If you’ve ever bought tickets on Ticketmaster, you may have noticed a confusing message after completing your purchase – “Your tickets will be ready shortly before the event.” This seems counterintuitive, as most people expect to receive their tickets immediately after buying them online. However, there are a few reasons why Ticketmaster doesn’t deliver e-tickets right away.
Ticket Transfer Delays
One of the main reasons for the delay in e-ticket delivery is to accommodate ticket transfers. Ticketmaster allows ticket buyers to easily transfer tickets to someone else through its ticket transfer function. However, to prevent fraud, Ticketmaster waits until closer to the event date to release the tickets.
This is because if tickets were transferred immediately after being purchased, the original buyer would still have a copy of the e-ticket that they could potentially sell to someone else. By waiting until near the event date, Ticketmaster can ensure any transfers have been fully processed before releasing the tickets.
How Ticket Transfers Work
When you purchase tickets on Ticketmaster, the tickets are associated with your Ticketmaster account. To transfer tickets to someone else, you simply use the Ticketmaster app or website to initiate a ticket transfer.
You enter the recipient’s email address or Ticketmaster account. The recipient then has to accept the transfer. Once accepted, the tickets get removed from your account and added to the recipient’s account. Both parties receive confirmation emails.
This process can take anywhere from several hours to days. So Ticketmaster waits to deliver the e-tickets until right before the event, by which point any transfers should be fully complete.
Preventing Resales and Fraud
In addition to allowing time for transfers, the delayed e-ticket delivery helps prevent unauthorized resales and fraud.
Ticketmaster uses a number of strategies to discourage ticket scalping and overpricing, including:
- Limits on the number of tickets that can be purchased
- captcha verification codes to prevent automated bulk purchases
- Cancelling orders identified as suspicious
However, the most effective anti-scalping tactic is to withhold e-tickets until shortly before events. This minimizes the window in which tickets can be resold at inflated prices.
How Scalpers Try to Game the System
Ticket scalpers employ a number of tactics to quickly resell event tickets at higher prices:
- Using bot networks to rapidly purchase tickets the moment they go on sale
- Creating multiple user accounts to circumvent ticket limits
- Using stolen credit cards or user accounts to purchase tickets fraudulently
However, scalpers need actual e-ticket files in order to relist them for resale on secondary sites. Withholding e-tickets until right before events helps cut off scalpers’ ability to resell.
Reducing Strain on Servers
Finally, the delayed e-ticket delivery helps manage server loads for Ticketmaster. Major concerts and shows can sell hundreds of thousands of tickets in a short period of time. Sending out all e-tickets at once could potentially overwhelm Ticketmaster’s servers.
Instead, Ticketmaster staggers e-ticket delivery in batches over the days leading up to an event. This smoothes out server demand and reduces the risk of crashes or lags.
How Many Tickets Can Be Generated Per Second
Ticketmaster has not publicly shared specifics on their e-ticket generation capabilities. However, most modern cloud-based systems are capable of generating tens of thousands of e-tickets per second.AWS, a popular cloud platform, can handle over a million requests per second.
However, peak demand for popular shows could potentially exceed e-ticket generation speeds if they were all sent simultaneously. Spreading out distribution reduces this risk.
| Event | Tickets Sold | Ticket Sales Period |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Sheeran Stadium Tour | 750,000 | First 24 hours |
| Taylor Swift Reputation Tour | 2 million | First week |
Staggering e-ticket delivery for events like these that sell hundreds of thousands of tickets quickly is prudent to avoid overloading servers.
When Are Tickets Delivered?
Given the factors above, when exactly are e-tickets delivered by Ticketmaster?
It can vary depending on the event, but generally Ticketmaster releases e-tickets in batches starting 4-6 weeks before an event. All tickets should be delivered 1-3 days before the event.
Users can check the status of their order on Ticketmaster’s website. Initially, it may show as “processing.” As the event gets closer, it will update to “pending” or “completed,” indicating tickets are ready.
Getting Tickets Earlier
In some cases, buyers may be able to get their e-tickets earlier by contacting Ticketmaster customer support. For example, if you need to provide your ticket information for a travel visa application, they may be able to issue them sooner.
There is also an option to pay an additional Express Delivery fee on some event pages. This guarantees e-tickets will be delivered within minutes rather than weeks.
Mobile Tickets
Instead of e-tickets, Ticketmaster now offers Mobile Entry for many events. This allows attendees to use their phones to gain entry, without needing printed or downloaded tickets.
Event organizers have to enable Mobile Entry. If available, users will see a “Use Mobile Entry” option during checkout. The tickets will then be ready instantly under “My Events” in the Ticketmaster app.
Mobile Entry eliminates the need to delay ticket delivery altogether. It provides a more seamless experience for attendees while still securing tickets against unauthorized resale and transfers.
Checking into Events
With Mobile Entry, users open the Ticketmaster app and select the event to pull up a scannable barcode. Event staff simply scan this mobile barcode to validate and authorize entry.
The app also allows re-entry in case attendees leave the venue and return later. Staff can re-scan the barcode again for re-entry.
Pickup Options
Rather than e-tickets or Mobile Entry, some events require physical tickets. In these cases, Ticketmaster may offer Will Call pickup or home delivery.
Will Call allows buyers to pick up tickets at the venue on the day of the event. Tickets are held under the purchaser’s name at Box Office Will Call for pickup by showing ID.
Home or UPS delivery ships physical ticket stock to buyers by mail carriers like FedEx or UPS. Ticketmaster charges a delivery fee for this service.
Since both these options rely on physical ticket stock, e-tickets also cannot be issued right away. Physical tickets are printed and shipped out in the weeks leading up to events.
Don’t Get Stuck at Will Call!
With Will Call pickup, be sure to allot time before the event starts to find parking and get your tickets. Venues may get crowded right as shows are about to begin, causing delays.
Also be 100% sure of the Will Call pickup location. Many big venues have multiple box office areas, and not knowing where to go adds unnecessary stress.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few core reasons Ticketmaster withholds e-tickets until just before an event:
- Allowing time for ticket transfers to process
- Preventing unauthorizeed resales and scalping
- Spreading out server demand
Mobile Entry is slowly eliminating the need for delivery delays. But for now, the wait for e-tickets builds in protections against scalpers and technical issues. Just be patient, and your tickets will be ready for showtime!