There are a few common reasons why Ticketmaster may not have processed your payment yet for an event ticket purchase. The most likely explanations include:
High demand causing payment processing delays
For very popular events that have just gone on sale, the massive influx of purchases can cause delays in the payment processing systems. This is especially true for high-profile concerts, sports events, and other hot ticket items where demand far exceeds supply. With thousands of fans all trying to buy tickets at the same moment, purchases may take longer than usual to get approved and finalized by Ticketmaster’s servers. This backup can last for several hours after the initial rush.
Issues on the buyer’s end with payment method
In some cases, the holdup with your Ticketmaster payment may be on your end, if there are insufficient funds in your account, your credit card is expired, your payment info is entered incorrectly, or there is another issue with the specific payment method you used. Ticketmaster’s system may attempt to process the transaction multiple times before eventually erroring out. You would need to verify your payment info is accurate and account has enough funds before trying to purchase the tickets again.
Glitches with Ticketmaster’s payment processing
Like any website with heavy traffic volume, Ticketmaster can occasionally experience technical issues on their end which delays or fails payments. Problems with their payment gateway integration, network infrastructure, or database servers could prevent purchases from getting approved in a timely manner. These problems tend to be isolated and temporary, but can still disrupt the normal seamless ticket buying process.
Detailed Explanation of Common Ticketmaster Payment Issues
Below is more detail on some of the specific payment problems customers may encounter when trying to buy tickets on Ticketmaster:
Insufficient account balance
Just like any other online purchase, if the bank account or credit/debit card you use for a Ticketmaster transaction does not have sufficient funds available, the payment will be declined. Be sure to check your current account balance before attempting to buy tickets.
Expired credit card
Using a credit or debit card that is already expired or expires before the event date can also cause problems at checkout. Ticketmaster’s system may return an error during processing. Make sure the card you use is valid and does not expire in the near future.
Incorrect payment information entered
One simple mistake when typing in your payment details like an inaccurate credit card number, wrong security code, misspelled billing address, or other invalid info can derail the whole Ticketmaster checkout process. Double and triple check all fields before submitting.
Fraud protection holds from your bank
If you rarely use your credit/debit card for online purchases, your bank may flag the Ticketmaster transaction as suspicious and prevent it from going through immediately. You may need to confirm with your bank that the charge is valid before it is approved.
High website traffic overloads servers
During peak sales for hot events like playoffs, concerts, festivals, and more, the massive influx of users can cripple Ticketmaster’s servers and cause slow payment processing. This tends to resolve itself after the initial rush, but can be frustrating in the moment.
Integration issues with payment gateways
Problems with Ticketmaster’s connections to payment gateways like Paypal, Apple Pay, Visa Checkout, and others can interfere with transactions being completed. Technical glitches may prevent the handoff from Ticketmaster to the payment platform.
Network outages or downtime
Any internet connectivity issues that take Ticketmaster’s servers offline or makes the website inaccessible can obviously prevent payments from being processed. Even brief outages during high traffic sales can derail thousands of ticket purchases.
Troubleshooting Your Ticketmaster Order Payment
If your Ticketmaster transaction stalls out during payment processing, here are some troubleshooting tips to help resolve the issue:
Refresh and try again
For minor technical glitches, refreshing your browser page and trying to submit the payment again often works. Sometimes the page just needs to be reloaded.
Use a different payment method
Switching to another payment option like a different credit card, PayPal, gift card, etc. will rule out any issues being tied to one specific payment method.
Contact your bank
If fraud protection holds or insufficient funds are preventing payment approval, you’ll need to address that with your bank before Ticketmaster can process the transaction.
Update payment details
Make sure your credit card, billing address, and other payment details are all valid and entered correctly. Fix any typos or expired info.
Call Ticketmaster customer support
If you cannot resolve the payment issue yourself, Ticketmaster customer service agents can look into the problem and may have backend tools to force through the purchase.
Use a different device
Sometimes the issue may be tied to your specific device. Switching to another computer, mobile phone, tablet, etc. can help rule out device-specific problems.
Try again later after rush dies down
For very popular events, waiting until the initial sales frenzy has calmed down may allow payments to process normally after traffic has died down.
Clear browser cookies and cache
Clearing your browser data and cookies could eliminate corrupted files that are disrupting the Ticketmaster payment process.
Preventing Ticketmaster Payment Problems
Here are some tips to avoid running into payment failures when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster in the future:
Check account balances before ticket sales
Make sure your bank account or credit card has sufficient funds to cover ticket purchases before sales open. Having enough available funds prevents declined transactions.
Use up-to-date payment methods
Before buying tickets, double check that your credit card does not expire for many months and update card info if needed. Use current payment methods.
Enter info slowly and carefully
When inputting payment details, type slowly and carefully to avoid typos in credit card numbers, addresses, names, etc. Accurate info is critical.
Choose your payment option early
During the Ticketmaster checkout process, select your payment method immediately rather than waiting til the last step. This prevents payment problems.
Use auto-fill for payment data
Saved payment options and auto-fill features help populate your details correctly every time. This minimizes mistakes.
Create Ticketmaster account ahead of time
Having an account already set up with your payment info saved will expedite ticket purchases rather than entering it each time.
Avoid ticket buying rush times
Purchasing tickets right when sales open or during peak demand causes more payment issues. Buy during off-peak hours if you can.
Using Alternative Ticket Sites
If you continue having payment difficulties when trying to buy tickets through Ticketmaster directly, here are some alternative ticket resale sites and options worth considering:
StubHub
StubHub is one of the largest secondary marketplaces for ticket resales. Fans sell event tickets they can’t use. Selection is robust and payments are typically more reliable.
Vivid Seats
Vivid Seats is another major ticket reseller platform with a wide variety of seats available for purchase via reliable payment processing.
SeatGeek
SeatGeek is a ticket aggregator that compiles listings from many sources including resellers. Great way to comparison shop.
Craigslist
Craigslist has basic ticket sales functionality and lets you buy directly from other local fans, but exercise caution when using cash payments.
Facebook Groups and Marketplace
Join event-specific groups and buy from fans. Also browse Facebook Marketplace for local ticket sales using buyer protection.
eBay
eBay has robust buyer protection programs and event ticket listings, though prices are often inflated over face value.
TicketmasterVerified Resale
Ticketmaster’s own resale site lets season ticket holders and others sell unwanted tickets securely. All are 100% verified valid.
Getting Help from Ticketmaster
If you continue having unresolved payment issues when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster, here are some tips for getting customer support:
Live chat for real-time help
Ticketmaster offers live chat support on their website. Chat in real-time with a support agent to get your problem addressed.
Call support line
You can call Ticketmaster’s toll-free customer service line for personalized assistance from a support rep to diagnose your payment problem.
Direct message on social media
The Ticketmaster Twitter and Facebook accounts can be direct messaged for help. Include your order details. Agents may respond with payment solutions.
Email customer service
Send an email to Ticketmaster customer support explaining your payment issue in detail. Be sure to include your order confirmation number.
Check help site for FAQs
Ticketmaster has an extensive help database online with FAQs that might have answers related to your specific payment problem scenario.
Bottom Line
Ticketmaster’s ticket sales platform sees extremely heavy traffic for big events, so payment issues are not uncommon. With patience and some troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve most problems. Verify your payment details are correct, refresh to process again, use alternate payment methods, clear your browser data, and reach out to customer support if needed. Consider resellers as a backup option too.
