Ticketmaster fees have become increasingly expensive and frustrating for consumers looking to purchase tickets for concerts, sports events, and other live entertainment. These additional charges added to the base ticket price at checkout have made many music and sports fans feel like they are being nickel-and-dimed by Ticketmaster.
What are Ticketmaster fees?
Ticketmaster fees refer to the additional charges added when you purchase event tickets through Ticketmaster. These fees are on top of the base price of the ticket itself. Some of the most common Ticketmaster fees include:
- Service fee – This fee covers the cost of Ticketmaster providing its ticketing services and platform.
- Order processing fee – Charged per ticket for the processing of online and phone orders.
- Facility charge – This goes to the venue hosting the event, not Ticketmaster.
- Convenience charge – Applied to tickets bought at a Ticketmaster outlet location.
The exact fees and amounts vary depending on the event, venue, and method of purchase. But in many cases, these miscellaneous Ticketmaster fees can add over 25% to the base price of a ticket.
Why does Ticketmaster charge all these fees?
Ticketmaster provides a convenient platform for buying and selling tickets, so they are able to charge fees for this service. However, some also accuse Ticketmaster of anti-consumer practices by tacking on excessive fees that maximize their profits at the expense of fans.
Here are some reasons why Ticketmaster feels empowered to charge high fees:
- Ticketmaster dominates the primary ticket market – They sell a huge percentage of major concert and sports tickets, so fans have little choice but to pay their fees if they want to attend popular events.
- Venues and teams partner exclusively with Ticketmaster – Multi-year contracts give Ticketmaster exclusive rights to sell tickets for specific venues and sports teams.
- “Dynamic pricing” – Ticketmaster uses demand-based pricing algorithms to adjust prices and fees in real time based on market demand.
- Lack of transparency – Critics argue the various fees are purposely convoluted and non-transparent, misleading fans into accepting higher costs.
Service and order processing fees
Two of the most universally loathed Ticketmaster fees are the service fee and order processing fee. Ticketmaster defends these fees as the costs required to operate their platform and process transactions. However, critics point out that these generic “fees” seem arbitrarily tacked on and far exceed any reasonable costs associated with selling tickets online in the digital era.
Facility charges and convenience charges
Facility and convenience fees are arguably more justifiable as they seem (at face value) to go to the venue or brick-and-mortar Ticketmaster outlets facilitating ticket sales. However, Ticketmaster has still received criticism for appearing to use these fees to squeeze additional profits from fans beyond their service costs.
Dynamic pricing
Ticketmaster claims dynamic pricing more fairly reflects the true market value of tickets in high demand. But many see it as Ticketmaster doubling down on scalping the most sought after tickets, jacking up prices strategically to extract even more money from loyal fans.
Lack of transparency
The biggest complaint about Ticketmaster fees is their intentional lack of transparency. If each fee were clearly explained and justified upfront, fans may be more accepting. But obscurely named fees that are impossible to understand until checkout leave a bad taste for many consumers. This fuels the perception that Ticketmaster is deceiving fans to maximize profits.
Strategies for avoiding Ticketmaster fees
The dominance of Ticketmaster in the primary ticket market means their fees are practically unavoidable if you want guaranteed tickets to must-see events. But fans are not entirely without options to reduce the sting of fees.
Buy directly from the venue box office
If a venue has its own physical box office location, you can buy tickets directly from the venue and avoid most Ticketmaster fees. Of course, you lose the convenience of online ticketing – but you save money.
Use a Ticketmaster coupon code
Ticketmaster sometimes offers promo codes that can be applied during online checkout to waive certain fees, such as the service fee. This provides a small discount, but typically you’ll still have to pay other fees.
Buy season ticket packages
If you plan to attend multiple games or events for a sports team or at a specific venue, buying season tickets packages can help avoid per-ticket fees. There may be an larger upfront cost, but you save in fees compared to buying single-game or single-show tickets.
Buy group tickets
Group tickets for 10+ people may come with discounts that help partially offset some Ticketmaster fees. Get a group together and enjoy the show together!
Try fan ticket exchanges
Ticket resale marketplaces like StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek, etc. have their own fees – but some find them to be lower than Ticketmaster’s. Buyers still pay marked up prices, but save a bit versus directly from Ticketmaster.
Buy from the box office last minute
Fans who are willing to take the risk of waiting until the last minute can sometimes get lucky buying unsold tickets directly from the box office right before an event. This requires luck and willingness to risk not getting a ticket, but can pay off big in fee savings.
Are dynamic pricing and fees here to stay?
