maker/Vendor (sells at markets), or an Attendee (shops the markets). You can keep separate accounts for different roles and switch between them.

How much does it cost?

Signing up and the core features are free. Ichiba charges a small service fee of 4% + $0.50on each booth-fee or ticket transaction. There’s also an optional Starter plan that unlocks premium tools — see Plans & billing.

How do I find events?

Browse Markets to see upcoming events near you. Each listing shows the date, location, booth details for vendors, and RSVP/ticket options for shoppers.

How do I apply to an event?

Open an event and click Apply as a vendor. You fill in a short form — what you sell, your social handles, and which booth you want if the host offers options — then submit. The host reviews every application.

What happens after I apply?

The host will accept, waitlist, or declineyou. You’ll get an email and an in-app notification either way, and you can track the status on your dashboard.

I got accepted — what do I do next?

Confirm your spot from your dashboard. If the booth has a fee, you’ll pay it at that step; if it’s free, you just click to confirm. Confirming is what actually locks in your booth.

What’s a confirmation deadline?

Some hosts set a window (for example, 48 hours) for accepted vendors to confirm. You’ll see a countdown on your dashboard and get a reminder about 24 hours before it ends. If you don’t confirm in time, your spot is released to the waitlist so it doesn’t sit empty.

How do I pay my booth fee?

After you’re accepted, click Confirm & pay and you’ll be taken to a secure Stripe checkout. Ichiba never stores your card details.

Can I cancel my spot?

Yes — from your dashboard. Note that booth fees are generally non-refundable once paid (the host sets the policy), and cancelling frees your booth for someone on the waitlist.

Can I choose my own booth?

If the host turns on self-serve booth selection, you’ll see a Choose your booth link. It opens the venue map where you claim an open spot, first-come, first-served. The host can still move you if needed.

I got an email invite to an event — what is that?

A host pre-accepted you directly. Sign up (or log in) with the email they invited, and you’ll be added to that event automatically — no application needed.

How do I create an event?

From your dashboard, choose Create event. Set the date and location, your booth fee (a flat fee or several priced booth options), how many booths you have, and any custom questions vendors should answer when applying.

How do I review and accept vendors?

The Applicants page shows everyone who applied, with their products, socials, and answers. Accept, waitlist, or reject each one — vendors are notified automatically.

Can I set a deadline for vendors to confirm?

Yes. Set a confirmation window on the event, and accepted vendors have that long to confirm and pay before their spot is released to the waitlist. A reminder goes out 24 hours before, and you can press Remind to confirm anytime.

Can I invite a vendor directly?

Yes — use Invite a vendor to pre-accept someone by email. You can set a custom price for that vendor, or set it to $0 to invite them for free(handy for your own vendor account, so you don’t pay yourself). They’re added automatically when they join.

What are co-hosts?

You can invite a venue or organizer to co-hostan event. Co-hosts share every permission and the event’s group chat, so you can run a market together.

What’s the difference between a venue and an organizer?

A venue owns a physical space and lists events there. An organizer runs events at partner locations without owning a space of their own. Both get the same event and vendor tools.

What does Ichiba charge?

A service fee of 4% + $0.50 on each booth-fee and ticket transaction. The free Basic plan has no monthly cost.

How do I get paid as a host?

Connect a Stripe account from your dashboard. Booth-fee and ticket payments are routed to you automatically, minus Ichiba’s service fee and the card-processing fee.

When do payouts reach my bank?

Stripe pays out on its normal schedule — typically daily, after a short pending period (about two business days for US card payments). Your very first payout can take around a week while Stripe verifies your account.

Who pays the card-processing fee?

It’s folded into the booth fee, so it comes out of the host’s payout rather than being added on top — the vendor pays exactly the listed booth fee.

How do refunds work?

If you refund a payment in Stripe, or cancel an event, Ichiba syncs the change automatically so booth applications and tickets always reflect what actually happened.

Do events sell tickets?

It’s up to the host. An event can be vendors-only, free RSVP, or ticketed with one or more paid tiers and capacities.

How do attendees register?

On the event page, shoppers RSVP or buy tickets. They receive a ticket with a QR code they can show at the door.

How does check-in work?

At the event, the host scans an attendee’s QR code (or finds them in the Attendees & sales list) to check them in. You can also see live sales and revenue there.

What is the venue map?

A visual map of your event floor. Upload a background — a satellite screenshot from Google Maps or a floor plan — then add booths, drag them where they actually sit, and assign vendors. Each assigned booth shows the vendor’s photo and name.

Can vendors pick their own booths?

Yes — turn on Vendors pick own boothand accepted vendors claim an open spot themselves, first-come-first-served. You can override any choice, and there’s a one-click button to email all vendors a link to the picker.

Can attendees see the map?

Turn on Public mapand a “See the venue map” link appears on your public event page. Shoppers can pan and zoom it, and tap any vendor to open their profile.

Can I label the entrance, exit, etc.?

Yes — use Add note to drop text labels anywhere on the map, like Entrance, Exit, or restrooms.

Is there a group chat?

Every event has a group chat for the host, co-hosts, and accepted vendors — perfect for load-in details, parking, and day-of coordination.

What’s an announcement?

In the group chat you can post a message as an announcement, which also emails every accepted vendor so important updates don’t get missed.

Can I email my attendees? (Starter)

Yes — on the Attendees page, Email attendeeslets you send an update to everyone who RSVP’d or bought a ticket. Each email is personalized and includes a one-click unsubscribe.

What’s the difference between Basic and Starter?

Basic is free forever and includes all the core tools: unlimited applications, tickets and RSVPs, custom forms, booth pricing, co-hosts, vendor invites, and event messaging. Starter adds premium tools — CSV exports of your vendor and attendee lists, attendee email campaigns, the interactive venue map with booth assignment, and faster support.

How much is Starter?

$15/month, or $10/month when billed annually. You can try it and cancel any time.

How do I upgrade or cancel?

Go to Settings → Plan & billing. Upgrading opens a secure Stripe checkout; cancelling keeps Starter active until the end of the period you already paid for, then drops you to Basic.

Can I use more than one account?

Yes. You can save multiple accounts on a device — for example a venue account and your own vendor account — and switch between them without re-entering your password.

How should I enter my social links?

Use your username or full link — for example instagram.com/username or tiktok.com/@username. Entries with spaces or extra text won’t be accepted, so your profile links always work.

How do I keep my account secure?

In Login & security you can change your password and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of protection.

Is my payment information safe?

Payments are processed by Stripe, an industry standard. Ichiba never sees or stores your full card number.

How do I get help?

Email support@ichiba.us and we’ll get back to you. You can also review our Terms and Privacy policy.