Protecting tickets is an important part of managing events and controlling access. When event organizers enable ticket protection, it means setting restrictions on how tickets can be transferred or resold in order to prevent unauthorized reselling or scalping. There are a few key things that protecting tickets does:
Limits Who Can Use The Ticket
When ticket protection is enabled, tickets can only be used by the person who originally purchased them from the primary seller. The original purchaser’s name is printed on the ticket, and ID may be checked upon entry to the event to verify the ticket holder’s identity. This prevents the tickets from being resold over secondary markets to those who did not get them directly from the primary seller.
Prevents Unauthorized Resale
Protected tickets cannot be resold without permission from the event organizer or primary ticket seller. Listing protected tickets for resale on secondary marketplaces can be prohibited under the terms and conditions. If an original purchaser attempts to resell or transfer a protected ticket without authorization, the barcode can be canceled to prevent entry with that ticket.
Limits Pricing for Resale
Event organizers can set limits on the prices protected tickets can be resold for. Often a cap is placed to allow tickets to be transferred at or below face value. This prevents sellers from profiting from very high markup over the original price on secondary ticket marketplaces.
Provides Consumer Protections
When buying tickets from an unauthorized source, there is always the risk that the tickets are fraudulent or canceled. Ticket protection helps prevent fans from being defrauded and sold invalid or canceled tickets through unauthorized channels. It provides buyers with the reassurance that protected tickets on the secondary market are legitimate.
Deters Scalping
Those who purchase large quantities of tickets just to resell for profit above face value are deterred by ticket protections. Limits on pricing and transferability take away the profit motive of scalpers. Strict enforcement of ticket protection policies makes it riskier for scalpers to try to unload large volumes of protected tickets.
Enhances Security
By maintaining control over ticket distribution, event organizers can enhance security measures. Ticket protection means unauthorized sellers do not have access to tickets that could be tampered with or copied. Only tickets directly issued from the primary seller can be trusted.
Prevents Double Selling
Tickets that allow transferability can sometimes be “double sold”, when the original purchaser sells it multiple times unbeknownst to the buyers. The last one to receive the transfer can be shut out if a prior recipient uses it first. Protected tickets prevent this, since reselling is prohibited without consent.
Allows Flexible Policies
Event organizers don’t have to make all tickets fully non-transferable to protect them. Flexible policies can be created, like allowing transfer but setting resale price limits, or only allowing transfers to family and friends of the original buyer through formal approval.
Enables Paperless Ticketing
Paperless ticketing requires ticket protection in order to function properly. Entry is tied to the original ticket purchaser’s identity, so protected tickets must be non-transferable. Event organizers can reduce fraud and ticketing costs by using paperless ticketing backed by strong ticket protection.
Supports Fair Access to Tickets
By hampering scalpers and brokers, ticket protection helps ensure ordinary fans have fair access to tickets. Limits on resale prevent opportunists from buying up all the tickets and forcing the average buyer to pay exorbitant markups. More tickets go to genuine fans at fair prices.
Allows Better Data Collection
Knowing who is attending an event has many benefits for organizers. They can better plan for proper capacity, target marketing, reduce admission fraud, and gain other operational insights. Protected tickets provide accurate data about who purchased tickets and actually attends events.
Increases Revenue Capture
When tickets are resold on secondary markets, the event organizers miss out on that additional revenue. Price caps on protected tickets redirect that capture back to the organizers rather than to resellers. More revenue stays with the organizers who are actually putting on the event.
Conclusion
In summary, protecting tickets is an effective strategy for maintaining control over ticket distribution and sales. Key benefits for event organizers include reduced scalping and fraud, increased security, better data collection, greater revenue capture, and enhanced fairness for fans. Protected tickets create a more trustworthy and regulated system that benefits both buyers and sellers.
Table 1: Key Benefits of Ticket Protection
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Limits ticket transferability | Original purchaser must use the ticket |
| Prevents unauthorized resale | Listings can be prohibited on secondary sites |
| Caps resale prices | Limits sellers’ ability to profit from markups |
| Deters scalping | Removes incentives for scalpers to hoard tickets |
| Enhances security | Maintains control over ticket distribution |
| Provides consumer protections | Reduces fraud from invalid tickets |
| Allows flexible policies | Custom controls over permitted transfers |
As shown in Table 1, ticket protection provides a variety of advantages for an event organizer. Limiting transferability, deterring scalping, enhancing security, and providing flexibility are some of the key benefits.
