Ticketmaster has implemented various bot detection measures in recent years to combat automated ticket buying bots used by ticket scalpers. This has made it more difficult for regular customers to purchase tickets as well, as they now have to prove they are not bots. There are several tips and tricks you can use to prove your humanity when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster.
Verify Your Account
One of the best things you can do is verify your Ticketmaster account ahead of time. This involves providing your name, email address, phone number and creating a password. Verified accounts establish your identity and provide proof that a real person created the account.
When you go to purchase tickets, Ticketmaster will check that your account has already been verified. This makes it much less likely you will have to go through additional bot detection screens.
Use Mobile Ticketmaster App
The Ticketmaster mobile app provides enhanced identity features compared to the desktop website. When you create an account and log in via the app, it can access device data like your device ID, operating system etc. This gives additional signals to Ticketmaster that a real human is using the app rather than an automated bot.
Purchasing tickets directly through the mobile app instead of the website is more likely to allow you to bypass bot detection measures. As an added bonus, the app sometimes provides access to exclusive ticket presales.
Provide Your Payment Details Upfront
When purchasing tickets on the Ticketmaster website, try entering your payment details like credit card information early in the process. Human users will readily provide this sensitive information, while bots are unlikely to have access to real payment methods.
This ties your unique financial data to your ticket purchase and gives Ticketmaster confidence you are not an automated program. Completing the payment details verification ahead of the ticket selection screens may help you avoid bot detection.
Use Common Sense Captchas
Ticketmaster utilizes several types of captcha challenges to distinguish human users from bots. This includes selecting images that fit a description, identifying objects in a picture, and clicking checkbox verifications. While bots can sometimes get around traditional scrambled letter captchas, these newer common sense captchas are much harder to game.
Take your time to carefully complete any captcha prompts you encounter when purchasing tickets. Rushing through or making mistakes on the captcha can cause Ticketmaster to flag you as a potential bot, requiring additional identity verification steps. Proving you can complete the captcha serves as a quick Turing test.
Avoid Suspicious Activity
In addition to verification checks, Ticketmaster also monitors for suspicious bot-like behavior. Refreshing the ticket screens too rapidly or having too many browser tabs open can get you flagged. Use a single browser tab and avoid frantically clicking or refreshing while waiting for tickets.
Bots often cycle through different proxy IP addresses to hide their activity. If possible, make your ticket purchases directly on your home or cellular network. Familiar IP addresses help prove you are a real human buyer.
Provide Additional Identity Details
If you do get flagged as a potential bot and prompted for additional verification, remain calm and be ready to provide more identifying information. Having your driver’s license, passport or other ID documents ready to verify your full name, birthday and other details can help prove you are human.
Oftentimes Ticketmaster will request you upload a photo of your ID document or type in your information for verification. While inconvenient, cooperating fully with these requests is important to bypass bot detection.
Try General Admission Tickets
For very popular events, Ticketmaster will sometimes only sell first come, first served general admission tickets rather than pre-assigned seats. These types of tickets cannot be purchased in bulk by bots looking to resell them, since there are no specific seats involved.
If possible, aim to purchase general admission tickets through Ticketmaster as bots are less likely to target these. You will still have to go through identity checks but generally have better odds versus purchasing reserved seats.
Use Ticketmaster Rewards
Ticketmaster has a rewards program that you can enroll in for free by providing your contact information. This allows them to track your purchase history and number of events attended. Members of the rewards program have a known purchasing profile on record, making it easier to verify they are human.
Sign up for a Ticketmaster rewards account well in advance of any ticket onsales. Use your rewards information when making ticket purchases to help avoid bot detection. Your purchase history through the rewards program helps prove you are not a scalping bot.
Get Fan Club Presale Access
Many musical artists and professional sports teams offer special fan club ticket presales before the general public onsale. These presales typically require you to already have an account registered with the fan club to access the code for purchasing tickets.
Bots have difficulty accessing fan club presale tickets because of the existing account requirement. Sign up for an account with your favorite team or artist’s official fan club to gain access to presales and have an easier ticket buying experience.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s bot detection efforts mean purchasing tickets requires more identity verification steps for regular customers. While frustrating, this is necessary due to the problem of scalping bots buying up vast ticket quantities. By following the tips outlined, human fans can prove they are real buyers and bypass the bot checks.
A verified Ticketmaster account, purchasing through the mobile app, providing payment details early, carefully completing captchas, avoiding suspicious behavior, cooperating with additional verification requests, choosing general admission tickets, using Ticketmaster rewards accounts and getting fan club presale access can all help prove you are not a bot.
While there is no guaranteed way to avoid Ticketmaster’s bot detection, using multiple human verification tactics improves your odds of successfully purchasing tickets. A few extra steps helps ensure limited tickets get into the hands of genuine fans rather than scalping bots.