Ticketmaster is one of the largest primary ticket outlets for major sporting events, concerts, theater shows and more. With their massive inventory, buying tickets on Ticketmaster gives you access to events across the country and the ability to purchase tickets in bulk for a group.
But just how many tickets can you buy at one time on Ticketmaster? There are a few factors that determine the limits.
Ticket Limits Per Event
Every event sets their own limit on how many tickets a single customer can purchase. This is done to discourage scalpers and brokers from buying up all the seats and reselling them at a huge markup.
For very high demand events like major concerts or championship games, the limit may be as low as 2-4 tickets per customer. Other events may set the cap at 6-8 tickets or even 10+ tickets for a single order.
These ticket limits are encoded in Ticketmaster’s system when the event first goes on sale. The limits apply whether you are buying tickets online, on the app or over the phone through a Ticketmaster agent.
Some examples of typical per customer ticket limits:
- Concerts at major arenas or stadiums: 4-6 tickets
- NBA, NHL games: 4-8 tickets
- NFL games: 6-10 tickets
- MLB games: 8-12 tickets
- Theater shows: 6-10 tickets
Keep in mind that the per customer limit applies specifically to each event. If you are buying tickets to multiple events in the same order, the limit applies separately to each one.
For example, you could buy 4 tickets to a concert, 6 tickets to a football game and 8 tickets to a baseball game in a single bulk order. The system would not stop you from exceeding the per event limits, since they are being purchased for different events.
Exceeding Limits with Multiple Accounts
Savvy buyers are aware that Ticketmaster’s limits apply on a per account basis. So someone trying to buy a large block of tickets could potentially get around the caps by using multiple Ticketmaster accounts.
For example, an event may have a 4 ticket limit in place. But if you had four different Ticketmaster accounts, you could theoretically purchase 4 tickets under each account for a total of 16 tickets.
In practice however, Ticketmaster has gotten wise to this tactic. They monitor large bulk purchases coming from the same IP address, shipping address or credit card number. If they detect you are trying to circumvent the ticket limits, they may cancel part or all of your order.
Their terms of service also specifically prohibit using multiple accounts to exceed posted ticket limits. Those found violating this rule may have their accounts restricted or banned entirely.
So while it may be possible to carefully purchase a few extra tickets across separate accounts, trying to buy a huge quantity this way is likely to be detected and denied.
Large Group Orders Through Verified Presales
If you need to purchase a very large block of tickets, such as for a group trip or company outing, your best option is to take advantage of Ticketmaster’s verified presales.
Certain shows will allocate a number of seats for verified groups like fan clubs, credit card holders or corporate partners. In many cases, these verified presales are exempt from the individual ticket limits.
For example, American Express card holders may be able to buy up to 20 tickets during the AmEx presale for select concerts and events, even if the regular limit is 4 or 6 per person.
Likewise, if you organize an officially recognized fan club, the artist’s management may provide you a special presale code to buy large blocks of seats. Some fan club presales allow up to 30+ tickets per order.
If you don’t already have access to these presales through an organization you belong to, it is sometimes possible to partner specially with the event promoters or venue. They can verify your large group request and grant access to buy the number of seats you need.
This takes coordination and planning, but is really the only way to reliably purchase huge batches of tickets together through Ticketmaster.
Maximum Total Tickets Per Order
Separate from the per event limits, Ticketmaster also imposes restrictions on the total number of tickets you can buy across all events in a single order.
According to their purchase policy, the maximum you are allowed to purchase at one time online or over the phone is:
- Up to 8 tickets for personal use
- Up to 30 tickets if you are an organization buying for resale/fundraising purposes
If your cart contains more than the max quantity across all events, you will get an error when trying to complete the checkout process.
For example, say you are trying to buy 3 tickets to one concert, 4 tickets to another concert and 4 tickets to a sports game. Even though each is under the event-specific limit, together that’s 11 tickets total which exceeds the 8 ticket cap.
Again, the only way around this total order restriction is through special verified presales. If you have verified status that exempts you from the per event limits, the 30 ticket max for organizations would likely apply instead.
Why Ticketmaster Limits Apply
Ticketmaster enforces ticket purchase limits for a few primary reasons:
- Prevent ticket scalping and resale – Caps make it harder for brokers to buy out all the seats.
- Give more fans access – Spreading tickets across more individual orders ensures more people can get seats.
- Discourage fraud – Bulk buying patterns can signal stolen credit cards or compromised accounts.
- Reduce strain on the site – Massive bulk orders can overload the servers and crash the queues.
While the limits can be frustrating if you are trying to get seats together with an extended family or large group of friends, they do help make buying tickets fairer for everyone.
Tips For Grouping Large Parties
If you need to buy tickets together for more people than the event limit allows, here are some tips to strategize your purchase:
- Have each person buy their own max – If the limit is 4, have 4 people buy 4 tickets each. Just make sure everyone selects seats together.
- Take turns if needed – Buy in shifts if more orders are required than you have people to place them.
- Join fan club presales – Artists will often reserve blocks of seats for fan club members.
- Check for Amex or promoter presales – Find presales that lift or expand the ticket limits.
- Try alternate sellers – Limits may differ on secondary sites like StubHub or SeatGeek.
- Split between ticket zones – Buy group splits between lower and upper sections to maximize chances.
Planning ahead and coordinating carefully gives you the best shot at getting everyone together. Just be sure to follow Ticketmaster’s clearly posted limits per account to avoid problems.
Exceptions to Ticket Limits
While ticket limits are strictly enforced by Ticketmaster across most events, there are certain cases where you may be able to purchase more than the publicized cap:
- Ultimate VIP packages – Some tours offer special packages with meet & greets, merchandise, early access, etc. These often are exempt from ticket limits since they are high price and low quantity.
- Suite or box office rentals – If you want to reserve an entire private suite or box office at an arena, these are typically not subject to individual ticket limits.
- Special event sales – For one-off events like music festivals or conventions, bulk ticket sales may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
- International events – Events outside the US and Canada do not always enforce the same hard ticket limits.
Outside of these special cases, expect Ticketmaster’s posted ticket purchase limits to be strictly enforced across the vast majority of events in the US. Plan your ticket buying strategy accordingly to work within the caps.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster allows customers to purchase 4-10 tickets at once for most concerts, theater and sporting events. For very high demand events, the limits may be as low as 2-4 per person. The specific cap is set separately for each event.
Trying to exceed these limits using multiple accounts risks order cancellations or account restrictions. For large group purchases, take advantage of special presales for fan clubs, credit card holders and other verified organizations. These often provide access to buy larger blocks of tickets.
Overall, it is possible to purchase around 8-30 tickets in a single Ticketmaster transaction. But doing so requires coordination across multiple events and accounts. Understanding the ticket limits in place leads tosmoother event ticket buying.
