Concert ticket service fees can really add up, often making the final ticket price much higher than the base cost of the ticket. Service fees are charged by ticket sellers like Ticketmaster to cover the costs of processing orders and printing tickets. These fees can range anywhere from $5-25 per ticket, depending on the event. While frustrating, service fees seem unavoidable if you want to buy tickets from an official ticket seller. However, there are some tricks you can use to avoid paying the extra fees when buying concert tickets.
Buy Directly from the Venue
One of the best ways to avoid service fees is to purchase tickets directly from the concert venue’s box office, either in person or online. Many venues sell tickets through their own website without the add-on fees. Buying directly from the venue eliminates third party sellers like Ticketmaster who charge service fees. Check the concert venue’s website ahead of time to see if they sell tickets online or have a box office you can visit. The one downside is that the venue’s ticket inventory may be more limited than a third party seller.
Use Pre-Sale Codes
Take advantage of pre-sale opportunities whenever possible. Concerts often hold pre-sales for members of their fan club or email newsletter subscribers. Pre-sales provide first access to tickets before the general public sale. Not only will you have early access to tickets before they sell out, but pre-sale tickets also tend to have lower fees compared to the main public sale. Sign up for fan clubs, follow bands on social media, and register for email newsletters to get pre-sale codes. Set a reminder for the pre-sale date and time to buy tickets as soon as they become available.
Find Ticket Giveaways
Radio stations, concert promoters, and sponsors will sometimes give away free concert tickets. Keep an eye out for ticket giveaways and contests on social media and radio stations. Enter any giveaways you come across, which gives you the chance to win free tickets and avoid service fees completely. Local radio stations will promote concerts happening in your area and do ticket giveaways. Follow concert promoters on social media for your chance to win free tickets when they post giveaways.
Wait Until the Last Minute
Buying concert tickets at the last minute can be risky in terms of availability, but it may also mean scoring seats without added fees. As the event date approaches, ticket resellers get more desperate to sell their extra tickets. Check resale sites like StubHub frequently leading up to the concert date to find good deals. Sellers on these platforms sometimes absorb service fees to attract last minute buyers. But keep in mind that last minute ticket prices could also be inflated higher than face value. It’s a gamble, but patience may pay off with great seats without the fees.
Buy General Admission/Lawn Seats
If you don’t care where you sit or stand at a concert, general admission and lawn seats will have much lower fees compared to reserved seating. General admission or “GA” means first come, first served standing room only spots on the floor near the stage. Lawn seats are seated or standing room only spaces on the grass behind reserved seating. GA and lawn tickets are much cheaper with minimal fees since they are the most basic ticket type. Opting for general admission access instead of picking your exact seat location will save you a lot on service fees.
Buy Tickets with a Group
If you’re attending a concert with a group of friends, have the tickets all purchased in one transaction. Service fees are typically charged per ticket. When you buy multiple tickets in a single order, you will only get charged for the fees once rather than on every individual ticket. Have the person buying get the full amount from everyone in the group to cover the tickets plus fees. Then when they complete the order, there will only be one bulk fee charge for the whole group.
Use Membership or Discount Programs
Some ticket sellers like Ticketmaster have membership programs that offer fee-free ticket transactions as a perk. Ticketmaster has both free and paid memberships that give you access to service fee-free ticket sales and discounts. Sign up for an account ahead of time to avoid fees at checkout. There are also products like concert ticket insurance that will enroll you in a program for discounts. Do your research to find any special programs, memberships or coupon codes that may waive service fees.
Buy Tickets with a Fee-Free Gift Card
If you happen to have a gift card to a place like Ticketmaster, you can use it to cover the service fees on your concert tickets. Gift card balances deduct before your other payment method, so the fees will be charged to the gift card. Look for gift card promotions from ticket sellers to get cards with bonus amounts you can use towards fees. Credit card reward points can also be redeemed for fee-waiving gift cards to ticket vendors. Just make sure your gift card balance can cover all the fees or any leftover will hit your other payment.
