Do I need to make a ticketmaster account?

The short answer is no, you do not need to create a Ticketmaster account to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.com or their mobile apps. You can checkout as a guest without registering for an account. However, there are some benefits to having a Ticketmaster account that frequent concert-goers and event attendees may find useful.

Benefits of a Ticketmaster Account

Here are some of the key benefits of creating a Ticketmaster account:

• Easier and faster checkout – Your payment information, shipping address, and contact details will be securely saved to your account, allowing you to breeze through checkout without needing to re-enter details each time.
• Access your order history – You can view your previous Ticketmaster orders and download digital tickets anytime by logging into your account.
• Save favorite events and venues – Build a list of artists, teams, theaters, and venues you like so you never miss out on future events at those places.
• Get alerts on new events – Opt-in for alerts about newly announced events for the artists, teams, and venues you follow.
• Easier ticket management – Forward tickets easily to friends or sell tickets you can’t use through Ticketmaster’s official ticket exchange.
• Eligible for special offers – Account holders may get exclusive access to presales and other special deals and promotions.

Creating a Ticketmaster Account

Creating an account on Ticketmaster is free and only takes a couple of minutes. Here is how to set up a new Ticketmaster account:

1. Go to Ticketmaster.com and click “My Account” in the top menu bar. Then click “Sign Up”.
2. Enter your email address and click “Next”.
3. Fill in your name, gender, date of birth, and location.
4. Create a password for your account.
5. Enter a security question and answer for password recovery purposes.
6. Check the box to agree to Ticketmaster’s Terms of Use and click “Create Account”.
7. Check your email inbox for a confirmation link to activate your new account.

Once your account is activated, you can start saving your preferences and payment details. On your Account Overview page, you can add your address, credit card information, and notification preferences.

Purchasing Tickets as a Guest

If you don’t want to create an account, you can still easily purchase tickets on Ticketmaster as a guest. Here is the process:

1. Find the event page for the concert, game, or show you want to attend and click “Tickets”.
2. Select the number of tickets you need and click “Find Tickets”.
3. Choose your specific ticket type or section.
4. Click “Checkout” to go through the purchase process.
5. Enter your contact information including name, email address, and phone number.
6. Enter your shipping address if the tickets need to be mailed to you.
7. Enter your credit card details to pay for the order.
8. Agree to the Ticketmaster Terms of Use.
9. Complete your purchase by clicking “Place Order”.
10. You will receive an order confirmation email with your ticket info.

The guest checkout process is quick and straightforward. The only drawback is you won’t have access to order history or be able to manage the tickets through a Ticketmaster account afterwards.

Should I Create an Account?

Here are some guidelines on when it makes sense to create a Ticketmaster account versus checkout as a guest:

• Create an account if:
  • You purchase tickets frequently throughout the year – concerts, sports, theater, etc.
  • You want access to your order history and digital tickets in one place.
  • You tend to purchase tickets for a consistent set of favorite teams, artists, or venues.
  • You want to take advantage of special offers and presales for account holders.
  • You need to easily transfer or re-sell tickets you can’t use sometimes.
• Checkout as a guest if:
• You only purchase tickets occasionally or very infrequently.
• You are buying tickets for a one-off event you don’t expect to attend again.
• You don’t care about saving payment information or accessing order history later.
• You don’t want marketing emails or alerts from Ticketmaster.

Casual ticket buyers that attend an event every now and then can probably safely checkout as a guest. But frequent concert-goers, sports fans, and theater patrons will likely appreciate the convenience of having a Ticketmaster account.

The account is free to create, so you might as well sign up and then evaluate over time if you’re getting value from the benefits. You can always continue to checkout as a guest even with an account. And you can delete your Ticketmaster account later if you decide it’s no longer useful.

Tips for New Ticketmaster Account Users

Here are some helpful tips for getting the most out of your new Ticketmaster account:

• Add your tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Pay for convenient digital access.
• Set up alerts for your favorite artists and venues so you never miss out.
• Review order history before events in case you need to transfer tickets.
• Save credit card details for fast checkout on high-demand events.
• Follow Ticketmaster on social media for presale code announcements.
• Add family members to your account to manage tickets together.
• Use the Ticketmaster app to manage your account on the go.

It may take some time to fully utilize all the features of your Ticketmaster account. But you’ll likely find it becomes more useful the more events you attend. With a few events under your belt, you’ll get into a rhythm of smoothly managing your tickets and purchases.

Alternatives to Ticketmaster

While Ticketmaster is the dominant ticketing provider, especially for major concerts and sporting events, there are some alternatives worth mentioning:

• AXS – Used by many concert venues and theaters as their ticketing partner.
• Eventbrite – Popular for smaller local events and community happenings.
• SeatGeek – Consolidates tickets from many sellers into one marketplace.
• StubHub – Large ticket resale marketplace owned by Viagogo.
• Vivid Seats – Another big ticket resale and exchange site.
• Official team/venue websites – Some teams and venues sell direct through their own platforms.

However, Ticketmaster still has exclusive ticketing deals with many of the top venues and promoters in the live entertainment and sporting event industries. So depending on what events you like to attend, you may have to use Ticketmaster anyway.

Having a Ticketmaster account makes the process smoother when their tickets are your only option. And again, the account is free, so there’s relatively little downside in signing up as a frequent event-goer.

Key Takeaways

• A Ticketmaster account is not required to make ticket purchases, you can checkout as a guest.
• Accounts provide benefits like easier ticket management, order history, and special offers.
• It only takes a few minutes to sign up for a free Ticketmaster account.
• Frequent concert/event attendees will get the most value from having an account.
• Make use of account features like alerts, saved payment methods, and digital tickets.
• Consider alternatives for specific events, but Ticketmaster dominates for major concerts and sports.