Ticketmaster’s early access allows fans to purchase tickets for concerts and events before the general public. This gives fans who sign up for early access an advantage in securing tickets before they sell out. Here are some key things to know about early access on Ticketmaster:
How does Ticketmaster early access work?
Fans can sign up for Ticketmaster’s early access program for free. Once signed up, you will receive email notifications when early access ticketing launches for various concerts and events. This typically occurs 1-7 days before the tickets go on sale to the general public.
When early access begins, members will receive an email with a unique code and link to purchase tickets. This code can only be used once and will allow you to access tickets before the general onsale begins. The number of tickets available during early access is limited, so there is still a rush to secure tickets even with the early access advantage.
Who is eligible for early access?
Any fan can sign up for Ticketmaster’s early access program for free. However, Ticketmaster also offers elevated early access benefits through its Verified Fan program. Verified Fan requires fans to register ahead of time and get verified for ticket access. This helps filter out bots and scalpers. Once verified, these fans get the earliest access to tickets through Verified Fan presales.
How do you sign up for early access?
Signing up for basic early access on Ticketmaster is simple:
- Go to Ticketmaster.com and click “Sign In” at the top right
- Click “New to Ticketmaster? Create Account”
- Provide your email address and create a password
- Check the box to opt in for early access offers and ticket presales
You can also download the Ticketmaster app on your mobile device and follow the same steps to sign-up. Once registered, you just have to wait for early access emails with presale offers.
What are some tips for using early access?
Here are some tips for making the most of Ticketmaster’s early access presales:
- Sign up well in advance – Don’t wait until right before the presale starts
- Verify your email – Check your inbox and spam folder for any verification emails from Ticketmaster and confirm your account
- Watch for early access emails – Presales typically start 1-7 days before the public onsale, so keep an eye on your inbox around that window
- Move fast – Even with early access, popular events will still sell out quickly so you need to act fast once tickets are available
- Have backups ready – Come prepared with backup payment methods and devices in case you run into any issues while purchasing
- Only use your code once – Your unique early access code can only be used one time
What are some recent examples of Ticketmaster early access presales?
Here are some major concerts and events from 2022 that offered Ticketmaster early access presales:
| Artist/Event | Early Access Start Date |
|---|---|
| Bad Bunny World’s Hottest Tour | January 26, 2022 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Tour | March 9, 2022 |
| The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour | March 23, 2022 |
| Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road | May 11, 2022 |
| BTS Permission to Dance Tour | May 18, 2022 |
As you can see, Ticketmaster typically offers early presale access about 1-2 months prior to the general public onsale date. Dates are not announced too far in advance, so you need to monitor your email closely for early access opportunities.
What events offer early access presales?
While availability varies per event, in general early access presales are offered for:
- Major concert tours – Especially stadium/arena shows selling out large venues
- Music festivals – Like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, etc.
- Live comedy shows – For big name stand-up comedians and comedy tours
- Live theater – Broadway shows, Cirque du Soleil performances, etc.
- Sporting events – Select regular season and postseason games
- WWE/UFC/Boxing – For big matches and pay-per-view events
Early access is less common for smaller club shows and local events. But for major tours and hot events, early presale codes give you a big advantage.
Is Ticketmaster’s early access worth it?
Getting early access to tickets can make a huge difference for in-demand events. Here are some of the key benefits fans can gain by using Ticketmaster presales:
- Better ticket selection – The best seats tend to go first, so early access lets you shop from more available inventory.
- Avoid sell outs – Popular shows will sell out completely during presales before the general public gets access.
- Skip long queues – Early access allows you to checkout faster before traffic piles up during general onsales.
- Peace of mind – You secure tickets in advance and avoid the stress of general onsale ticket drops.
- Less competition – Fewer fans are trying to purchase tickets during presales compared to public onsales.
While nothing is guaranteed, early access presales vastly improve your chances of getting tickets. So it’s highly recommended for fans to use Ticketmaster presales whenever possible.
What are some downsides of early access?
Despite the many benefits, there can also be some downsides to using Ticketmaster’s early access system:
- It takes effort to monitor email and be ready right when the presale starts.
- Popular events still sell out quickly even during presales.
- You need an active Ticketmaster account to access presales.
- The early selection is limited, so you may not always find ideal seats.
- Presales can be glitchy if site traffic is very high.
So while early access improves your chances, nothing is ever guaranteed when trying to purchase the hottest tickets. But for dedicated fans, it’s worth taking advantage of these presales whenever possible.
How does Ticketmaster early access differ from fan club presales?
In addition to Ticketmaster’s early access presales, many artists also offer special presales for members of their official fan clubs. These typically take place 1-3 days before Ticketmaster early access.
To access fan club presales, you need to be a paying member of the artist’s fan community. Popular fan clubs include BTS Army, Fifth Harmony’s Harmony Squad, and Katy Perry’s KatyCats.
