There are a few common reasons why your Ticketmaster tickets may be set to will call rather than sent to you directly. The main reasons include:
You Purchased the Tickets Too Close to the Event Date
If you buy tickets through Ticketmaster within a certain window of the event date, often 5-7 days, they will automatically be set for will call pickup rather than mailed to you. This is because there is not enough time for the tickets to be mailed out and received before the event starts.
Ticketmaster does this to ensure tickets are available for pickup on the day of the show, even if there are mail delays that could prevent mailed tickets from arriving on time. So if you purchase tickets less than a week before the event, you should expect to pick them up at will call.
The Event Organizer Requested Will Call Tickets
For some events, the organizer or venue requests that all tickets be set to will call pickup rather than mailed out. They may do this for high demand shows to reduce scalping and resales, or to have more control over ticket distribution.
So if it is a popular concert or show that is likely to sell out quickly, the organizer may require will call ticket fulfillment through Ticketmaster to manage the ticket process. This means your only option is to pick up tickets at the venue box office even if you purchased well in advance.
You Selected Will Call Delivery
When purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster, you usually have the option to select mail delivery or will call pickup. So your tickets could be at will call simply because you chose that option during the checkout process.
Reasons you may have manually selected will call delivery include:
- You don’t have time to receive mailed tickets before the event
- You don’t want to risk lost or stolen tickets in the mail
- You waited too long to buy tickets and will call was the only delivery method available
- You plan to give the tickets to someone else so want to pick them up directly
So before assuming it was an automatic setting, double check that you did not select will call pickup when purchasing your Ticketmaster tickets.
You Changed Your Delivery Method
If you originally had mail delivery for your Ticketmaster tickets, you may have subsequently changed it to will call pickup.
Ticketmaster allows you to modify your ticket delivery method any time before the tickets are shipped. So if your plans changed after purchasing, you may have logged in to your Ticketmaster account and updated the delivery to will call pickup rather than mail.
Be sure to check your delivery details whenever accessing your Ticketmaster account to confirm they still reflect your preferred method. If you notice it was changed to will call unexpectedly, you can switch it back to mail delivery if needed.
There Was an Error with Mail Delivery
In some cases, Ticketmaster may automatically switch your ticket delivery to will call if there are errors processing your mail shipment.
Potential reasons this could occur include:
- Your mailing address was incomplete or contained errors
- Your mail delivery was undeliverable for any reason
- You did not provide enough time for mail delivery before the event date
If Ticketmaster runs into issues shipping out the tickets by mail, they will void the mail shipment and automatically switch the method to will call pickup to ensure you still get the tickets in time for the event.
You Selected Mobile Ticket Delivery
If you chose mobile ticket delivery, you may need to pick up a physical ticket at will call still in some situations. With mobile ticketing, you get a digital ticket on your phone through the Ticketmaster app rather than a paper ticket by mail.
Mobile tickets may require you to stop at will call to exchange your digital ticket for an actual ticket, wristband, or other required entry for certain events. So you may see “will call” listed as the delivery method even though you are using a mobile ticket.
You’re Picking Up Tickets for Someone Else
When you purchase tickets for someone else through Ticketmaster, the tickets are automatically set to will call pickup.
This is because Ticketmaster requires the original purchaser to be present with ID in order to pick up tickets on someone else’s behalf. So buying tickets for a friend, family member, client, etc. always requires a will call pickup.
If you intend to transfer tickets you purchased to another person, make sure they are aware the tickets will only be available for pickup at will call under your name and ID.
Conclusion
In most cases, if your Ticketmaster tickets ended up at will call unexpectedly, it is due to purchasing too close to the event date, delivery issues, or organizer policies. But in some cases it may also be due to your own selection during or after purchase.
Be sure to review order confirmations carefully any time you buy tickets through Ticketmaster and double check your delivery method if anything seems amiss. You can typically log in and modify the delivery to mail if needed, as long as there is still time to receive mail delivery before the event starts.
And if your tickets did unintentionally get switched to will call, contact Ticketmaster Fan Support for help resolving the issue and getting your ticket delivery method updated if possible.