diff --git a/crud.py b/crud.py
index e92e47e..8abcbbb 100644
--- a/crud.py
+++ b/crud.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import json
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -6,6 +7,30 @@ from lnbits.helpers import urlsafe_short_hash
 
 from .models import CreateEvent, Event, Ticket, TicketExtra
 
+
+def _parse_ticket_row(row) -> dict:
+    """
+    Parse a database row into a dict suitable for Ticket model creation.
+    Handles:
+    - Empty string to None conversion for name/email
+    - JSON string to dict conversion for extra field
+    """
+    ticket_data = dict(row)
+
+    # Convert empty strings back to None for the model
+    if ticket_data.get("name") == "":
+        ticket_data["name"] = None
+    if ticket_data.get("email") == "":
+        ticket_data["email"] = None
+
+    # Parse extra field from JSON string if needed
+    # (db.insert() serializes to JSON, but manual fetchone/fetchall returns string)
+    extra = ticket_data.get("extra")
+    if isinstance(extra, str):
+        ticket_data["extra"] = json.loads(extra)
+
+    return ticket_data
+
 db = Database("ext_events")
 
 
@@ -20,7 +45,12 @@ async def create_ticket(
 ) -> Ticket:
     now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
 
-    # Handle database constraints: if user_id is provided, use empty strings for name/email
+    # TODO: Check if this empty string workaround is still needed.
+    # This converts None to empty strings for database storage because:
+    # 1. Database may have NOT NULL constraints on name/email columns
+    # 2. When user_id is provided, name/email are not used (mutually exclusive)
+    # 3. The get_ticket() functions convert empty strings back to None when reading
+    # Consider using nullable columns instead of this empty string pattern.
     if user_id:
         db_name = ""
         db_email = ""
@@ -28,7 +58,28 @@ async def create_ticket(
         db_name = name or ""
         db_email = email or ""
 
-    ticket = Ticket(
+    # Create ticket with database-compatible values for insertion
+    # Using db.insert() ensures proper serialization of the extra field (TicketExtra)
+    # across all database backends (SQLite, PostgreSQL, CockroachDB)
+    db_ticket = Ticket(
+        id=payment_hash,
+        wallet=wallet,
+        event=event,
+        name=db_name,
+        email=db_email,
+        user_id=user_id,
+        registered=False,
+        paid=False,
+        reg_timestamp=now,
+        time=now,
+        extra=TicketExtra(**extra) if extra else TicketExtra(),
+    )
+
+    await db.insert("events.ticket", db_ticket)
+
+    # Return ticket with original name/email values (not empty strings)
+    # This maintains consistency with how get_ticket() converts empty strings back to None
+    return Ticket(
         id=payment_hash,
         wallet=wallet,
         event=event,
@@ -42,20 +93,6 @@ async def create_ticket(
         extra=TicketExtra(**extra) if extra else TicketExtra(),
     )
 
-    # Create a dict for database insertion with proper handling of constraints
-    ticket_dict = ticket.dict()
-    ticket_dict["name"] = db_name
-    ticket_dict["email"] = db_email
-
-    await db.execute(
-        """
-        INSERT INTO events.ticket (id, wallet, event, name, email, user_id, registered, paid, time, reg_timestamp, extra)
-        VALUES (:id, :wallet, :event, :name, :email, :user_id, :registered, :paid, :time, :reg_timestamp, :extra)
-        """,
-        ticket_dict
-    )
-    return ticket
-
 
 async def update_ticket(ticket: Ticket) -> Ticket:
     # Create a new Ticket object with corrected values for database constraints
@@ -82,14 +119,7 @@ async def get_ticket(payment_hash: str) -> Optional[Ticket]:
     if not row:
         return None
 
-    # Convert empty strings back to None for the model
-    ticket_data = dict(row)
-    if ticket_data.get("name") == "":
-        ticket_data["name"] = None
-    if ticket_data.get("email") == "":
-        ticket_data["email"] = None
-
-    return Ticket(**ticket_data)
+    return Ticket(**_parse_ticket_row(row))
 
 
 async def get_tickets(wallet_ids: str | list[str]) -> list[Ticket]:
@@ -98,17 +128,7 @@ async def get_tickets(wallet_ids: str | list[str]) -> list[Ticket]:
     q = ",".join([f"'{wallet_id}'" for wallet_id in wallet_ids])
     rows = await db.fetchall(f"SELECT * FROM events.ticket WHERE wallet IN ({q})")
 
-    tickets = []
-    for row in rows:
-        # Convert empty strings back to None for the model
-        ticket_data = dict(row)
-        if ticket_data.get("name") == "":
-            ticket_data["name"] = None
-        if ticket_data.get("email") == "":
-            ticket_data["email"] = None
-        tickets.append(Ticket(**ticket_data))
-
-    return tickets
+    return [Ticket(**_parse_ticket_row(row)) for row in rows]
 
 
 async def get_tickets_by_user_id(user_id: str) -> list[Ticket]:
@@ -118,17 +138,7 @@ async def get_tickets_by_user_id(user_id: str) -> list[Ticket]:
         {"user_id": user_id}
     )
 
-    tickets = []
-    for row in rows:
-        # Convert empty strings back to None for the model
-        ticket_data = dict(row)
-        if ticket_data.get("name") == "":
-            ticket_data["name"] = None
-        if ticket_data.get("email") == "":
-            ticket_data["email"] = None
-        tickets.append(Ticket(**ticket_data))
-
-    return tickets
+    return [Ticket(**_parse_ticket_row(row)) for row in rows]
 
 
 async def delete_ticket(payment_hash: str) -> None:
@@ -200,14 +210,4 @@ async def get_event_tickets(event_id: str) -> list[Ticket]:
         {"event": event_id},
     )
 
-    tickets = []
-    for row in rows:
-        # Convert empty strings back to None for the model
-        ticket_data = dict(row)
-        if ticket_data.get("name") == "":
-            ticket_data["name"] = None
-        if ticket_data.get("email") == "":
-            ticket_data["email"] = None
-        tickets.append(Ticket(**ticket_data))
-
-    return tickets
+    return [Ticket(**_parse_ticket_row(row)) for row in rows]