Use a Fee-Free Ticket Reseller
While most major ticket resellers charge service fees, there are some exceptions. StubHub and Vivid Seats are a couple examples of resale marketplaces that offer fee-free ticket sales. StubHub advertises “all-in pricing” with no surprise fees at checkout. There are limited quantities of fee-free tickets, so shop early before they sell out. These resellers make their profits from sellers fees, so they waive buyer fees as an incentive. Review different resale sites to find the best deals with minimal or no service fees.
Buy Tickets with a Fee-Free Credit Card
Some credit cards offer concierge ticket purchasing as a cardholder perk and will buy tickets for you without the fees. American Express is one card company that provides fee-free ticket services. As an AmEx card member, you can request tickets to concerts and they will score seats for you without charging fees. There are typically limits on how many fee-free transactions you can do per year. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer any special ticket buying services for cardholders.
Wait For Ticket Resales
Once tickets officially go on sale to the general public, season ticket holders and others will resell extra tickets. Wait a few days or weeks until the resale market is flooded with spare tickets. Resale tickets are sometimes priced below face value if sellers are trying to unload them. Plus, you can find resale tickets with little to no service fees on sites like StubHub. Have patience and hold off on buying right away. The longer you wait, the more selection and potential deals there will be on resale.
Use a Ticket Exchange
Many event venues have partnered with ticket exchanges like Lyte to allow fans to safely resell extra tickets. Sellers can return their tickets through Lyte to be resold to other fans for fair market value. As the buyer, you pay a much smaller service fee compared to primary market sellers. Lyte also provides a 100% guarantee on valid event tickets. Check your concert venue’s website or social media to see if they work with an official ticket exchange. This ensures you are buying legit resale tickets directly through the venue.
Buy a Season or VIP Pass
If you attend concerts frequently at a specific venue or festival, look into season passes. These provide entry to all concerts at that venue for an entire season. The upfront cost is more expensive, but it comes out cheaper compared to buying individual tickets with separate fees each time. VIP packages work similarly by bundling tickets with perks like private seating, and are cheaper overall than buying à la carte. Passes spread out service fees over many events.
Pros of Season/VIP Passes:
- Gain entry to all events for one upfront cost instead of per ticket fees
- Often package amenities like VIP perks or food/beverage vouchers
- Guaranteed access to top concerts before they sell out
Cons of Season/VIP Passes:
- Large upfront cost rather than paying individually per show
- No flexibility to pick and choose certain events
- May be limited availability
Buy from a Members-Only Ticket Platform
Some ticket sellers like SeatGeek have membership levels that provide access to fee-free transactions. Their paid “Deal Score” membership gives you a percent back on every purchase and unlocks fee-free ticket listings. These members-only deals are discounted with zero service fees added. Paid memberships typically cost around $10-$20 per year and can save you a lot on fees if you buy tickets regularly. Review different ticket marketplaces for their membership perks.
Benefits of Members-Only Ticket Sites:
- Gain access to tickets discounted below market value
- Fee-free ticket transactions with memberships
- Earn cash back rewards on ticket purchases
Downsides of Members-Only Ticket Sites:
- May have to pay for membership access
- Best deals only visible to paid members
- Limited ticket quantities available
Use a Ticket Concierge Service
For convenience, use a ticket concierge service that charges one flat service fee per transaction instead of tacking on fees per ticket. Concierge services like ticket butler source tickets and handle purchasing on your behalf for a fixed $5-$10 fee, regardless of how many tickets you buy. This saves money compared to being charged fees per individual ticket. They also access special presales and member-only ticket allotments that may have lower fees. Let them do the ticket hunting for you for one flat concierge fee.
