> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://partner-help.letsdothis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are applications?

> Let participants apply for a place rather than buy instantly, then select who gets in — by lottery or review.

<Info>
  Applications and lotteries are set up for you by Let's Do This — they are not
  self-serve. To add an application ticket or run a lottery for your event,
  contact your Technical Account Manager. This page explains what the system can
  do and why you might use it, so you know what to ask for.
</Info>

Applications let participants **request** a place at your event instead of buying a ticket outright. They apply for the places they want and choose how they'll pay, and you decide who gets in. When you approve someone, the system creates a **reserved entry** — a held place the participant claims through a unique link — and after they complete the entry form they appear on your Startlist like any other participant.

Reach for applications whenever demand outstrips places, or when a place should be granted rather than sold first-come. Common uses:

* **Lotteries (ballots)** for oversubscribed events, where places are drawn at random from a pool of applicants.
* **Partner, charity, and company allocations**, where an organization requests a block of entries.
* **Vetting** applicants — for example checking a qualifying time — before granting a place.

<Tip>
  If everyone who wants a ticket should simply be able to buy one, you don't
  need applications — a standard ticket is the better fit.
</Tip>

## The two kinds of application

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Individual" icon="user">
    A single participant applies for themselves. Used most often for lotteries,
    where individuals enter and a set number are drawn at random.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Partner" icon="building">
    A partner, charity, or company applies for a block of entries. On approval
    you allocate a group of reserved entries for them to distribute to their
    own people.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How an application moves through the system

The journey is the same whether you select applicants by lottery or review them one by one:

<Steps>
  <Step title="A participant applies">
    On your event page, an application ticket shows an **Apply now** button instead of a normal add-to-basket flow. The participant applies for the places they want and chooses their payment method.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The application waits for a decision">
    New applications arrive as **Pending** in your **Applications** table. Nothing is charged yet beyond what your payment timing requires.
  </Step>

  <Step title="You select who gets in">
    Decide the outcome — either by running a lottery (set up by your Technical Account Manager) or by reviewing applications and marking each one **Successful** or **Unsuccessful**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The participant claims their place">
    Approval creates the reserved entry and sends the participant a unique, single-use link. They open it, complete the entry form, pay if payment is due, and then appear on your **Startlist**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Approving an application doesn't put the participant on your Startlist right
  away — it creates a held place and a claim link. They only become confirmed
  once they open that link and complete the entry form, so a
  successful-applicant count and your Startlist count won't match until everyone
  has claimed.
</Note>

## How participants pay

When your application ticket is set up, you choose **when** a successful applicant is charged:

* **Pay now** — the full price is taken at the point of applying.
* **Pay when successful** — the participant is only charged if they're selected.

<Note>
  With **Pay when successful**, the participant's card is **pre-authorized**
  when they apply, not charged. The charge is only taken if they're approved.
  Their card must stay valid until the decision is made — if the payment can't
  be taken when they're selected, the place can be offered to someone else.
</Note>

## Application statuses

Each application carries a status so you always know where it stands:

| Status              | What it means                                                            |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pending**         | Applied and awaiting a decision                                          |
| **Successful**      | Selected — a reserved entry has been, or will be, created                |
| **Unsuccessful**    | Not selected                                                             |
| **Pending payment** | Approved on a **Pay when successful** ticket, with payment not yet taken |
| **Cancelled**       | The applicant cancelled their application                                |

## Managing applications

Your **Applications** table lists every application for the selected ticket. You can search by application ID, applicant name, email, or partner, filter by status, and export the results. From here you open an application to review it, mark it **Successful** or **Unsuccessful**, and start the approval that creates the participant's reserved entry.

## Where to go next

* [Setting up a lottery](/docs/ballots-applications/setting-up-a-ballot) — how a lottery is configured and run for your event.
* [Partner applications](/docs/ballots-applications/partner-applications) — block allocations for partners, charities, and companies.