Selling tickets on Ticketmaster can be a great way to get rid of tickets you can no longer use. However, one question that often comes up is whether you get the fees back when you resell tickets on Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster charges various fees when you originally purchase tickets. These can include delivery fees, service fees, and facility fees among others. The fees are intended to cover the costs of running the Ticketmaster platform and can really add up, sometimes being 20% or more of the base ticket price.
So it’s understandable that when you go to resell a ticket, you would hope to recover not just the base ticket value but also all those fees you originally paid. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at Ticketmaster’s resale policies and see if you can get those fees back when reselling.
Do you get fees back when reselling tickets on Ticketmaster?
The short answer is no, you do not get the original fees back when reselling tickets on Ticketmaster.
When you resell tickets on Ticketmaster, you set the price you want to sell them for. Ticketmaster will then take a cut of the resale price as their resale fee. However, none of the original fees you paid when first buying the tickets are refunded or passed back to you as the seller.
So for example, if you originally bought a $100 ticket and paid $20 in fees, your total outlay was $120. When reselling the ticket, if you chose to sell it for $120, you would not get the full $120. Ticketmaster would take their cut of the resale price, say around $15. So you would end up with about $105, essentially eating the cost of the original $20 fees.
Breakdown of Fees on Ticketmaster
To fully understand why you don’t get fees back during a resale, it helps to know what kinds of fees Ticketmaster charges in the first place when you buy tickets. Here’s a quick rundown of the main fees:
Service fees
This is Ticketmaster’s main fee to use their platform and ranges from about 10-20% of the base ticket price. This helps fund their operating costs.
Delivery fees
This covers the costs of getting your tickets delivered and varies based on method. For example, standard mail delivery is around $5 while UPS 2-day shipping could be $20+.
Facility fees
This fee goes back to the venue to help cover their operations and maintenance. It’s generally $3-$10 per ticket.
Order processing fees
This smaller fee covers the costs of processing the ticket order, around $5-$10 per order.
Why don’t you get fees back when reselling tickets?
Now that we’ve looked at the various fees Ticketmaster charges, it becomes clearer why those fees are not refunded when you resell tickets. Let’s go through each fee type:
Service fees
These fees went to Ticketmaster for running their ticketing platform when you first bought the tickets. That service has already been delivered from their side, so they are not going to refund the fee when you resell.
Delivery fees
These covered the costs of having the tickets delivered to you initially. Again, that service was already rendered so Ticketmaster will not refund the delivery fee if you resell.
Facility fees
This money went to the venue and Ticketmaster has no basis to claw it back when you resell.
Order processing fees
The costs of processing your original order were already handled so these fees are non-refundable.
In summary, the key takeaway is that all the original fees covered services that were already completed for the original ticket buyer. Those costs do not need to be rendered again when the ticket is resold, so none of the fees get refunded.
Does Ticketmaster charge fees on resold tickets?
Yes, Ticketmaster does charge fees on resold tickets. These fees are lower than initial purchase fees but still must be factored in.
For example, when reselling a ticket, Ticketmaster may charge a 15% service fee. There can also be a delivery fee for the new buyer, as well as an order processing fee.
So if you sell a $100 ticket and Ticketmaster takes a $15 cut, the buyer would pay $100 + their own fees which could be $20. Overall the resale fees tend to be less but it still eats into your profits as a seller.
Tips to minimize fees when reselling tickets
While you can’t get your original fees back, here are some tips to minimize the bite that Ticketmaster’s resale fees take out of your profits:
Set your resale price strategically
Aim to cover the lost original fees in your resale price. For example, if you paid $20 in fees initially, try to incorporate that into the new price.
Use Fan-to-Fan resales
Ticketmaster’s Fan-to-Fan platform has lower resale fees around 10%, so more money ends up in your pocket.
Avoid delivery fees
Having the buyer pay for ticket delivery avoids this redundant cost. Electronic transfer also works if allowed.
Sell in high demand periods
When demand is high, buyers will put up with higher prices and fees. Big concerts, playoffs, etc. are good times to sell.
List on other resale sites too
You may be able to avoid Ticketmaster’s resale fees entirely by listing your tickets on competing exchanges like StubHub.
Selling platform fees comparison table
To see the potential savings from using other ticket resale platforms, here’s a comparison of estimated fees charged:
| Platform | Estimated Resale Fee |
|---|---|
| Ticketmaster | 10-20% of resale price |
| StubHub | 10-15% of resale price |
| VividSeats | 12-20% of resale price |
| SeatGeek | 10-20% of resale price |
As you can see, the major resale platforms all charge fairly similar fees. Ticketmaster is on the higher end, so you may want to list your tickets across multiple sites.
How much do sellers make on Ticketmaster resales?
To demonstrate how Ticketmaster’s resale fees affect seller profits, here’s an example scenario:
Say you originally purchased a concert ticket on Ticketmaster for $100, plus $20 in various fees. Your total cost was $120.
You now want to resell the ticket due to a schedule conflict. You list the ticket for resale at $150 which is the current market value.
On a $150 resale price, Ticketmaster takes around a 15% cut. That’s $22.50 in resale fees.
The buyer pays $150 plus their own fees estimated around $20.
As the seller, you pocket the resale price of $150 minus Ticketmaster’s $22.50 resale fee. That leaves you with $127.50.
So on a $150 resale, you netted $127.50. From your original $120 cost, you made $7.50 over your initial outlay. Not bad, but showing how the fees eat into profits.
Making the most money reselling tickets on Ticketmaster
Here are some final tips for maximizing your profits when reselling tickets on Ticketmaster:
– Set prices just below popular price points. For example, price at $194 instead of $200. psychologically seems more attractive.
– List very early or very late. Less competition means a higher sales price.
– Require electronic transfer. Avoid delivery fees cutting into profits.
– Note seat quality like aisle or front row. Buyers pay more for preference.
– Sweeten the deal like parking pass or VIP access. Added value brings higher prices.
– Time the market right. Big games or rival matches bring best resale demand.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster does not refund any of your original fees when reselling tickets. This includes delivery fees, service fees, and other charges. These fees covered services already rendered in the initial ticket purchase.
As the seller, you also pay Ticketmaster’s resale fee from your proceeds. This is around 10-20% of the resale price. After fees, sellers typically make 5-10% profit on the original amount spent.
To maximize your upside on Ticketmaster resales, optimize factors like pricing, fees charged, listing strategy, and market demand. With smart selling, you can offset those non-refundable fees and walk away with a nice profit.