How can I buy tickets without a service fee?

Buying tickets online can be frustrating when you have to pay extra fees on top of the ticket price. Service fees, convenience fees, processing fees – they all add up quickly and can make event tickets way more expensive. Fortunately, there are some tricks to getting tickets without all those annoying fees. Here’s what you need to know about how to buy tickets without service fees.

Understand where service fees come from

First, it helps to understand why service fees exist in the first place. Most event venues and artists do not actually charge those fees themselves. Instead, ticketing companies like Ticketmaster or AXS add on the fees to cover the costs of running their ticket sales platforms. So when you buy through a ticketing website, the base ticket price goes to the venue/performer, while the service fees go to the ticket company.

Some common service fees include:

– Convenience fees – For the convenience of buying tickets online and printing them yourself
– Order processing fees – For the ticketing company processing your ticket order
– Facility fees – Charged by the venue to cover their costs
– Service fees – A ticketing company’s fee for providing its platform and services

You can’t completely avoid service fees unless you buy directly from the venue or box office. But you can minimize fees using certain strategies.

Buy early when fees are lower

One of the easiest ways to reduce service fees is to buy as soon as tickets go on sale. Ticketing companies often raise their fees as an event date gets closer. They know that desperate fans will pay more in fees the longer they wait to buy tickets.

So be ready to pounce right when tickets are released to the public. Join any presale lists you can through the artist’s website or venue. This lets you buy tickets a few days early before the general public sale. Presales frequently have lower or no service fees at first.

Just keep in mind that the best tickets sell out fast. So you need to act quickly through presales and early sales to also get good seats. It’s a tradeoff between paying less in fees but getting worse seat locations.

Use the box office or venue presales

Another good option is buying directly through the venue’s box office, either in person or by phone. The box office only charges the base ticket price, with no added service fees. The venue already gets the full ticket revenue, so they don’t need to charge extra fees.

Many venues offer presale codes for buying through their box office early. Look for presale password announcements on the venue’s social media or email newsletter. You can often find presale codes on the artist’s website too. Presale window durations are usually pretty short, so log in right at the start time to buy before tickets sell out.

The downside is you may have to pick up tickets at will call on the day of the event. But printing your tickets at home yourself costs you more in fees anyway. As long as you don’t mind going to will call, this strategy can save you a ton on service fees.

Buy resale tickets

Believe it or not, buying resale tickets from a secondary seller is also an option. Sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats are simply ticket marketplaces – regular people sell extra tickets they can’t use. Since individuals set the prices on resale sites, they often just charge the base ticket price without fees.

You can find some killer deals this way if you’re vigilant. Lots of sellers overprice their tickets. But you can also find many fairly priced tickets from sellers willing to break even just to get some cash back.

The risk is that resale sites have fewer consumer protections. Always vet the seller’s reviews first. Pay with a credit card so you can dispute any fraud. For extra security, use a service like PayPal to process the transaction.

While resale tickets are risky, they present another possibility for avoiding service fees. You can often save a bundle this way if you find trustworthy sellers.

Use ticketing app discounts

Several mobile apps now provide discounted event tickets with lower fees. Companies like Gametime and TodayTix work directly with venues and promoters to sell more affordable last-minute tickets.

The selection is limited since these apps only showcase certain partner events. But you can find some awesome discounts, especially for shows that aren’t sold out.

For example, Gametime offers $5-10 off many MLS, NBA, and MLB tickets. Similarly, TodayTix has exclusive discounts for certain Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

You’ll still pay some fees using these apps. However, the discounts can offset the fees and save you money overall. It’s worth checking them out for your chosen event.

Buy season ticket packages

If you attend multiple events each year at a specific venue, look into season ticket packages. Sports teams and concert venues alike offer package deals for season tickets. Buying a season ticket package allows you to purchase all your tickets upfront in one order.

The bundled package deal means you avoid paying separate service fees on each individual ticket. Depending on the number of events you attend, the savings can really add up.

Many season ticket packages come with other perks too like vip parking, member-only lounges, merch discounts, and more. If you’re a superfan who goes to lots of events, season tickets can be a smart move.

Watch for service fee waivers

Occasionally you’ll get lucky and find a limited-time fee waiver promotion. Venues and artists will sometimes run deals like this to quickly sell extra tickets.

Service fee waivers used to be more common years ago. But they are rare today since venues rely heavily on fee revenue. When you do see a legit fee waiver, jump on it fast before it expires.

Follow your favorite venues and artists on social media to catch any special promos. Fan club memberships and email lists can provide advance notice too. Turn those notifications on so you never miss a fee waiver opportunity!

Use a ticket consolidator

Ticket consolidators are brokers who buy bulk event tickets at group discount rates. They pass some of the savings on to their customers. Unlike individual resellers, consolidators are licensed businesses that get tickets directly from venues.

Well-known consolidators like Goldstar and ScoreBig offer discounts around 10-50% off full ticket prices. By buying in bulk volume, they are able to reduce or waive service fees.

The tradeoff is you can’t choose your exact seat locations. Consolidators have a limited ticket inventory. But if you’re flexible on seating, their discounted prices can still save you a bundle.

Join fan clubs

Many musicians and bands offer presale ticket access for official fan club members. Fan clubs range from basic free email lists to paid VIP memberships. Paid fan club levels provide the best presale opportunities and discounts.

For example, Bruce Springsteen’s fan club offers 10% off top-tier tickets. Other groups like Dead & Company have fan club sections near the stage before any public sales.

If you closely follow a particular artist or band, it’s worth joining their fan club. The presale ticket savings alone can offset the membership cost. Plus fan clubs provide a ton of other perks too.

Use member discounts

Check if you qualify for any membership discounts for tickets. AARP members get up to 10% off certain concerts and events. Many credit card companies offer ticket presales and discounts too.

For example, Citi cardholders have special access to purchase concert tickets before the general public. Eligible student IDs provide student discounts as well.

Even a membership to your local public radio or TV station could unlock ticket discounts. Review all the memberships you currently have to uncover any ticket offers.

Join venue clubs

Concert halls, theaters, clubs, and other venues run member programs as well. Joining provides early ticket presales plus discounts and VIP perks.

Venue clubs range from free to paid memberships. Paid memberships around $50-100/year provide early venue presales, discounted tickets, and more.

For Broadway shows in NYC, join memberships like Broadway Direct (free), Audience Rewards, Broadway Plus, and many individual theater memberships. Some venues like Carnegie Hall also offer student memberships.

If you frequent a specific concert hall or theater, it’s smart to join their membership club. The perks can easily pay for themselves in ticket savings.

Use a subscription service

Subscription services for events are another clever way to avoid fees. Operators like SeatGeek and Underdog Sports offer flexible tickets subscriptions with no service fees.

You prepay every month for credits to redeem for tickets. When you use credits to get tickets, you pay just the base price with no extra fees. Underdog Sports offers credits for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS games.

SeatGeek has a wider selection beyond sports like concerts, comedy shows, festivals, and performing arts. Just be sure to use all your credits each month, as they do expire.

The flat monthly fee works well if you go to a lot of different events. However, it’s not cost-effective if you only occasionally buy tickets. Do the math to see if subscriptions make sense based on your personal event spending.

Conclusion

Sneaky service fees tack on a significant cost to event tickets these days. But with the right strategies, you can buy tickets without getting dinged by all those annoying extra charges. A little planning goes a long way – buy early, use presales, check resale sites, join fan clubs and venue memberships, look for waivers and discounts. Now you can enjoy more events for less money and avoid ticket sticker shock.