With ticket prices soaring for popular concerts, sports events, and other high-demand shows, many fans are wondering if they can make a profit by reselling their tickets. Ticketmaster, as one of the largest primary ticket sellers, has rules in place around reselling tickets that event organizers and rights holders require them to enforce. Here’s what you need to know about reselling tickets you bought on Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster’s Official Resale Platform
In many cases, Ticketmaster contracts with event organizers to be the exclusive ticket reseller for their events. They operate an official resale marketplace called Ticketmaster Resale where season ticket holders and other fans can relist tickets they can no longer use. This is the safest and most guaranteed way to resell your Ticketmaster tickets, since it is officially sanctioned by both Ticketmaster and the event organizer.
Ticketmaster Resale offers some benefits compared to selling elsewhere:
- Guaranteed valid tickets.
- Buyer and seller protection against fraud.
- Secure ticket transfer.
- Fan-friendly refund policies.
However, Ticketmaster Resale also has some downsides:
- High seller fees – up to 20% of the ticket price.
- Limits on maximum resale price, often capped at 50% above face value.
- Fewer features for serious resellers compared to other marketplaces.
So while Ticketmaster Resale is the safest option, the fees and price limits can make it hard to maximize your profit compared to other alternatives.
Can You Resell Your Ticketmaster Tickets on Other Marketplaces?
Many buyers and sellers prefer to use large general marketplaces like StubHub, Vivid Seats, and SeatGeek to resell event tickets. These sites tend to offer lower seller fees, higher price thresholds, and more tools for managing large resale operations.
However, most event organizers expressly prohibit reselling tickets outside of their own approved platform, which is usually Ticketmaster Resale. This means reselling your Ticketmaster tickets anywhere but Ticketmaster Resale violates the terms and conditions you agreed to when you made the purchase.
If you resell your tickets on a non-approved site, here are some of the risks to be aware of:
- The venue or event organizer can cancel your tickets, invalidating them for the buyer.
- You could get banned from making future purchases directly through Ticketmaster.
- Your Ticketmaster account could get suspended or terminated.
- You may face civil lawsuits or criminal penalties for ticket fraud in some states.
These policies are intended to discourage mass purchases by ticket brokers looking to resell at higher prices. But they impact regular fans too. Before relisting your tickets, check the event’s official website and your Ticketmaster purchase confirmation – most will explicitly tell you not to resell anywhere but Ticketmaster Resale.
Other Options for Reselling Ticketmaster Tickets
Given the risks, openly reselling tickets onStubHub and similar public resale marketplaces is not recommended for most events. But you may have some other options to resell your tickets while minimizing risk:
Authorized Fan-to-Fan Exchanges
Increasingly, event organizers are partnering with specialized ticket exchange platforms to provide authorized fan-to-fan resale marketplaces. For example, the NFL Ticket Exchange is the official fan resale marketplace for tickets bought on Ticketmaster for NFL games. Tickets purchased on Ticketmaster can only be resold through NFL Ticket Exchange, not general marketplaces. Fees and prices may be more favorable than Ticketmaster Resale.
Private Buyer Groups & Forums
Some dedicated fans connect with buyers through private groups, forums, or communications channels rather than public marketplaces. For example, many teams have fan-run Facebook groups where season ticket holders can arrange private ticket sales. While less convenient than general marketplaces, private sales can avoid detection of unauthorized resale activity.
In-Person Exchanges
Arranging to meet up to exchange tickets for cash in-person on the event day can be risky but is hard for Ticketmaster or event organizers to police. Some buyers may be reluctant to transfer money without getting the tickets in advance, so try to find trusted buyers in your fan community.
Gifting Tickets
Rather than “selling” tickets, you could legally gift or donate them to a friend or family member. It’s fine for them to give you a cash “gift” in return thanks to the personal relationship exception. Just avoid openly advertising the tickets for purchase online.
Weighing the Risk vs. Reward
Reselling tickets in violation of Ticketmaster’s terms comes with real risks – canceled tickets, bans from future purchases, and even legal liability in some cases. Small-scale occasional resales through fan exchanges may fly under the radar, but high-volume resellers often get caught.
Before deciding to resell your Ticketmaster tickets, weigh the potential profits against the chance of getting caught and penalized. Your safest bet is always to resell through official approved marketplaces like Ticketmaster Resale. If the fees and caps on upside are unacceptable, you may just want to eat the cost and avoid the risks of selling your tickets elsewhere.
Conclusion
Reselling tickets originally purchased on Ticketmaster outside of their official resale platform is strictly prohibited by most event organizers. The risks of canceled tickets and legal liability make general secondary marketplaces too problematic for selling Ticketmaster tickets in most cases. Your best options are to resell through Ticketmaster Resale or an official fan exchange site sanctioned by the event host. For minimal risk, either eat the cost of unused tickets or gift them to trusted friends or family. Be aware of the consequences before trying to resell your Ticketmaster tickets elsewhere for higher prices.