Benefits of Ticket Concierge Services:
- Saves time and effort of searching for tickets yourself
- Access to member presales not available to the general public
- Fixed concierge fee regardless of how many tickets purchased
Potential Drawbacks of Ticket Concierge Services:
- Concierge fee charged on every transaction
- Have less control vs buying direct yourself
- Doesn’t necessarily provide the cheapest options
Use a Ticket Reseller with Low/No Fees
While most major ticket resellers like StubHub and Vivid Seats charge service fees, there are some exceptions. TickPick advertises completely fee-free transactions with no service charges or hidden costs. They make their profit from a 10% seller fee instead of charging buyer fees. ScoreBig also offers no-fee ticket listings with their “Price Twist” purchasing experience. Shop fee-free ticket platforms and compare prices across different resellers.
| Reseller | Fee Policy |
|---|---|
| TickPick | No fees charged |
| ScoreBig | No-fee “Price Twist” tickets |
| StubHub | Select no-fee tickets available |
| Vivid Seats | Some fee-free ticket options |
Use Mobile Ticket Delivery
When given the option, choose mobile ticket delivery to avoid print fees. Many major ticket sellers now offer instant digital tickets delivered to your smartphone as opposed to paper tickets shipped to your home. With mobile entry, you simply show your barcode at the venue for entry. Mobile ticketing avoids print-at-home ticket fees and physical ticket shipping charges. Just make sure your phone will be charged so you can access your e-tickets on show day.
Benefits of Mobile Tickets:
- Avoid delivery fees for printed or shipped tickets
- Gain instant access to tickets on your phone
- Don’t have to worry about losing a physical ticket
- Environmentally friendly compared to paper tickets
Potential Downsides of Mobile Tickets:
- May need wifi or data service to access tickets
- Phone must be adequately charged to show tickets
- Can’t gift individual physical tickets easily
Use a Promo Code
Some ticket sellers provide promo codes for a percentage off your overall order or discounted/waived fees. Online sites like RetailMeNot compile the latest promo codes for major ticket retailers. You can also find promo codes by signing up for email newsletters and checking social media accounts of ticket sellers. Stack additional discounts like promo codes on top of sales and special offers to maximize your savings on ticket fees. Just make sure to enter any valid codes during the checkout process before completing payment.
Get Refundable Tickets
While more expensive upfront, refundable or “cancel for any reason” ticket insurance lets you get your fees back if plans change. Companies like TickPick and ScoreBig offer refundable ticket options for 10-30% of the ticket price. If the event is canceled or you can’t make it for any personal reason, you recoup the full cost including service fees. Paying extra for refundable tickets essentially ensures you won’t lose money on fees if you end up not using the tickets.
Benefits of Refundable Tickets:
- Recoup the full ticket cost including fees if event is canceled
- Can back out for any reason and get a full refund
- Peace of mind in case plans change last minute
Potential Downsides of Refundable Tickets:
- More expensive upfront cost
- Usually must be purchased further in advance
- Limited availability
Use a Virtual Credit Card
Virtual credit card numbers generated through services like privacy.com let you pre-set a maximum spending amount on a one-time-use card. When buying tickets, create virtual card info and set your budget to the exact ticket cost without any extra for fees. Any service fees charged beyond the set limit will be declined at checkout. This forces the seller to cover the fees to complete the transaction. Just make sure your budget allows the ticket cost to go through.
Buy Early in Presales
Purchase tickets as early as possible in pre-sales or waiting room lines before prices and fees increase. Presale ticket allotments tend to have lower fees compared to general public on-sales. Ticket prices also tend to rise over time leading up to the event. Buy early when selection is wide open to likely get lower fees before costs go up. Set calendar reminders for presale dates and register in advance for special access. This ensures you are ready to snag the best seats when tickets first become available to fans.
Conclusion
Avoiding service fees completely is unlikely if you want to purchase from major ticket retailers. However, there are still many creative ways to minimize fees like buying directly through the venue, using pre-sales, waiting until last minute, or purchasing with fee-free gift cards. Compare all your options to find the strategy that saves you the most money on additional charges. With flexibility and smart planning, you can score concert tickets for much cheaper prices.
