Ticketmaster is the largest primary ticket outlet in the United States. They sell tickets to concerts, sporting events, and other live entertainment on behalf of event organizers. Ticketmaster also operates a ticket resale marketplace where tickets can be resold by fans who can no longer attend an event.
Ticketmaster’s Fees for Primary Market Tickets
When you buy tickets directly from Ticketmaster for an event, you’ll pay the face value price set by the event organizer or artist. However, Ticketmaster tacks on additional fees to each ticket purchase.
Ticketmaster’s fees include:
- Service fee – This applies to every ticket and ranges from $2.00 to over $20.00 depending on the event.
- Order processing fee – A $5.95 fee applied per order.
- Delivery fee – For printed tickets delivered by mail, this fee can be up to $24.95 per order.
- Facility charge – This is passed on to the venue to cover their costs and varies by venue.
All of these fees are in addition to the advertised ticket price. For very high demand events where tickets sell out instantly, these fees can sometimes double or triple the total cost paid per ticket.
Ticketmaster’s Fees for Resale Market Tickets
In addition to selling primary market tickets, Ticketmaster also operates a ticket resale marketplace through Ticketmaster Resale and TicketsNow. This allows ticket holders to resell event tickets they can no longer use.
Tickets on the Ticketmaster resale marketplace are almost always priced well above face value. Sellers can set their own prices, which typically reflect the market demand for that event. The higher resale price compensates the seller for giving up the ticket.
As the resale marketplace facilitator, Ticketmaster collects fees from both the buyer and seller in each transaction.
Buyer Fees
For ticket buyers on Ticketmaster Resale and TicketsNow, the following fees apply:
- Service fee – Ranges from 10% to 25% of the ticket price.
- Order processing fee – A fixed fee around $8 per ticket order.
- Shipping fees – Around $15 to have printed tickets shipped by FedEx.
The buyer will pay the resale ticket price set by the seller plus all of Ticketmaster’s buyer fees on top. The buyer fees can add a substantial amount to the total, easily $20 or more per ticket.
Seller Fees
For ticket sellers, Ticketmaster also charges a range of fees:
- Seller fee – Ranges from 10% to 20% of the ticket resale price.
- Posting fee – A small $5 fee per ticket to list a ticket for sale.
- Order processing fee – Around $8 per order.
The various seller fees are deducted from the final proceeds the seller receives after the ticket is sold. Ticketmaster takes its commissions off the top before releasing funds to the seller.
Estimated Fees on a $200 Ticket Resold on Ticketmaster
To illustrate how much fees can impact the cost, let’s look at an example $200 resale ticket purchased and sold through Ticketmaster or TicketsNow.
| Fee Type | Estimated Fee |
|---|---|
| Ticket Resale Price Set by Seller | $200 |
| Buyer Service Fee (15% of $200) | $30 |
| Buyer Order Processing Fee (fixed) | $8 |
| Total Paid by Buyer | $238 |
| Seller Fee (15% of $200) | $30 |
| Seller Order Processing Fee (fixed) | $8 |
| Amount Received by Seller | $162 |
In this scenario, the buyer pays $38 in fees to Ticketmaster, a 19% markup over the $200 resale price. Meanwhile, the seller pays $38 in fees and receives just $162 from the $200 sale. Ticketmaster captures the $38 difference between the amount paid and received.
How Ticketmaster’s Resale Fees Compare to Other Resale Sites
Ticketmaster’s resale fees are generally consistent with other major secondary ticket marketplaces like StubHub and Vivid Seats. These sites all charge buyer fees in the 10-25% range and seller fees between 10-20% of the ticket price.
However, Ticketmaster has the advantage of also earning fees on the initial primary ticket sale before it is resold. Ticketmaster can collect fees twice on the same ticket if it facilitates both the initial sale and resale.
StubHub
StubHub offers lower service fees closer to 10% for very high-priced tickets over $1,000. Buyer fees are capped around $100 for extremely expensive tickets where Ticketmaster’s 15-25% fees would be excessive.
StubHub also offers sellers a provision that guarantees them a certain minimum resale amount before any fees are deducted. This provides more profit protection compared to Ticketmaster.
Vivid Seats
Vivid Seats charges higher service fees around 20% for buyers. But seller fees start lower at only 8% of the ticket price. Vivid Seats has a loyalty program giving buyers and sellers fee discounts and rewards for activity on the marketplace.
Smaller Resale Sites
Smaller ticket resale platforms can sometimes undercut the fees charged by the major marketplaces. Sites like ScoreBig and TickPick offer $10 or lower flat service fees. They aim to compete based on simpler fee structures vs. percentage fees in the 10-25% range.
Ways for Buyers to Avoid High Ticketmaster Fees
Given how excessive Ticketmaster’s fees can be, many buyers look for ways to avoid them when possible.
Some tips include:
- Buy directly from the venue box office – Many venues sell their own allotment of tickets with minimal fees attached.
- Use fan club or artist presales – Artists and fan clubs often sell tour ticket blocks directly with lower fees.
- Buy via the event’s social media – Follow event pages and watch for special low fee ticket offers.
- Choose a ticket resale site with lower fees – StubHub, Vivid Seats, and ScoreBig can offer lower fees than Ticketmaster Resale.
- Buy just before the event – Prices and demand tend to drop leading up to event date.
The Bottom Line
Ticketmaster’s variable fees frequently add substantial costs for both ticket buyers and resellers. Buyer fees range 10-25% of the ticket price and seller fees take 10-20% of the sale amount.
For popular high demand events where tickets are resold at a premium far above face value, these percentages equate to huge dollar amounts. Ticketmaster can rake in $25+ extra profit on each ticket bought and sold through its resale marketplace.
Savvy buyers distraught over Ticketmaster’s outrageous fees should explore alternate purchase channels to buy tickets with lower or no fees whenever possible.