Unfortunately for consumers, it seems the prevalence of demand-based ticket pricing and add-on fees is unlikely to change anytime soon. As long as Ticketmaster maintains its dominant position in the primary ticket market, they have little incentive to radically change a model that has proven hugely profitable.
Some believe the only way ticket fees will substantially decrease is if Ticketmaster faces real competition from a ticketing disruptor. Certain bands like Pearl Jam have tried to take on Ticketmaster before by promoting alternate ticket sellers for their shows. But Ticketmaster’s exclusive contracts with the majority of venues and teams have kept these attempts from going mainstream.
Fans are not completely helpless though. Continuing to voice complaints and scrutinize Ticketmaster’s practices keeps pressure on the company. Avoiding egregious fees when possible by buying direct or resale also helps. But for now, it seems acceptance of the fees is necessary for fans who want to see their favorite events live.
Tips for saving money on event tickets
While Ticketmaster fees are hard to avoid entirely, here are some tips fans can use to reduce costs when buying tickets:
Tactic | How It Saves Money |
---|---|
Buy group tickets | Group discounts can offset some fees |
Buy season ticket packages | Avoid per-ticket fees |
Buy direct from venue | Avoid most Ticketmaster fees |
Use Ticketmaster promo codes | May waive certain fees like service fees |
Purchase resale tickets | Third-party fees may be less than Ticketmaster |
Buy last minute at box office | No fees buying unsold tickets at venue |
No fan enjoys paying all the extra fees tacked onto already pricey event tickets. But hopefully being informed on why Ticketmaster charges their frustrating fees and using some of these ticket buying tricks can help you reduce costs and still see your favorite sports, concerts, theater and more live!
The bottom line on Ticketmaster fees
Ticketmaster service fees, order processing fees, facility charges, and other miscellaneous fees are an unavoidable nuisance for fans wanting to attend popular live entertainment and sporting events. These additional charges added during the ticket checkout process can add over 25% to the base price of a ticket.
Ticketmaster defends these fees as required costs to operate their convenient ticketing platform and process transactions. However, many feel these fees are arbitrarily high and purposefully opaque in order to increase profits. With exclusive ticket-selling contracts for the vast majority of venues and events, Ticketmaster has little incentive to lower fees.
Fans can employ certain strategies to avoid the worst of Ticketmaster fees, such as buying direct from venue box offices, using promo codes, purchasing season ticket packages, buying group tickets, or using resale marketplaces. But most find they have to hold their nose and pay the fees if they want guaranteed tickets to the most in-demand events.
Until Ticketmaster faces real competition or venues and teams refuse their services, these obnoxious fees seem poised to remain a major Complaint but accepted reality of buying tickets to top sports, concerts, and entertainment events.
Key things to know about Ticketmaster fees
- Service fees, order processing fees, facility fees and more can add 25%+ to base ticket prices
- Fees generate huge profits for Ticketmaster due to lack of competition in primary ticket market
- Buying direct from venue, season tickets, group tickets, or resale can help avoid worst fees
- Fees likely to persist unless Ticketmaster’s dominance is challenged or venues/teams revolt
- Fans have little choice but to pay inflated costs for high-demand events
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some examples of Ticketmaster fees?
Common Ticketmaster fees include service fees, order processing fees, facility fees, convenience charges, and dynamic pricing markups. The exact fees and amounts vary by event.
Why does Ticketmaster charge service and processing fees?
Ticketmaster claims service and processing fees cover their costs of providing ticketing services and processing transactions online and over the phone. Critics argue these generic fees are inflated to drive profits.
Are Ticketmaster fees mandatory?
Yes, Ticketmaster fees are practically mandatory if you want to purchase tickets for an event being sold through Ticketmaster. There is no way to get Ticketmaster tickets without paying their fees.
How much do Ticketmaster fees add to ticket prices?
On average, Ticketmaster fees add between 25-30% to the base price of a ticket. But for highly in-demand events, fees can sometimes double or triple the original list price of tickets.
How can I avoid Ticketmaster fees?
Strategies to avoid the worst Ticketmaster fees include buying directly from the venue box office, using Ticketmaster promo codes, purchasing group/season ticket packages, buying resale tickets, and purchasing last minute tickets at the box office.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s service and processing fees are an antagonizing reality of ticketing in today’s marketplace. As long as Ticketmaster maintains its stranglehold on primary ticket sales, these fees will remain a costly nuisance fans must pay to see top live sports, music, and entertainment events. While fans can employ some creative strategies to reduce fees, most resign themselves to simply paying the inflated costs as an requisite evil of seeing their favorite performers and teams in action. Until the ticketing market undergoes meaningful reforms, event-goers will continue grumbling about Ticketmaster’s hated fees but handing over their money all the same.