Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket providers in the world, offering tickets to concerts, sports events, theater shows and more. In recent years, Ticketmaster has been moving towards mobile ticketing, meaning tickets are provided digitally on your phone rather than printed. This has led some to wonder – are Ticketmaster tickets mobile only now? Can you still get paper tickets if you want them? Let’s take a look at the details.
The Rise of Mobile Ticketing
Mobile ticketing has been growing in popularity over the past decade. The convenience of having your ticket available right on your smartphone, without having to worry about losing a paper ticket or keeping track of printouts, has appealed to many event-goers. According to a 2019 report from Juniper Research, mobile tickets are expected to represent more than 60% of all tickets sold by 2023.
Ticketmaster has been at the forefront of this shift towards mobile ticketing. In 2017, they reported that over 50% of all their tickets were delivered digitally rather than on paper. They’ve continued to expand their mobile ticketing capabilities since then, noting benefits like reduced fraud and easier transfers/resales of tickets.
Are Tickets Exclusively Mobile Now?
Despite the prevalence of mobile ticketing, Ticketmaster has not completely eliminated paper tickets. While they encourage the use of digital tickets and have made this the default option, Ticketmaster still gives customers a choice in many cases.
On Ticketmaster’s purchase pages, you’ll generally see options to have tickets delivered “on your mobile device” or “mail.” Choosing the mail option will have your paper tickets physically sent to you. So it is still possible to get printed tickets for many events, though mobile delivery is what they push most prominently.
Exceptions
There are certain circumstances where printed tickets may not be available:
- Some venues are fully mobile-only, so Ticketmaster won’t offer a paper option there.
- Similarly, certain events may mandate digital-only tickets.
- If purchasing resale/secondary market tickets on Ticketmaster, these are often mobile-only now.
- If purchasing close to the event date, there may not be enough time for physical tickets to ship.
So while paper tickets are still possible in many cases, there are exceptions where mobile may be the only format offered.
Benefits of Mobile Ticketing
There are a number of reasons why Ticketmaster and other providers have been shifting so heavily towards mobile ticketing:
Convenience
Having tickets readily available on your phone means you don’t have to worry about locating a printed ticket before heading to an event. Your ticket is accessible at all times when you need it.
Security
Mobile tickets come with additional security features like rotating barcodes to prevent fraud. Paper tickets are easier to counterfeit.
Environmental Impact
Going digital reduces paper waste from printing millions of tickets every year.
Data and Insights
Mobile tickets allow Ticketmaster to gather data on attendee behaviors that can be used to improve experiences.
Resales/Transfers
It’s much easier to transfer or resell a digital ticket through official marketplaces.
Downsides of Mobile-Only
Despite the benefits, some consumers have expressed frustration or concerns about the mobile ticketing shift, such as:
Losing Signal/Battery
Some worry about losing ticket access if their phone dies at an event or struggles to get signal.
Data/Privacy Concerns
Others don’t like the data collection involved with digital tickets.
Prefer Physical Mementos
Many customers enjoy having an actual ticket stub to commemorate events.
Not Tech-Savvy
Switching to mobile-only could dissatisfy less tech-savvy customers who still prefer paper.
Tips for Using Mobile Tickets
If you do opt for mobile tickets, here are some tips to ensure everything goes smoothly:
- Screenshot your tickets – this provides backup in case of technical issues.
- Save your tickets to your phone’s digital wallet for easy on-site access.
- Download the venue/event app – they sometimes provide additional features.
- Charge your phone fully before heading to the event.
- Connect to on-site WiFi if possible for reliable ticket access.
Conclusion
While Ticketmaster is encouraging wider adoption of mobile tickets, paper ticket options still remain in most cases. However, certain events or venues may be fully mobile-only, so customers should be aware of this possibility. There are valid advantages around convenience and security driving increased mobile ticketing usage. But fans should weigh their own preferences – and prepare their devices accordingly if going the mobile route.