How to Price a 360 Booth Package Profitably
Pricing a 360 booth package is one of the most common questions new operators ask. Charge too little and you burn out; charge too much and you lose bookings to competitors. Here’s a framework for setting prices that actually cover your costs and leave room for profit.
Start with Your Real Costs
Before setting a per-event price, you need to know what each event actually costs you. Most operators underestimate this.
Fixed Monthly Costs
These hit your bank account whether you do zero events or twenty:
- Software subscription: $99–$300/mo depending on tier and provider
- Phone payment (if financed): $40–$60/mo for an iPhone 15 Pro/16 Pro
- Insurance: $50–$150/mo for equipment and liability coverage
- Marketing/website: $50–$200/mo for hosting, ads, portfolio site
- Storage/transport: varies — vehicle costs, storage unit, equipment cases
Per-Event Costs
These scale with your booking volume:
- Travel: fuel, tolls, parking — $20–$80 per event depending on distance
- SMS/email delivery: included in software tiers, but watch your quotas
- Setup assistant: $100–$200 if you hire help for large events
- Consumables: props, signage, branded materials
One-Time Hardware Costs
These amortize over time:
- iPhone 15 Pro or later: $999–$1,199
- iPad for sharing station: $449–$799
- 360 spin rig: $500–$3,000+ depending on motorized vs manual
- Lighting, backdrop, props: $200–$500
- Cases, mounts, cables: $100–$300
A reasonable estimate for total hardware investment is $2,500–$5,000. This needs to be paid back through events.
Calculate Your Break-Even
Here’s a simple formula:
Monthly break-even = Fixed monthly costs ÷ Events per month
Example:
- Software: $149/mo (Pro tier)
- Phone payment: $50/mo
- Insurance: $100/mo
- Marketing: $100/mo
- Total fixed: $399/mo
If you do 8 events per month, your fixed cost per event is about $50. Add per-event costs (travel, assistant) and you might need $100–$200 per event just to break even.
Anything above that is gross profit.
Common Pricing Tiers
Here’s what the market typically looks like for 360 booth services:
| Package | Typical Range | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (2 hours) | $300–$500 | Booth setup, basic overlay, AirDrop/QR sharing |
| Standard (4 hours) | $500–$800 | Custom overlay, SMS/email delivery, iPad sharing station |
| Premium (6+ hours) | $800–$1,500 | Full branding, sponsor logos, lead capture, KPI report |
| Corporate activation | $1,500–$5,000+ | White-label, multi-day, custom templates, dedicated support |
These are ranges, not rules. Your local market, event type, and client profile all matter.
Pricing Strategies That Work
1. Anchor on value, not hours
A 360 booth at a $50K corporate activation delivers more value than the same booth at a birthday party. Price accordingly. The service is the same; the context changes the value.
2. Lead capture is an upsell
Operators who sell lead capture as part of their package — “every guest gets a branded text with their video” — can charge $200–$500 more per event. This is especially valuable for brand activations where the sponsor wants measurable engagement.
3. Build in your software costs
Don’t eat the software subscription. If your software costs $149/mo and you do 8 events, add $19 to each event price. Better yet, bundle it into your standard rate so clients never see it as a line item.
4. Hardware payback period
Plan to pay off your hardware within 6–12 months. If you invested $3,000 and charge $500/event doing 8 events/month, hardware payback is under one month. Most operators recoup their investment faster than they expect.
Use the ROI calculator to model your specific numbers — event price, volume, software costs, and hardware payback.
When to Raise Prices
Signs you’re undercharging:
- You’re booked every weekend with no room for growth
- Clients never push back on price
- You’re working more hours but not earning more
- Your profit per event is below $200 after all costs
Raise prices for new bookings first, then for returning clients with notice. A 10–15% increase once per year is normal for event services.
The Bottom Line
Profitable booth pricing starts with knowing your real costs — not guessing. Calculate your fixed monthly overhead, add per-event expenses, factor in hardware payback, and set prices that leave room for profit and growth.
If you want to model specific scenarios, the ROI calculator lets you plug in your actual numbers and see monthly profit, per-event breakdown, and payback period. For hardware requirements, check the compatibility page to plan your setup investment.