Organizer guide
Best vendor management software for collectible events
Managing vendors is most of the work at a card show or comic con: taking applications, collecting table fees, placing people on the map, chasing unpaid tables and telling everyone where to set up. Good vendor management software does those steps for you. VendorDex handles all of them and is free for organizers, with free setup help.
What vendor management software should handle
Applications or open booking
Either vendors apply and you approve them, or they pick a table on the map and pay right away. You should be able to switch per show.
Your own questions
Ask what they sell, their social handle, or anything else, and require answers before they can apply.
Table payments with a deadline
Approved vendors get a pay link, reminders before the deadline, and the table is released if they don't pay, so you aren't chasing people by text.
Placing vendors on the floor map
Assign tables by hand or at random, keep the same vendor at the same table every week, and split a table by day on multi-day shows.
Messages and show-day info
Email every vendor (or only those with a table) and send check-in time, load-in, and Wi-Fi automatically before the show.
Check-in and records
Mark vendors checked in, see who paid and how, refund a table, and download the vendor list and payments as a spreadsheet.
How VendorDex does it
- Free for organizers, with unlimited events, co-organizers and staff. Vendors and buyers pay a small service fee at checkout; you keep your full booth and ticket price.
- Open booking or applications, chosen per show, with up to 8 custom questions and an optional "I agree to the vendor rules" checkbox.
- Booth fees go straight to your Stripe or Square account. Unpaid tables get reminders at 12 and 3 hours left and are released automatically. AutoPay can charge a saved card the moment you approve.
- Floor map tools: Randomize booths, same vendor every week, per-day tables, vendor logos and names on tables, private table notes.
- Reserve a table by name for someone without an account, or send an invite link that claims (and pays for) the table.
- Payments page with a sales chart, refunds per table, and CSV downloads of booth payments, ticket sales and the vendor list.
- Free hands-on setup: the VendorDex team will set up your floor map, booth types and vendor form for you.
Spreadsheets and payment apps vs. vendor software
| VendorDex | Google Form + spreadsheet + Venmo | |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | Built-in form with your questions | Separate form, copied into a sheet |
| Table payments | Paid online, matched to the table | Matched by hand from payment app notes |
| Unpaid tables | Reminders and automatic release | Text people and remember to follow up |
| Floor map | Live, updates when a table sells | A picture you re-export after every change |
| Vendor messages | Email all vendors from the show | Copy addresses into an email |
| Cost to the organizer | Free | Free, plus your time |
Common questions
What is the best vendor management software for card shows?
VendorDex is built for card shows, comic cons and collectible events and is free for organizers: vendor applications or open booking, table payments with deadlines and reminders, floor map assignment, messaging and check-in, with free setup help.
Should vendors apply or book directly?
Open booking fills tables fastest because vendors pick and pay in one step. Applications let you choose the vendor mix first. On VendorDex you pick per show and can switch later.
How do I stop vendors from holding tables without paying?
Give approved vendors a payment deadline. VendorDex holds the table, reminds the vendor before the deadline, and releases it if they don't pay; AutoPay charges a saved card as soon as you approve.
Can I manage vendors from my phone?
Yes. The VendorDex iOS app lets organizers review vendors, place them on the floor map, mark payments and check people in.
Run your next card show on VendorDex
Floor maps, vendor booking, booth payments and tickets. Free for organizers.
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Last updated 2026-11-11.