Table 2: Ticket Protection Methods and Technologies
| Method | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Name printing | Original purchaser’s name printed on ticket |
| ID verification | ID checked against name on ticket upon entry |
| Ticket limits | Caps on maximum number of tickets per order |
| Barcode cancellation | Disables barcode if ticket is resold without approval |
| Paperless ticketing | Tickets accessible only via app on original buyer’s phone |
| Conditional transfer | Tickets can only be transferred to approved recipients |
There are a variety of methods and technologies available for implementing ticket protection, as shown in Table 2. Name printing, barcode cancellation, paperless ticketing and setting conditional transfers are some of the most effective approaches.
The Impact of Ticket Protection on Consumers
Ticket protection has a number of impacts on the consumer experience of purchasing and using tickets:
Pros
- Reduces likelihood of purchasing fraudulent or invalid tickets
- Provides assurance that venue will honor the ticket
- Fair pricing – limits ability of resellers to markup tickets
- Easier to obtain tickets directly from primary seller
- Peace of mind knowing tickets on secondary market are legitimate
Cons
- Reduces options for reselling or transferring tickets
- May be obligated to attend event if unable to resell
- Less availability on secondary markets
- Need to present ID to verify identity at venue entrance
Overall, consumers benefit from the protections and fairness that ticket protection provides, though it can reduce flexibility for reselling tickets.
Implementing Effective Ticket Protection
To implement ticket protection that maximizes benefits, event organizers should:
- Clearly communicate all protection policies to buyers
- Leverage name printing, barcoding, paperless ticketing and other technologies
- Integrate ticket protection measures across sales channels
- Provide customer service to handle requests for reselling/transferring
- Use data analysis to identify unauthorized resellers and activity
- Work with ticket sites/marketplaces to enforce protections
- Train staff to execute protection policies consistently
A combination of technology, policy, communication, and enforcement is key to successfully protecting tickets. Ongoing data analysis and improvement of the protection program maximizes its effectiveness.
Examples of Ticket Protection in Action
Many major concerts, shows, and sporting events now use ticket protection to combat scalping and unauthorized resale. Here are some examples:
Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ Tour
Tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming stadium tour in 2023 are protected by Ticketmaster’s SafeTix system. Tickets are non-transferable, and buyers must show the credit card used for purchase and photo ID to enter venues. Ticketmaster will cancel any tickets resold through unauthorized channels.
Comic-Con
Tickets to the major Comic-Con comic book convention in San Diego are protected through online registration. Fans must register for a Comic-Con Member ID which is connected to ticket purchases and required for entry with photo ID verification.
FIFA World Cup
FIFA recently enhanced protection for World Cup tickets by making them mobile only through its app. Tickets are linked to the original buyer’s account and cannot be transferred. Name changes are only allowed in special circumstances with FIFA’s approval.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees baseball team partners with Ticketmaster to protect tickets for home games. Paperless mobile ticketing is used to restrict transferability, along with required photo ID matching the purchaser profile at stadium entrance.
UK Glastonbury Festival
At one of the UK’s largest music festivals, Glastonbury Festival tickets include the original buyer’s photo. To enter the festival, attendees must bring the ticket plus photo ID. Security checks prevent any ticket transfers without organizers’ consent.
These examples illustrate leading practices for implementing ticket protection by major organizations hosting high-profile events. Mobile ticketing, photo ID checks, registration systems, and diligent monitoring of resale marketplaces are key elements.
Potential Downsides of Ticket Protection
While ticket protection has significant upsides, there are also some potential disadvantages event organizers should be aware of:
- Administrative costs to enforce protection policies
- Inconvenience for buyers who must verify ID to gain entry
- Inflexibility when buyers have legitimate reasons for reselling
- Limits options for consumers to resell unused tickets
- Ongoing technology investment and upgrades needed
- Does not completely eliminate unauthorized resale activity
- Negative public perception around restricting transfers
However, for most major events, the benefits appear to outweigh these drawbacks, as long as policies are clearly communicated and exceptions can be made when appropriate.
The Future of Ticket Protection
As technology continues to evolve, there are several emerging trends that will likely shape the future of ticket protection:
- Use of blockchain and NFTs for digital ticketing
- AI to detect unauthorized resale activity online
- Biometric screening like fingerprint/face scans to ID attendees
- Encrypted barcodes and verification codes that dynamically change
- Cross-referencing multiple buyer data points for verification
- More extensive data analysis capabilities to fine-tune protection
Adoption of more advanced technologies could enable even stronger identity confirmation and anti-counterfeiting measures. However, balancing enhanced security with ease of use will be important to avoid a negative fan experience.
Conclusion
Ticket protection provides significant value to event organizers and consumers by enhancing security, fairness, and regulation around ticket sales and distribution. While some downsides like reduced transfer flexibility exist, the ability to combat scalping and fraud make protection measures worthwhile for many major events and attractions. As technology progresses, ticket protection systems will likely become even more sophisticated and capable of thwarting unauthorized activities while still enabling convenient access.
