The reservation timer
Why your tickets are held for a short window while you check out.
When you start a purchase, you might notice a countdown — your tickets are held for a few minutes while you check out. It's there so the specific tickets you're buying can't be sold to someone else while you're entering your details.
Why it exists
Popular raffles can have lots of people buying at once. The timer reserves your tickets the moment you start, so you're not halfway through paying only to find someone else grabbed them. It's working in your favour.
If the timer runs out
If you don't finish before the countdown ends, your reserved tickets are released back for other buyers, and you'll need to start again. Nothing is charged — you simply pick your tickets and go through checkout once more.
Tips to beat the clock
- Have your payment details handy before you start.
- On a phone, buying in a normal browser (Safari or Chrome) is smoother than inside an app's built-in browser.
- If you're buying a lot of tickets or answering organiser questions, you've still got plenty of time — the window is generous, just don't wander off mid-checkout.
It's normal for tickets to "come back"
If you're watching a raffle that looked sold out and then has tickets again, that's often the timer at work — someone started a purchase, didn't finish, and their reserved tickets were released. Good news if you were hoping to get in.