Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies, especially for large-scale events. When you purchase tickets through Ticketmaster, there are often additional fees added to the base ticket price. One common question for Ticketmaster customers is whether you have to pay an additional transfer fee if you need to transfer or resell your Ticketmaster tickets to someone else.
What is Ticketmaster’s transfer and resale policy?
Ticketmaster does allow ticket transfers and resales through their systems. If you need to transfer or resell your Ticketmaster tickets, you have a few different options:
- Transfer tickets through Ticketmaster – You can transfer tickets directly to another Ticketmaster user through your Ticketmaster account. There is no fee for transferring tickets.
- Resell tickets through Ticketmaster Resale – You can resell your tickets through Ticketmaster’s resale marketplace. Ticketmaster charges a percentage fee on each resale transaction.
- Transfer tickets outside of Ticketmaster – You can transfer the ticket barcode and ticket details to someone else outside of Ticketmaster. However, the tickets are technically non-transferrable, so the new ticket holder would need to attend with you.
So in summary, Ticketmaster does not charge a transfer fee if you directly transfer tickets between Ticketmaster accounts. However, they do charge a percentage fee if you resell your tickets through their Ticketmaster Resale platform.
Does Ticketmaster charge a transfer fee?
Ticketmaster does not charge any fee when you transfer tickets directly to another Ticketmaster user. You can easily transfer tickets between Ticketmaster accounts online or via the mobile app for free.
Here is Ticketmaster’s policy on ticket transfers:
- You can transfer tickets for free through your Ticketmaster account to another Ticketmaster account.
- The ticket transferee must have a Ticketmaster account in order to receive the tickets.
- You can transfer tickets anytime up until the event starts.
- Once transferred, the tickets are removed from your account permanently.
So there are no fees or charges associated with directly transferring tickets between Ticketmaster accounts. This makes it easy to transfer tickets to friends or family also using Ticketmaster without incurring extra fees.
When does Ticketmaster charge a fee for transfers?
While Ticketmaster does not charge a fee for account-to-account transfers, they do charge fees in other transfer or resale situations:
- Resale through Ticketmaster Resale – If you resell your tickets through Ticketmaster’s resale marketplace instead of directly transferring to someone, they charge a percentage fee per ticket. This is typically around 10-15% of the resale price.
- Transfer via ticket barcode – If you transfer tickets outside of Ticketmaster by just sending the barcode info and digital ticket to someone else, there is no fee. However, you would need to attend the event as well for the ticket to be valid.
- Paper ticket reprints – If you need to reprint paper tickets with a new ticket holder name, Ticketmaster may charge a ticket reissue fee, such as $15 per ticket.
So in summary, Ticketmaster only charges transfer fees when you resell through their resale platform. Direct digital transfers between Ticketmaster accounts are always free.
Does Ticketmaster charge more fees for mobile or paper ticket transfers?
Ticketmaster does not charge any different fees based on whether you are transferring mobile tickets vs. paper tickets. The fees are the same in either case.
Here is an overview of Ticketmaster’s fees for mobile and paper ticket transfers:
Transfer Type | Mobile Tickets | Paper Tickets |
---|---|---|
Account-to-Account Transfer | Free | Free |
Resale via Ticketmaster | 10-15% fee | 10-15% fee |
Outside Ticketmaster | No fee | No fee |
Ticket Reprint | N/A | $15 per ticket |
The account-to-account transfer fee is always free for both mobile and paper tickets. The Ticketmaster resale percentage fee is also the same regardless of ticket format. The only difference is that printed paper tickets will incur a reprint fee if you need to change the ticket holder name, while mobile tickets do not require reprinting.
Does Ticketmaster impose any transfer limits?
Ticketmaster does not impose any limits on how many times tickets can be transferred between accounts. You can transfer tickets an unlimited number of times for free.
However, there are some restrictions in place:
- Tickets cannot be transferred after the event starts or a ticket barcode is scanned.
- Tickets usually cannot be divided or partially transferred. The whole ticket must be transferred.
- Ticket transfers are irreversible. Once transferred out of your account, tickets cannot be transferred back.
- Any ticket discounts or promotions do not carry over to the new ticket holder.
So while you can freely transfer tickets as many times as needed, you just need to make sure to complete all transfers before the event starts. And any special pricing or discounts apply only to the original ticket purchaser. But in terms of transfer fees, there is no limit to the number of transfers between Ticketmaster accounts.
Can you transfer tickets bought from a third-party reseller?
If you purchased ticket resales from a third-party platform like StubHub or VividSeats instead of directly from Ticketmaster, then the tickets cannot be transferred within the Ticketmaster system.
Ticketmaster transfers only work for tickets originally purchased through Ticketmaster. For any tickets resold outside of Ticketmaster, you would need to transfer the tickets according to the third-party reseller’s policies.
This means you may still be able to transfer the tickets by changing the name on the ticket barcode or ticket details. But you cannot freely transfer them between user accounts, since they originated from a different resale platform.
So in summary – Ticketmaster account transfers only apply to tickets originally bought through Ticketmaster. For any third-party resale tickets, you need to follow the specific transfer policies of wherever they were purchased.
Concert tickets have different policies than sporting events or theater shows. Does Ticketmaster treat transfers differently by event type?
Ticketmaster utilizes essentially the same ticket transfer and resale policies across all types of events, including concerts, sports, theater shows and more. The fees, transfer limits, and processes are generally consistent.
However, there are a few event-specific differences to be aware of:
- NFL games – Cannot be transferred or resold within 24 hours of the event due to league policies.
- MLB games – Subject to special verification procedures for mobile ticket transfers to prevent fraud.
- Theater shows – Often cannot be resold above face value due to pricing limits.
- Festivals – Typically must all be transferred or sold together; cannot split up festival passes.
Beyond these types of event-specific restrictions, the standard Ticketmaster transfer and resale policies apply universally across their platform. While certain events have blackout periods or other limitations, the same fees and processes apply.
So in general, Ticketmaster does not differentiate transfer rules much between concerts, sports, theater or other event genres. The transfer experience is consistent overall across their platform and event inventory.
Conclusion
In summary, there is no fee for directly transferring tickets between Ticketmaster accounts, either on mobile or paper tickets. You can transfer tickets an unlimited number of times for free leading up to the event.
The only time Ticketmaster charges a transfer or resale fee is if you resell your tickets through their Ticketmaster Resale platform. There is a typical 10-15% resale fee in that case.
Tickets originally purchased from third-party resellers also cannot be freely transferred within Ticketmaster. You would need to follow the original reseller’s transfer policies instead.
So for most events, you can securely transfer Ticketmaster tickets between accounts without incurring any fees. Just be sure to complete any transfers before the cutoff times for your specific event.