Why is my Ticketmaster purchase still pending?

There are a few reasons why your Ticketmaster purchase may still be pending. Here are some of the most common causes and what you can do about it:

Your payment is still being processed

If you just completed your Ticketmaster order, it may take some time for the payment to go through. Ticketmaster will first authorize the charge, which puts a temporary hold on the funds. Then once it clears with your bank, the payment will fully process and the tickets will be released.

This pending period can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 1-2 business days. It depends on your bank’s processing times. All you need to do is wait it out, and avoid making any changes to your credit card account until it goes through.

Tips to speed up payment processing

• Use a debit card or credit card without international transaction fees. Foreign cards tend to take longer.
• Make sure your billing address matches what’s on file with your bank.
• Contact your bank to make sure there are no holds or issues on your account.

Your order is awaiting fraud review

For security purposes, Ticketmaster reviews some orders more closely to check for fraudulent activity. If your purchase gets flagged, it can remain pending for 72 hours or more while they manually review it.

Some signs your order may be under fraud review include if you’re using a new credit card, billing to a different address, or if the event is high demand. Purchasing a lot of tickets very quickly can also sometimes trigger further scrutiny.

Ways to avoid fraud review delays

• Make sure your Ticketmaster account is fully verified with your personal info.
• Use a saved card or address you’ve purchased with before.
• Buy from the original on-sale, not resale market.
• Only buy reasonably priced tickets.

If it’s been over 72 hours, you can reach out to Ticketmaster Customer Service to check if your order is still being reviewed.

There was an error with the event or tickets

In some cases, your Ticketmaster order can remain pending because there is some kind of issue with the event or specific tickets you tried to buy. This usually occurs if:

• The tickets go on sale earlier or later than planned.
• The event details change (date, venue, canceled event).
• The ticket quantity sells out before your purchase is processed.
• The tickets have expired from your cart.

If this happens, Ticketmaster will cancel your order and refund your payment. You’ll get an email notification that your purchase could not be completed. All you can really do is try again once the event or ticket details are sorted out.

Your payment method was declined

If there are insufficient funds on your credit card or it was declined for another reason, your Ticketmaster order will remain stuck in pending status indefinitely.

Go check your credit card account to make sure the pending charge is still there. If the charge disappeared, that means it was voided due to a declination. Some reasons your card may have been declined include:

• Insufficient funds
• Expired card
• Card suspended due to fraud concerns
• Card not authorized for online purchases

You will need to update your Ticketmaster account with a new valid payment method as soon as possible. The tickets may get released back into the general inventory if you don’t complete the purchase.

You’re using Ticketmaster Verified Resale

Ticketmaster Verified Resale is Ticketmaster’s official resale marketplace for fans to resell event tickets. Purchases made on Verified Resale follow a different process than regular Ticketmaster tickets:

• The order remains “pending” while Ticketmaster contacts the seller to confirm they can fulfill the order.
• Delivery method must be selected. Etickets are released quickly. Hard tickets cause an additional shipping delay.
• The charge remains authorized until after the event date when the seller gets paid.

So in summary, Verified Resale orders take longer to process due to the extra seller confirmation and settlement steps after the event occurs. Be patient, and make sure you selected instant e-delivery if you need the tickets right away.

What to do if your order is still pending

If your Ticketmaster order remains stuck in a pending state for an extended time, take these steps to try and resolve it:

1. Check your email inbox for any messages from Ticketmaster about order updates or cancellations.
2. Log into your Ticketmaster account and verify your order status is still processing.
3. Double check with your bank that the pending charge is still active.
4. Contact Ticketmaster Fan Support by phone or chat to have an agent review your order details. They can confirm if it’s delayed due to fraud review or another issue.
5. If you did not receive order confirmation within 3 business days, request a refund.

As long as the pending charge remains on your account, your tickets are most likely secured. But if the order has been stuck for several days with no updates, you may have to cancel and repurchase the tickets if needed.

How to prevent pending orders in the future

To help your future Ticketmaster purchases process faster with fewer pending delays, follow these tips:

• Register for a Ticketmaster account and fill out your profile completely.
• Save your preferred payment method and billing address to your account.
• Only buy tickets from the primary market, not resale sites.
• Use an accepted digital wallet like Apple Pay that has built-in fraud protection.
• Buy early during presales or when tickets first go on sale.
• Avoid buying tickets last minute right before an event.
• Purchase from a consistent IP address you regularly use like home or work.
• Stick with mid-price range tickets, not the most expensive (or cheapest) seats.

Keeping your account updated and only making reasonable purchases through official channels will streamline the process. Have patience that pending orders can take a couple days to clear. If you follow up with Ticketmaster as needed, you can receive assistance or get refunded in the rare case your purchase does not complete.

Conclusion

Pending Ticketmaster orders are generally nothing to worry about. In most cases, they are simply awaiting payment clearance or fraud review and will complete within 72 hours. If you don’t receive a specific cancellation notice, keep an eye on your bank account for the pending charge until it disappears or posts. For further help, be sure to contact Ticketmaster Fan Support. They can look into your order status and details to determine what is causing the delay.