Mambo to sell tickets for users
The electronic invitations site plans to introduce a payment service that allows party throwers and event planners to sell tickets online.
Under the new service, event coordinators send Mambo electronic invitations to potential guests, who can then go to Mambo.com and use their credit cards to buy tickets. After collecting the fees, the Menlo Park, Calif.-based Mambo sends the host a check--minus a 4.75 percent transaction fee.
Ticket sales are targeted at small fundraising groups or businesses that are hosting events too small to use ticket vendors such as Ticketmaster, according to Mambo vice president of product marketing David Pann.
"Basically anybody out there who needs to accept credit card systems can use this system," Pann said. "From a group organizing a walk-a-thon to a struggling rock band who wants to sell tickets at a smallish venue, Mambo can collect the fees."
The debut comes as companies such as Evite.com, eParties and SeeUthere.com have recently crashed the online party-planning category. Several Internet veterans have also been attracted to the category. Jake Winebaum, former head of Disney's Buena Vista Internet Group, is an executive at eParties and Netscape Netcenter executive Jennifer Bailey is now with Mambo.