Enable a waitlist for a Meetup event

Only members of your group can attend an event that you create for that group. In some cases, your event can include a waitlist of members who are interested in participating to an event, but didn't RSVP'd before all available spots were taken.

Waitlists are automatically enabled for events that:

• Have a set attendee limit. In order to enable a waitlist for an event, you’ll need to set an RSVP limit:
  1. Create a new event or edit an existing event on desktop or mobile app.
  2. Scroll down to the Optional Settings section.
  3. Using the Attendee limit toggle, set your attendee limit by choosing your desired RSVP limit.
  4. Save your event by clicking Publish or Save & Publish.
     
     
• Do not have a mandatory event fee. To avoid complications caused by automatically charging members' credit cards when they are moved from a waitlist to ‘attending’, it is not possible to set up a waitlist for events that are charging an event fee.

  If a spot opens up for an event with a mandatory fee, organizers can let members know that a spot has become available by using the Email Members tool.

If an event with an attendee limit charges an offline event fee or no fees at all, a waitlist will be enabled and members will be moved from it with the following priority:

1. Meetup+ members. If spots open up, members with an active Meetup+ subscription will be automatically moved to the Going list with priority over the rest of members included in the waitlist. This priority is part of the exclusive benefits offered in the Meetup+ plan that members can subscribe to. You can learn more about all the perks that Meetup+ offers in the dedicated article Update & FAQ: Advanced features moving to Meetup+ (October 2024).
   Organizers can always see members that benefit from the Meetup+ subscription, as they have a Meetup+ priority badge that allows them to be on top of the waitlist and have a first access to any new spots.
   
   
2. Unpaid members. If new spots open up once all Meetup+ members are moved (or if there are no Meetup+ members attending an event), unpaid members are then automatically RSVPed to the event in the order that they joined the waitlist. Members will receive a notification if they are moved from the waitlist to Attending.
   
   
3. Unpaid members with guests. If a member has RSVPed with guests, they will be skipped on the Waitlist until enough spots open up for both the member and their guests.