Fan club presales are even more exclusive than Ticketmaster presales. But you have to be a dedicated follower willing to pay a fan club membership fee. Overall, early access gives casual fans better access than general public onsales without needing to join official fan clubs.
Can you get early access tickets for free?
Registering for basic early access through Ticketmaster is always free. However, to access the earliest presales through Verified Fan, there are sometimes requirements to boost your status.
For high demand shows, Ticketmaster may only verify fans who:
- Have Ticketmaster purchase history
- Have registered early and engaged with the event
- Link their social media showing they follow the artist
So while early access itself is free, scoring tickets in the earliest presales often requires engaging with Ticketmaster and the artist beforehand. The more popular the event, the more effort fans may need to get verified for the earliest presale times.
Can you beat the bots with early access tickets?
One major benefit of early access presales is avoiding automated bots that swarm popular onsales. Bots run by scalpers can quickly gobble up huge quantities of tickets, making it very hard for real fans to purchase.
However, Ticketmaster has much more stringent security during presales. Unique codes, CAPTCHAs, and other measures help restrict access only to individual fans. While bots may still nab some presale tickets, it’s a much fairer playing field that gives fans a reasonable shot at scoring seats.
Ticketmaster also scrutinizes early access purchases to flag suspicious bot activity. Accounts suspected of using bots may have their orders canceled and early access revoked. So the presale environment helps deter mass scalping by bots.
Can you get VIP or meet & greet tickets during early access?
In most cases, early access presales provide the same ticket inventory as general onsales just at an earlier date. So you can purchase premium VIP packages, meet & greets, front row seats, and so on during presales.
However, artists sometimes hold back select exclusive experiences for fan club members only. Still, early access provides the opportunity to purchase most types of premium tickets before the general public.
Is reselling early access tickets allowed?
There are no official rules prohibiting the resale of early access tickets. However, Ticketmaster’s Terms of Use only authorize ticket purchases “for personal, noncommercial use.” Any indication that presale tickets are being resold could get your account banned from future early access opportunities.
Some early access codes are also tied to the original purchaser and cannot be transferred. For high demand events, Ticketmaster may implement additional safeguards and use digital tickets requiring ID checks on entry to deter mass resales of presale tickets.
So while you can likely resell a few early access tickets here and there, bulk resales could result in canceled orders or restricted future access. Use caution when reselling prized early access seats.
Can you get a refund on early access tickets?
In most cases, Ticketmaster’s standard refund policies still apply to early access purchases. So if an event is postponed, rescheduled, or canceled, you can get a full refund on presale ticket orders.
If you cannot attend the event for personal reasons, you can often resell tickets yourself through Ticketmaster’s verified resale platform. Some presale tickets may be non-transferrable though, so check any restrictions before purchasing.
Otherwise, presale ticket purchases are generally final like regular sales. But you still retain options if the event itself changes or cancels. Protect yourself by only using trusted sites like Ticketmaster for early ticket purchases.
Is Ticketmaster’s early access better than other presales?
Ticketmaster has a dominant position in ticketing, so their early access presales tend to offer the widest selection of seats, exclusive inventory, and easiest purchasing experience.
However, artists, venues, sponsors, and other parties also often run special presales of their own in the days leading up to Ticketmaster. These can still give fans an advantage before the notorious Ticketmaster onsale rush.
In general, it’s smart to utilize any and all presale opportunities you qualify for – not just Ticketmaster’s early access. More presales mean more chances to score great seats. But Ticketmaster still provides one of the best presale experiences with the most available inventory when available.
Is early access always better than waiting for the general onsale?
In most cases, early presale access will improve your odds of getting good tickets compared to waiting for the chaotic general onsale.
However, there are some exceptions where the general onsale may be the smarter play:
- If presales are still ongoing – Additional ticket inventory is sometimes held back for the public onsale.
- If it’s a less popular event – Presales may not be as necessary if demand is lower.
- If you have an Amex card – Amex cardholders get their own presale during general sales.
- If you qualify for a fan club presale – Fan club sales often have the most exclusive inventory.
In general though, early presale access is extremely useful for competitive events. Signing up for Ticketmaster’s early access gives you a powerful advantage as a fan trying to secure the best seats.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s early access presales give fans a valuable head start on purchasing tickets for in-demand concerts, sporting events, and other major live entertainment experiences. By signing up for an account, watching for presale emails, and acting quickly, you can greatly improve your chances of scoring seats before the general public has access.
Just keep in mind that hot events will still sell out fast even during presales. So you need to be vigilant and prepared to purchase as soon as early access begins. Utilize all the presale opportunities available to you, and keep the faith if you have trouble scoring tickets at first. Persistence and continued efforts will eventually pay off!