There are a few potential reasons why Ticketmaster may tell you that you have exceeded the ticket limit when trying to purchase tickets online:
Ticket Limits Per Purchase
Many major concerts, shows, and sporting events that use Ticketmaster will set a limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased in a single transaction. This is to discourage ticket brokers and scalpers from buying up all of the seats and then reselling them at higher prices.
The exact ticket limit can vary based on the event. For very high demand shows, the limit may be as low as 2 or 4 tickets per purchase. For less popular events, it might be 6 or 8 tickets per order.
If you are trying to buy a large number of tickets as a group or for a big party, you may run into the ticket limit and get an error saying you have exceeded the allowed quantity. In this case, you would need to split up your order and make multiple separate purchases to get the full number of tickets you need.
Account Limits
In addition to per-transaction limits, Ticketmaster also sets account limits on the total number of tickets that can be purchased over a period of time using the same account.
For example, your Ticketmaster account might have a limit of 8 ticket purchases per month or a maximum of 10 tickets bought over a 12-month rolling period. These types of restrictions are meant to discourage resellers from constantly buying tickets in bulk on the same account.
If you have purchased a lot of tickets recently, you may hit your account’s rolling limit. When this happens, Ticketmaster will temporarily lock your account from making further ticket purchases and display an error that you have exceeded the limit.
Typically, the lock on your account will be lifted after a certain period of time passes. For instance, a monthly limit would reset after 30 days. You would then be able to purchase more tickets on that account.
Verifying Your Identity
Ticketmaster may also show an exceeded limit error if there are issues verifying your identity or account details.
Purchasing event tickets requires providing personal and payment information like your name, address, and credit card details. Ticketmaster has several fraud detection measures that check the data you submit during checkout.
If any of your information raises red flags or cannot be properly verified, Ticketmaster may prevent the transaction from going through. The system will block further purchases and display an “exceeded limit” message to stop potentially fraudulent orders.
In this scenario, you would need to make sure all of your account details are accurate and then possibly try again with a different payment method that can be validated.
High Demand and Technical Issues
For extremely popular events like playoffs, championships, or concerts by major artists, Ticketmaster servers often get overwhelmed by the huge number of fans all trying to buy tickets at the same time.
To help prevent their website from crashing due to excess traffic, Ticketmaster may activate temporary ticket limits or buying waiting rooms to meter out the flow of purchases.
In some cases, you may get an error saying you exceeded the limit due to general high demand during the on-sale rush, rather than any limits specific to your account.
Similarly, occasional technical issues on Ticketmaster’s side can also cause incorrect ticket limit errors to pop up during checkout. Things like website glitches, overloaded databases, or faulty fraud detection algorithms can all interfere with the ticket transaction process.
In these scenarios of super high demand or technical problems, all you can really do is keep trying or wait until the issues subside on Ticketmaster’s end.
Tips for Avoiding Ticket Limit Issues
Here are some tips to help avoid running into ticket limit errors when using Ticketmaster:
- Check the event page ahead of time for any posted ticket limits per order.
- Make sure your Ticketmaster account details are up to date and payment info is valid.
- Stick below account rolling limits by spacing out ticket purchases over time.
- Use multiple different Ticketmaster accounts and payment methods as needed.
- For high demand events, log on right at the scheduled on-sale time and check out swiftly.
- If you run into errors, keep trying periodically before the event sells out.
- Call Ticketmaster customer support if problems persist for help troubleshooting.
Contacting Ticketmaster Support
If you are consistently running into Ticketmaster ticket limit errors that you cannot resolve, it is best to reach out directly to their customer support team for assistance.
You can contact Ticketmaster customer service by:
- Calling their support phone number: 1-800-653-8000
- Using their online contact form to explain the issue
- Engaging with support reps via Ticketmaster’s social media channels
- Visiting a Ticketmaster ticket office in person for help
When you contact support, be prepared to provide details like:
- The specific error message you received.
- The event you were trying to buy tickets for.
- How many tickets you were attempting to purchase.
- Whether you encountered per transaction or account limits.
Ticketmaster customer service should be able to look into your account, identify any potential restrictions, and either remove blocks if they are invalid or explain what limits are still in effect.
Getting Help from the Box Office
For issues with high demand events, you may also want to reach out directly to the box office for that event’s specific venue.
Often the box office can provide assistance with getting tickets even when online sales are running into difficulties. They will have access to certain ticket blocks, pre-sales, or waiting lists that you cannot get through the Ticketmaster website.
Connecting directly with the source venue’s box office provides another alternative option for purchasing tickets aside from strictly using Ticketmaster.
Using an Authorized Ticket Reseller
If Ticketmaster ticket limits are preventing you from getting enough seats together for your group, another legal option is to use an authorized ticket reseller or broker.
Ticketmaster itself offers ticket resale services through their Ticketmaster Resale and TicketExchange platforms.
These resellers legally obtain tickets and then relist them for sale, often in large blocks that are ideal for big parties. Prices are generally marked up compared to face value.
While more expensive, authorized resellers can provide an alternative source of tickets when running into Ticketmaster ticket limits.
Trying Again Later or at Box Office
For sold out events, if you absolutely need more tickets, your last resort may be to try again later closer to the event.
Sometimes last minute batch ticket releases or cancellations free up seats close to event dates.
Planning far ahead and staggering ticket purchases is still always best to avoid ticket limit problems altogether though.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster ticket limits aim to provide fair access to high demand tickets and prevent scalping abuse. But the limits can be frustrating when you are trying to get seats together for a group event.
Careful planning around purchase timing, verification of account details, contacting support, and utilizing authorized resellers can help maximize your chances of getting the tickets you need within Ticketmaster’s system constraints.
With some persistence and creativity, you can usually find a way to get the tickets you want even when hitting initial ticket limits.
