Do I need SSN to sell tickets on StubHub?

Whether you need to provide your Social Security number (SSN) to sell tickets on StubHub is a common question for new sellers. The short answer is no, you do not need to provide your SSN just to sell tickets on StubHub. However, there are some important things to understand about StubHub’s identification requirements.

StubHub Seller Account Requirements

To create a StubHub account and list tickets for sale, you will need to provide basic personal information like your name, address, phone number and email address. StubHub does not require your SSN simply to create a seller account.

However, if you want to receive payouts from ticket sales, StubHub does require you to provide your tax identification number, which for most individual sellers would be your SSN. This is so StubHub can report your earnings to the IRS and send you a 1099 tax form if you exceed 200 transactions and $20,000 in total sales within a calendar year.

When You Need to Provide SSN

So in summary, you do not need to provide your SSN when initially setting up a StubHub seller account. However, if you want to receive payouts from ticket sales, you will need to provide your SSN once you reach the IRS reporting thresholds. The main scenarios when you’ll need to enter your SSN on StubHub are:

• The first time you request a payout from ticket sales
• If you exceed 200 transactions or $20,000 in sales within a calendar year (for tax reporting purposes)

Identity Verification

In addition to tax reporting requirements, StubHub may ask you to provide your SSN or other personal information to verify your identity and ensure you are an authorized user of the account. This can happen randomly or if suspicious activity is detected.

Providing identity verification helps StubHub confirm you are the legitimate account holder and prevents unauthorized access to your account. So you may be prompted for your SSN or other info for ID verification, separate from tax reporting needs.

Getting Paid Without Providing SSN

If you do not wish to provide your SSN to StubHub, you have a couple options to get paid from ticket sales:

Pick Up Tickets and Pay Out in Cash

For local or electronic ticket sales where you can easily coordinate with the buyer, you can opt to hold tickets until the event and exchange them for cash. This avoids the need for StubHub payouts and providing your SSN.

However, the buyer would need to trust you to deliver the tickets, and you take on more risk holding tickets until the event. This option only works for a small portion of ticket sales.

Use an Intermediary Payment Account

StubHub allows you to provide alternate payment account information like a PayPal account or prepaid debit card. With this option, StubHub will pay your earnings from ticket sales into the intermediary account instead of directly to your bank account.

The downside is that StubHub may still require your SSN once you exceed the IRS reporting thresholds. And some payment providers may have their own identification requirements.

Still, using an intermediary collect-only account can let you delay providing your SSN until you pass the 200 transaction or $20,000 yearly sales thresholds.

Risks of Not Providing SSN to StubHub

While StubHub does not require your SSN just to sell tickets, there are some risks to not providing it:

• You won’t be able to receive payouts from ticket sales directly to your bank account.
• You may have your seller account suspended once you exceed the IRS reporting thresholds.
• It may be difficult to prove account ownership if your account is ever hacked or compromised.
• You miss out on protection if tickets are lost or other issues arise where StubHub must confirm your identity.

In most cases, providing your SSN is recommended. StubHub keeps your personal information secure and only uses it for identity verification and required tax reporting. If you have concerns, you may want to limit your total sales volume and use an intermediary payment account.

Conclusion

In summary, while providing your SSN is not an initial requirement to sell tickets on StubHub, you will need to provide it once you exceed 200 sales transactions or $20,000 in total sales within a calendar year. StubHub requires this for tax reporting purposes and to verify your identity.

If you wish to avoid providing your SSN, you can pick up tickets locally and exchange them for cash. Or you can use an intermediary payment account until you exceed the IRS reporting thresholds. However, there are limitations and risks to these alternatives. In most cases, it is recommended to provide your SSN when requested by StubHub for a smooth selling experience.

This table summarizes key scenarios when StubHub does or does not require your SSN. In most cases once you pass IRS reporting thresholds, your SSN is needed to continue selling and receiving payouts.

Selling tickets online provides a great way to make money from home and reach a wide audience of buyers. With some prudent steps, you can protect your personal information while meeting platform requirements. Check with StubHub’s terms of use if you have additional questions on their identification and payout policies for sellers.

After covering the SSN requirements in detail, a couple final tips for successfully selling tickets on StubHub include:

Tips for Selling Tickets on StubHub

• Price your tickets competitively based on current listings for the same event.
• Include detailed ticket information like seat locations in your listing.
• Respond promptly to buyer questions and confirm your tickets are legitimate.
• Transfer tickets to the buyer electronically when possible for convenience.
• Withdraw earnings regularly to avoid account holds for unclaimed funds.

Follow these best practices to maximize your sales and earnings potential on StubHub. With some common sense steps, you can successfully sell tickets in volume without compromising your personal information.