Student Seats was launched in 2020 by University of Alabama students Jared Waller and John Ritondo to solve a very real problem: ticket scams targeting college students. Using social media platforms like GroupMe and Instagram, scammers would create fake listings, take payments via Venmo or Zelle, then vanish.
The impact was more than just financial — it eroded trust. And this wasn’t an isolated issue. Penn State University Police reported 99 scam incidents in 2023 alone, with individual losses reaching up to $900.
Student Seats set out to change that by creating a secure, student-only platform where users could safely buy, sell, and trade tickets for college sporting events.
The challenge: Payments without protection
To launch quickly, Student Seats initially integrated PayPal, but it didn’t take long for them to realise it was not a solution that suited their needs.
“Refunds had to be tracked and processed manually, which was incredibly time-consuming,” Waller explains. “I found myself creating detailed records with names and amounts owed, but the process was inefficient and unsustainable. It became clear we needed a more automated solution to scale effectively.”
Manual refunds weren’t just draining on time, they were a liability. In a peer-to-peer platform where trust is everything, unreliable payments could impact the entire business.
The solution: Seamless, secure transactions with Trustap
After reevaluating their needs, Waller and Ritondo discovered Trustap, an end-to-end transactional platform designed for marketplaces.
What stood out to them was Trustap’s built-in buyer protection. Payments are held securely until the item is delivered and approved, giving both buyers and sellers confidence. Trustap also provides 24/7 dispute resolution and assumes legal responsibility for payment processing and compliance.
From day one, integration was hands-on and collaborative. “One thing I’ve loved about working with Trustap is their personable approach,” says Waller. “Whenever I need help, I can reach out directly to someone who knows our account, not just a random representative. It feels like a true partnership rather than just a service.”
Built to scale
Over the last three years, the partnership has evolved into an engine for growth. Trustap has helped Student Seats build a modern, scalable transaction system with:
- Progressive onboarding and KYC to reduce user friction
- Open Banking integrations to eliminate manual data entry
- Instant payouts after a 24-hour dispute window
- Smart fraud rules tailored to student audiences
- Seamless authorisation and capture to reduce failed payments
The results speak volumes. With Trustap’s system in place, Student Seats saw its cart-to-paid rate rise to 71.5% in 2023, up from 68% in 2022.
Growth by the numbers
The impact on growth has been dramatic. What started at the University of Alabama has now expanded across the US, covering multiple sports: football, basketball, hockey and even on-campus concerts!
In 2023 alone, Student Seats grew its user base by 17,000+, while Trustap’s infrastructure enabled them to process thousands of dollars daily.
“The system we had in 2021 couldn’t have supported this kind of growth,” Waller says. “Now, with Trustap handling everything behind the scenes, thousands of dollars are processed seamlessly every day, allowing us to focus on delivering a great user experience.”
- Q4 2023: 483% year-over-year transaction growth
- Ticket sales: $170k → $1.4 million in one year
- Total processed to date: 26,000+ transactions, generating $2.7 million in total transaction volume
Zero scams. Maximum trust.
As a verified partner of Stripe, Trustap brings industry-standard security to every transaction. But what’s made the real difference is the added buyer protection.
Between August and September 2024 alone, Student Seats processed $852,000 worth of tickets with zero cases of fraud or scam.
By offering safe, secure payments from day one, Student Seats has built a reputation as one of the most trusted student marketplaces in the U.S.
The verdict
“I don’t think we would be where we are without close collaboration with Trustap and innovations on their systems,” says Waller.
What started as a student-led initiative has now grown into a trusted platform used by tens of thousands of students. And the future looks even brighter.
Want to learn more about how Trustap powers safe, scalable marketplaces? Get in touch.
