Ticketmaster is the largest primary ticket outlet in the United States. As the exclusive ticketing partner for many major venues and artists, Ticketmaster sells millions of tickets every year to concerts, sporting events, theater performances, and more. However, Ticketmaster has faced criticism over the years for its fees and service charges, leading some fans to look for alternative ways to buy and sell tickets. One question that often comes up is whether Ticketmaster allows ticket resale between fans on its platform. The short answer is yes, Ticketmaster does facilitate fan-to-fan ticket ressales through its Ticketmaster Resale (TMR) service. However, the full answer is more complicated.
What is Ticketmaster Resale?
Ticketmaster Resale (TMR) is Ticketmaster’s official fan-to-fan ticket resale marketplace. It was formally launched in 2008 as TicketExchange, and later rebranded as Ticketmaster Resale in 2020. On Ticketmaster Resale, fans can resell event tickets they can no longer use to other fans at prices they set themselves. TMR states that it offers a safe, guaranteed way for fans to get tickets and for sellers to reclaim some costs. TMR charges sellers a percentage fee for ticket resales. Buyers pay an additional 10% service fee on resale ticket purchases. All resale tickets on TMR are backed by Ticketmaster’s 100% Guarantee, which ensures valid tickets and entry.
How does Ticketmaster Resale work?
The basic process on Ticketmaster Resale is:
- A fan purchases event tickets on Ticketmaster.com.
- If the fan can no longer attend the event, they can list their tickets for resale on Ticketmaster Resale.
- The fan/seller sets the resale price for their tickets.
- Other fans can search for and purchase the resale tickets on Ticketmaster Resale.
- Once tickets are sold, the seller gets paid after the event occurs.
Sellers retain ownership of their tickets until the event happens and the tickets are scanned for entry. This prevents duplicate tickets from being sold on TMR. Once the event is over, TMR releases the funds to the seller’s account, minus their seller fee percentage.
What fees and costs apply to Ticketmaster Resale?
There are a few different fees associated with buying and selling tickets on Ticketmaster Resale:
For sellers:
- Seller Fee: This is a percentage fee charged on the resale price of tickets. The exact percentage varies based on the event.
- Service Fee: A $5.00 service fee per ticket order to facilitate the sale.
For buyers:
- Service Fee: A 10% service fee is added to all resale ticket purchases.
- Other Fees: Regular Ticketmaster fees also apply, such as delivery fees.
In addition, there is a cost associated with listing tickets for resale on TMR. Sellers must choose one these options:
- Pay a $5.00 fee per ticket to list for resale with no minimum resale price.
- List for free if the resale price floor is at least $50 more per ticket than original purchase price.
Who can sell tickets on Ticketmaster Resale?
To resell tickets on TMR, a person must have originally purchased tickets from Ticketmaster.com. TMR only facilitates exchanges between Ticketmaster customers. Sellers must have a Ticketmaster account to list and manage their ticket listings.
Some key rules for Ticketmaster Resale sellers include:
- Sellers can only post tickets they fully own – reselling tickets for someone else is prohibited.
- Tickets must be real and authentic – speculative or fake ticket sales are forbidden.
- Season tickets or multiday package tickets cannot be split up or partially resold.
- Tickets can only be posted for resale on TMR after an event goes on sale on Ticketmaster.com.
Who can buy resale tickets on Ticketmaster Resale?
Any fan or customer with a Ticketmaster account can purchase resale tickets on TMR. There is no requirement to have originally purchased tickets on Ticketmaster to buy from TMR. However, all TMR buyers must still go through Ticketmaster’s ticket transfer process after purchasing.
What events can tickets be resold for on TMR?
Fans can resell tickets to any live event or performance that was originally booked through Ticketmaster. This includes concerts, sports games, theater shows, comedy shows, music festivals, and more. However, there are restrictions in some cases:
- Some sports teams and college athletic programs prohibit ticket resales.
