An electronic concert ticket, also known as an e-ticket, is a paperless ticket used for admission to concerts and live events. Instead of receiving a printed paper ticket, customers receive a digital ticket via email or a mobile app. E-tickets provide a convenient and secure way to purchase, receive, and redeem concert tickets without needing to carry around a physical ticket.
How do electronic concert tickets work?
Electronic concert tickets work by assigning each ticket a unique barcode or QR code. This code is linked to the purchaser’s account and acts as proof of purchase when scanned at the venue entrance. Here is a brief overview of how e-tickets work:
- Customers purchase concert tickets online or through a mobile app. Payment information is collected digitally.
- After completing the transaction, a unique barcode or QR code is generated and assigned to each ticket.
- Customers receive an email with their e-tickets attached as a PDF or mobile pass in an app like Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
- To enter the event, customers open their e-ticket and hold their screen under the scanner at the venue entrance. The scanner reads the barcode/QR code and verifies it’s a valid ticket.
- Once the code is scanned and confirmed, the e-ticket is redeemed for entry and cannot be scanned again.
This digital ticket process allows ticketing companies to easily track ticket sales and redemptions while preventing fraud or duplicate use of tickets.
What are the benefits of electronic concert tickets?
Electronic concert tickets provide several notable benefits over traditional paper tickets:
- Convenience – E-tickets eliminate the need to drive to a box office or wait for delivery. Tickets can be purchased online 24/7 and delivered instantly via email or mobile app.
- Security – Electronic tickets cannot be lost, stolen, duplicated, or counterfeited. The unique barcode/QR code provides a secure way to verify authentic tickets.
- Flexibility – Customers can easily transfer e-tickets to friends or sell them through authorized resale marketplaces.
- Cost Savings – Venues save money by eliminating the printing, shipping, and staffing costs associated with paper tickets.
- Environmental Impact – Paperless tickets are more sustainable and eliminate waste from printed tickets.
- Analytics – Digital tickets allow venues and artists to track customer data, sales metrics, and purchase history through the ticketing platform.
What are mobile concert tickets?
Mobile concert tickets take the e-ticket concept one step further by eliminating the need for PDFs altogether. With mobile ticketing, purchasers receive their tickets directly in a digital wallet app like Apple Wallet or Google Pay. The ticket barcode is visible in the app for scanning at the event entrance.
Mobile ticketing provides added convenience for customers by storing tickets in an app they likely already use daily. It also enables contactless ticket scanning by venue staff, enhancing safety and efficiency during entry. Mobile tickets also cannot be lost, forgotten, or left at home by accident. As smartphone adoption increases globally, mobile ticketing is becoming the new standard in digital ticketing.
Benefits of mobile concert tickets
- Convenient access on your smartphone
- Contactless ticket scanning
- Reduced risk of lost, forgotten, or stolen tickets
- Easily transferable to friends or sellable through resale markets
- Faster entry into events by pulling up your digital ticket instantly
How are electronic concert tickets different from paper tickets?
There are some key differences between traditional paper tickets and new electronic/mobile ticketing:
| Paper Tickets | Electronic Tickets |
|---|---|
| – Printed on paper with text/graphics | – Digital file or mobile pass with barcode |
| – Mailed to customer or picked up at box office | – Delivered via email or mobile app |
| – Prone to loss, damage, theft | – Secure digital footprint can’t be lost or stolen |
| – Customer must carry to event | – Accessible on any smartphone by downloading |
| – Checked visually by staff | – Scanned digitally for faster entry |
| – Higher environmental impact | – More sustainable paperless option |
What technology enables electronic concert tickets?
There are a few key technologies that enable the functionality of electronic and mobile ticketing:
Barcode/QR code generation
When an e-ticket is purchased, a unique barcode or QR code is generated and assigned to that ticket. This code acts as a digital identifier and contains encrypted information about the event and the ticket’s authenticity.
Digital wallets
Mobile platforms like Apple Wallet and Google Pay allow customers to store e-tickets as mobile passes. The barcode is visible in the app for easy access and scanning.
Mobile ticket transfer
Many ticketing platforms and apps allow for seamless ticket transferring to friends or ticket resale. This provides flexibility not offered by paper tickets.
Digital ticket scanners
Venues use advanced scanners to read the barcode/QR code on customers’ phones and instantly verify if the ticket is valid for entry.
POS and ticketing software
The ticketing platform and point of sale software help manage the entire digital ticketing process from purchase to redemption while collecting customer data.
How has COVID-19 impacted electronic ticket adoption?
The COVID-19 pandemic vastly accelerated the adoption of contactless, electronic ticketing. Health concerns over paper tickets and long entry lines led many venues and events to shift to e-tickets and mobile passes.
A 2020 survey by AXS found that contactless mobile ticket usage grew 500% year-over-year during the pandemic. Over 75% of ticket buyers said they would prefer contactless/mobile tickets even after COVID-19.
Post-pandemic, electronic tickets are becoming the new normal. Their convenience and security benefits were realized during social distancing, and these paperless options are likely to remain popular going forward.
COVID-19’s impact on electronic ticketing
- 75%+ of ticket buyers now prefer electronic/mobile tickets
- Contactless mobile ticket usage grew 500% during 2020
- Reduces virus transmission from paper exchange
- Enables social distancing by eliminating crowds at box office
- Fast touchless scans minimize entry lines
What does the future hold for electronic concert tickets?
The future looks bright for e-tickets and mobile ticketing at concerts and live events. Here are some potential innovations on the horizon:
Facial recognition
Some venues are testing facial recognition ticketing, where customers’ face acts as their ticket for entry after linking their profile. This provides seamless, fully contactless entry without scanning anything.
Blockchain technology
Blockchain-based ticketing aims to eliminate fraud and maximize security by encrypting ticket data across a distributed ledger as tickets are resold or transferred.
Smart venue integration
Mobile tickets could integrate with smart venue apps and technology to provide customers with maps, concessions ordering, seat upgrades, and more right from their ticket.
Wearable tickets
E-tickets may eventually move from smartphones to smart watches or other wearable devices for more convenience and integration.
NFT concert tickets
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are now being explored by some ticketing platforms as a way to trade verified digital tickets via blockchain.
Conclusion
The adoption of electronic and mobile ticketing provides big benefits for venues, artists, and fans. E-tickets are more convenient, secure, flexible, and environmentally friendly compared to paper tickets. COVID-19 accelerated the shift towards contactless digital tickets for live events, a trend that will likely continue. Exciting developments like facial recognition, blockchain, and NFTs point to an even more innovative future for cashless, paperless event ticketing.
