There are four reasons for a ticket with RESERVED status:
Guest tickets have been sent but not yet downloaded.
The Guest list is reserving tickets.
Tickets are reserved via the reservation module.
Tickets are pending payment.
Guest tickets have been sent but not yet downloaded
Guest tickets are RESERVED when they are sent via the Stager Mailings (Invitation link via the Guest tickets mail component). The moment the 'Yes, I will attend' button is clicked by the recipient, the ticket gets the status SOLD. Until then, the status will remain RESERVED. To ensure that tickets do not remain on RESERVED for too long and (therefore) cannot be sold, you have to specify when the invitation expires.
The Guest list is reserving tickets
When using a Guest list, the tickets will stay reserved until checked in. The Guest list will show the reservation under the given name. Read more about the Guest list here. With an External guest list, you reserve an amount of tickets for these guests under the name of the Guest list manager.
Tickets are reserved via the reservation module
Tickets can be reserved with the Stager reservation module. For example, these tickets are collected at the box office half an hour before the start of the event. Until then, the tickets will remain in RESERVED status. If the tickets are not picked up in time, they will be released for sale again. You can set the time at which the tickets should be collected via Settings - Ticketing - Ticketing defaults.
Tickets are pending payment
A visitor is in the ticket shop, completing the payment process. Tickets are given the RESERVED status from the moment a ticket is placed in the shopping cart until the payment is completed. When the payment is completed, the ticket gets the status SOLD.
A timer is placed in the ticket shop, which indicates how much time is left to pay for the order. This is 15 minutes: and each time there is a change in the order, 15 minutes is added. Banks and credit card companies can take much longer than 15 minutes to approve, which is why we hold a reservation for a bit longer. If the payment trickles in later, we can still send the tickets. Ticket buyers then see a notification that explains the payment is not received yet, but it might take a bit of time. We ask them to wait another 15 minutes in case the payment does come through.
Release of tickets
Ticket buyers have a time limit in which they have to complete their orders. When the time limit has passed and no payment is received, these RESERVED tickets are released for new visitors. Even if the visitor pays after these minutes, they receive a message that the order was paid too late, and that the purchase amount will be automatically refunded to the bank account used.