- For high-demand events, TMR will impose listing limits to allow more fans initial access.
- Some artists or tours fully ban any ticket resales.
It’s important for sellers to check if any ticket resale restrictions exist before listing their tickets on TMR. Restricted tickets cannot be resold on TMR.
Is Ticketmaster Resale the only option for fans?
No. Ticketmaster Resale is not the sole option for fans looking to safely sell extra tickets or score tickets for sold out events. There are a number of other secondary ticket marketplaces out there. Some key alternatives fans can consider include:
- StubHub – One of the largest online ticket marketplaces. Fans can buy and sell tickets for just about any event or venue.
- Vivid Seats – Another large secondary ticket source with a wide event selection to choose from.
- SeatGeek – Lets fans easily compare listings across multiple ticket sites.
- Craigslist – The classified ads site enables local fans to connect and exchange tickets.
- Facebook Groups – Join fan groups for teams, artists, or venues to find ticket resale listings.
However, with other secondary sources, fans lose the guarantees and protections offered by Ticketmaster Resale. There is higher risk of fraud, scam listings, invalid tickets, and price gouging on alternative platforms.
Pros of Selling Tickets on Ticketmaster Resale
For fans with extra tickets, there are some good reasons to consider Ticketmaster Resale as the resale platform:
- Wide exposure – TMR listings appear in Ticketmaster searches alongside primary tickets.
- Trusted platform – No risk of fraud using Ticketmaster’s systems.
- Fair value – Ticketmaster’s sales data can recommend optimal resale prices.
- Large buyer pool – Millions of active Ticketmaster customers can purchase resale tickets.
- Guaranteed tickets – All resale tickets are 100% guaranteed by Ticketmaster.
- Safe payment – Sellers are only paid after the event occurs.
The major downside to TMR for sellers is that seller fees can be high, from around 10-25% of the resale price depending on the event. But for some fans, the protections make it worthwhile.
Cons of Buying from Ticketmaster Resale
While TMR offers some advantages, there are also some potential drawbacks for ticket buyers:
- Higher prices – Resale prices are driven up by demand, usually higher than face value.
- High fees – Buyers pay an additional 10% service fee on resale purchases.
- Limited inventory – Fewer options compared to larger resale marketplaces.
- No bargaining – Resale prices are fixed, with no bidding or offers.
- Fewer last minute deals – Less likely to find deep discounts as event nears.
For buyers willing to take on more risk, greater selection and cheaper resale tickets may exist outside of Ticketmaster Resale. But buyer protections are lower.
Pros and Cons Summary
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Key Takeaways
Some key points on Ticketmaster’s fan-to-fan ticket resale service:
- Yes, Ticketmaster does allow ticket resales between fans through Ticketmaster Resale (TMR).
- Sellers must have originally purchased tickets on Ticketmaster.com to list them on TMR.
- All buyers can purchase resale tickets on TMR if tickets are available.
- Various fees apply for buyers and sellers on TMR transactions.
- Ticketmaster Resale offers protections against fraud and invalid tickets.
- Fans do have other secondary marketplaces like StubHub available as alternatives.
While Ticketmaster Resale isn’t a perfect solution, it does offer fans a safe, convenient option for reselling and buying existing event tickets. For many Ticketmaster customers, TMR provides a trusted way to exchange extra tickets while avoiding scams or counterfeits. But fans willing to accept more risk do have other resale platforms to potentially find better prices and inventory.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster does facilitate fan-to-fan ticket resales through its Ticketmaster Resale platform. This gives fans who originally bought tickets from Ticketmaster a protected marketplace to recoup costs on unused tickets. For buyers, Ticketmaster Resale provides a relatively safe source of secondary market tickets, though pricing and fees are higher than other resellers. Ultimately, Ticketmaster Resale emerges as a decent option for low-risk ticket exchanges, but not the only choice available in the growing secondary ticket market.
