It’s a common frustration for music fans trying to get tickets to popular concerts and events – the presales sell out in minutes, only for the same tickets to appear at higher prices later on resale sites like StubHub. This leads many to wonder: are Ticketmaster presales intentionally set at lower prices, only for the company and resellers to profit off higher resale prices? Let’s take a closer look at how Ticketmaster presales work and whether they are actually cheaper than later public sales.
How do Ticketmaster presales work?
Ticketmaster presales give certain groups advance access to purchase tickets before the general public onsale. There are typically three main types of Ticketmaster presales:
- Fan club presales – Artists will often offer presale access to their official fan club members first as a perk of joining the club.
- Venue or promoter presales – Venues, concert promoters like Live Nation, and even brands tied to the event will get a presale code to share with their customers.
- Credit card presales – Certain credit cards like American Express offer presale ticket access as a card membership benefit.
In order to access these presales, you need a special code or link. This gives you the chance to purchase tickets before the masses when onsale opens up to the general public. In theory, presales are supposed to give fans an equal opportunity to get great tickets before resellers or bots scoop them up.
Are all tickets made available during presales?
While presales give fans initial access to purchase tickets, it’s a common misconception that all tickets are made available during presales. Typically, only a portion of the total ticket inventory is reserved for presales. According to Ticketmaster, the number of tickets held back for presales varies by event and venue.
For very high demand events like a Beyonce stadium tour, as little as 10% of tickets might go on presale. For other events, it might be as high as 90% of inventory. There are a few key reasons why tickets are still held back from presales:
- To ensure there are still good tickets available for the general onsale.
- In case presale buyers don’t actually complete their ticket purchase after getting an access code.
- To sell additional tickets via late public onsales leading up to the event.
So in most cases, there will still be many more tickets released to the general public even after presales sell out quickly. However, for the most in-demand concerts, the tickets made available during a presale may be the only chance fans have to get good seats before resellers scoop them up.
Are presale tickets cheaper than regular prices?
This is where things get complicated. The short answer is – prices are set by the artist and their management, not Ticketmaster. For most major concerts, pricing is strategically tiered based on seat location and demand. Presale prices should be identical to what is charged during a general onsale since those prices are pre-set.
However, there are a few factors that can lead to presale prices appearing cheaper:
- Discount presale codes – Some presale codes will unlock access to tickets discounted $5-10 off normal prices. For example, a Citi card presale code may save you $5 per ticket.
- Presale price glitches – There are times when a pricing error makes presale tickets far cheaper than normal prices. Savvy fans rush to take advantage before the glitch is fixed.
- Presale access to best seats – For very high demand events, presales may offer the only chance to buy the best seats before resellers claim them. These premium seats tend to be cheaper during presales.
However, once the general onsale starts, Ticketmaster employs dynamic pricing which means prices fluctuate based on demand. So as more casual fans start trying to buy tickets, especially closer to the event date, prices will adjust upwards. This makes it seem like presale prices were better when in reality, the seated pricing was just strategically set at lower tiers initially to encourage presale buying.
Do ticket resale sites charge higher prices?
Absolutely. Third party ticket resale sites like StubHub, VividSeats, and TicketNetwork are well known for charging much higher prices due to rapid price fluctuations based on demand. Sellers can list tickets on these sites for any price, often multiples above face value. Buyers may flock to these sites when box office tickets are sold out, creating a high demand scenario that further pumps up resale prices.
Event | Face Value Price | Resale Price |
---|---|---|
Harry Styles Concert | $150 | $500 |
NBA Finals Game | $400 | $1200 |
This table shows some illustrative examples of how steeply resale prices can outpace original face value prices. The ticketing industry refers to this extra value above face price as the “secondary market premium.”
Why are resale prices higher?
There are several key factors driving higher prices on secondary resale sites:
- High demand – Popular artists, teams, and Broadway shows attract lots of buyers competing for limited tickets.
- Underpriced face values – Hot shows sometimes intentionally underprice tickets knowing the market will pay more.
- Third party fees – Resale sites charge buyers 10-20% fees on every transaction.
- Reseller profit – Resellers aim to buy tickets solely for the purpose of reselling at a higher market price to turn a profit.
The result is a perfect storm for prices multiplying far beyond face value on high demand events. Some see this as blatant price gouging, while others claim it’s simply economics at work in an open marketplace.
Does Ticketmaster benefit from higher resale prices?
Interestingly, Ticketmaster itself has faced accusations of price gouging through ticket resales over the years. Here are some of the controversial ways Ticketmaster profits from secondary ticket sales:
- Owning resale sites – Ticketmaster has acquired major resale sites like TicketsNow and GetMeIn to profit directly from ticket resales.
- Resale fee kickbacks – Ticketmaster receives a percentage fee from every ticket resold on external sites – as high as 25%.
- Double dipping fees – When a ticket is resold, both the original buyer and final user pay Ticketmaster fees.
Ticketmaster has also been accused of favoring its owned resale sites in ticket transfers and search rankings. By profiting from both primary and secondary sales, critics argue Ticketmaster has no incentive to limit sky-high resale prices.
However, Ticketmaster denies allegations of artificially inflating prices and profiting from resales. They claim to avoid policing a free secondary market, and aim to get as many tickets as possible into the hands of fans. Still, the company continues to face PR backlash and lawsuits over its perceived complicity in allowing scalpers to drive up prices.
How to get the best presale ticket prices
Despite some shadiness in the secondary ticket market, deals can still be scored if you play the presale game wisely:
Get presale codes
Sign up for as many presales as you can through artist fan clubs, credit card programs, and targeted mailing lists. This requires planning ahead and knowing where to look for presale passwords.
Buy early
Be ready to log on right when the presale starts and buy tickets as soon as possible. For very hot shows, the best tickets are often snapped up within minutes.
Target seat deals
Aim for seat sections that tend to get less demand. Upper level seats and off to the side sections are less likely to sell out immediately.
Avoid resale sites
If you missed out on presales, try the box office first before immediately buying inflated resale tickets. Last minute public onsales sometimes release extra tickets.
With preparation and persistence, you can still score presale tickets at face value. But beat the bots and resellers, as waiting for the general onsale often means settling for slim pickings or paying a premium. Ultimately, the best way to bypass inflated resale prices is locking in tickets during presales.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster presales are not inherently cheaper than general public onsales. Primary market ticket prices are pre-set for each section by the event host, regardless of when they are sold. However, presales offer the key chance to buy tickets at face value before resellers claim the inventory. Limited quantities and high demand then push resale prices up drastically. So presale access gives savvy fans the opportunity to secure the best seats before they hit the inflated secondary market. While Ticketmaster’s role in the resale ecosystem is controversial, prices are ultimately determined by basic supply and demand. With preparation and smart timing, fans can still get presale deals.