Quick Answers
When someone sends you tickets on Ticketmaster, it typically means a few things:
- They purchased tickets for an event and want to transfer them to you as the new ticket holder
- It’s a gift – they bought the tickets for you to attend the event
- They can no longer attend the event and want you to use their ticket instead
In most cases, it’s a nice gesture – someone wants you to be able to attend an event they think you’ll enjoy. They likely expect you to accept the tickets and attend. There are a few other scenarios that could be at play as well.
How Ticket Transfers Work on Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster has a ticket transfer feature that allows someone who purchased event tickets to electronically transfer them to someone else through the Ticketmaster website or mobile app. Here is how it works:
- The original ticket purchaser logs into their Ticketmaster account and accesses their order for the event.
- In the order details, they select the “Transfer Tickets” option. This allows them to enter the email address or phone number of the person they want to transfer tickets to.
- The ticket recipient receives an email or text notification that tickets have been transferred to them through Ticketmaster. This contains a link to accept the tickets.
- The recipient clicks the link, logs into or creates their Ticketmaster account, and accepts the ticket transfer. The tickets are now associated with the recipient’s account.
- The original purchaser can no longer access the tickets once the transfer is complete.
Ticketmaster allows original ticket purchasers to transfer tickets up until 24 hours before the event. After that, transfers are disabled. Some venues, teams, or artists may set custom transfer deadlines that differ from the 24 hour policy.
Why People Transfer Tickets on Ticketmaster
There are several common reasons someone may send you tickets using Ticketmaster’s transfer feature:
- It’s a gift – The most straightforward scenario is when someone purchases event tickets for you as a gift. They transfer them over to you so you can attend and they don’t need the tickets themselves.
- They can’t attend – The ticket holder has a schedule conflict, emergency, or other reason they can no longer attend the event. Rather than letting the ticket go to waste, they send it to you so you can attend in their place.
- Reselling tickets – Sometimes the original purchaser bought tickets speculatively with the intent to resell them. Transferring you the tickets on Ticketmaster is safer and more convenient than exchanging paper tickets.
- Official ticket exchanges – Some teams/artists have official ticket exchanges where season ticket holders can transfer tickets they aren’t using to other fans. This is common with sporting events. The team brokers the exchange via Ticketmaster transfers.
- Avoiding fees – If an event is sold out, the ticket holder may transfer you their extra ticket to avoid fees you’d pay buying resale tickets. They may ask you to PayPal them to cover their original costs.
There are some other niche scenarios like transferring business/client tickets or giving away extra tickets won in a contest. But in most cases, someone transfers you tickets because they want you to actually attend and enjoy the event in their place.
Should You Accept Transferred Tickets?
Accepting tickets transferred to you on Ticketmaster is generally safe if it’s from someone you know and trust. However, there are a few precautions you may want to take:
- Make sure the tickets are for an event you actually want to attend. Don’t feel obligated to accept tickets you aren’t interested in using.
- Review the ticket details carefully before accepting the transfer. Verify the event name, date, seats, venue, and other key info.
- If the tickets are a gift, clarify with the giver if they expect you to attend together or on your own.
- Be wary of transferring tickets with someone you don’t know well. Make sure it’s not a scam or fake ticket sale.
- You may want to PayPal them a portion of the ticket cost before accepting, so you’re not stuck with expensive tickets you didn’t really budget for.
As long as you review the ticket details and feel comfortable with the person sending you tickets, there’s minimal risk involved with accepting transfers via Ticketmaster. It’s a safe and convenient way for someone else to electronically pass along tickets they can’t use anymore.
What Happens if You Don’t Accept the Transferred Tickets?
If you choose not to accept tickets someone transfers to you on Ticketmaster, here’s what will happen:
- The ticket offer will expire after the transfer deadline set by the original purchaser (usually 1-3 days).
- The tickets will revert back to the original purchaser’s Ticketmaster account. They will need to try transferring them to someone else who will accept them.
- Or, the original purchaser will be stuck with unused tickets if they couldn’t find anyone else to take them. The tickets will go to waste unless they can still attend themselves.
- You may want to politely decline the transfer if you know you can’t or don’t want to attend. This gives them more time to find someone else before ticket transfers close.
- But declining isn’t a huge deal in most cases. The original purchaser can just cancel the unused tickets and get a refund in many scenarios.
The main downside of not accepting is that the person who transferred you tickets may be left scrambling to find someone else to take them. Be courteous and decline sooner rather than later if you know you won’t be using the tickets.
Can Ticketmaster Transfers Be Resold?
Reselling or scalping tickets you received via Ticketmaster transfer is technically against Ticketmaster’s policies in most cases. Their transfers are intended to move tickets between genuine fans attending events.
However, there are still some scenarios where reselling transferred tickets is possible:
- The venue, team, or artist may allow officially brokered ticket exchanges through Ticketmaster. For example, season ticket holders reselling some games.
- Some transfer recipients do successfully relist tickets “unofficially” on resale sites. But this violates most Ticketmaster terms and may risk account cancellation.
- Tickets can be sold outside Ticketmaster on secondary markets. But paper tickets usually need to be exchanged in person for very high demand events.
- Buyers may be wary of tickets listed for resale that were originally transferred. They have no way to verify if the seller actually has them.
In most cases, if someone transfers you tickets for an event you can’t attend, it’s better to decline the transfer or give the tickets to a friend rather than try to resell them. While it’s not completely enforced, reselling transferred tickets is generally prohibited.
Tips for Transferring Your Own Unwanted Tickets
If you ever need to transfer tickets you purchased on Ticketmaster, here are some tips to ensure a smooth exchange:
- Start the transfer process early, as soon as you know you can’t attend. This gives your recipient plenty of time to accept and accounts for Transfer deadlines.
- Double check you’re transferring the correct event, date, seats etc. before initiating the transfer. Mistakes could be costly.
- Communicate clearly with your ticket recipient. Let them know these tickets are being transferred to them and confirm they can/will attend.
- Set the transfer expiration deadline to 3-5 days out. This ensures enough time for them to accept without waiting until the last minute.
- Follow up to confirm they accepted the transfer successfully before the deadline passes.
- If they can’t attend after all, cancel the tickets through Ticketmaster for a refund where possible.
Giving clear instructions, setting reasonable deadlines, and confirming acceptance helps ensure your Ticketmaster ticket transfers go smoothly when you need to send tickets to someone else.
Conclusion
Getting tickets transferred to you on Ticketmaster is typically a kind gesture from someone who wants you to attend an event in their place. As long as you trust the ticket sender, accept the transfer with confidence knowing you can safely gain entry. If you can’t attend, promptly decline the transfer so they can offer it to someone else. With some precautions, Ticketmaster’s transfer feature allows tickets to conveniently change hands digitally from the original buyer to you.
