There are a few common reasons why you might get an error from Ticketmaster saying your phone number is invalid when trying to purchase tickets:
You entered your phone number incorrectly
The most likely reason for getting an invalid phone number error is that you simply entered your phone number incorrectly while filling out the ticket purchase form. Here are some things to double check:
- Make sure you entered the correct country code if your number is outside the US. The country code for the US and Canada is +1.
- Double check that you entered the phone number digits correctly and didn’t transpose any numbers.
- Omit any spaces, dashes, or parentheses. Phone numbers should be entered as a continuous string of 10 digits (11 digits including the country code).
- Make sure your phone number matches the number format of the country you’re purchasing tickets in. Some countries have variable digit lengths for phone numbers.
Carefully re-entering your full phone number should resolve an invalid number error if you simply made a typo.
Your phone number is already associated with another account
Many people have multiple Ticketmaster accounts for various reasons. If you try to purchase tickets while signed into one account with a phone number that’s already associated with another Ticketmaster account, it will cause an error.
To fix this:
- Make sure you are signed into the correct Ticketmaster account that is already associated with the phone number you’re entering.
- If you’re trying to use a new Ticketmaster account, update the phone number on your existing account first to disassociate it.
- You can also try signing out of your Ticketmaster account and proceed as a guest, then enter the phone number you want.
Your number is flagged as a VOIP number
To help prevent scalpers and ticket brokers from abusing the system, Ticketmaster tries to detect and restrict certain types of numbers:
- VOIP numbers from services like Google Voice or Skype are frequently blocked.
- Temporary “burner” numbers are often blocked.
- Numbers associated with call forwarding services or other telephony tricks can get flagged.
Unfortunately if your personal number happens to be flagged as one of these number types in Ticketmaster’s system, it can cause your number to be considered invalid even if you’re just a regular customer.
To avoid this problem:
- Try using a more permanent cell phone number or landline number.
- Verify your number with Ticketmaster ahead of time before attempting to purchase tickets.
- Use a different number that you know has worked successfully for Ticketmaster purchases in the past.
Your phone carrier isn’t supported
For some events that have high demand and strict ticket limits, Ticketmaster will only accept ticket purchases from phone numbers associated with major US carriers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.
If you’re using a small regional carrier or prepaid phone plan, your carrier might be blocked for ticket purchases to certain events. To work around this:
- Try purchasing tickets while connected to a different WiFi network or mobile data service to change your apparent carrier.
- Have someone with an accepted carrier purchase tickets on your behalf using their number.
- Purchase a cheap prepaid SIM card from an accepted carrier just for purchasing the tickets.
You have hit Ticketmaster’s ticket purchase limits
To block scalpers and give more fans a chance to buy tickets, Ticketmaster enforces strict limits on the number of tickets that can be purchased from a single account, credit card, mailing address, IP address, etc. If you happen to hit those limits, further attempts will be blocked.
Potential ways to get around the limits include:
- Using a different Ticketmaster account than the one that previously purchased tickets.
- Purchasing from a different IP address, like your mobile data instead of home WiFi.
- Using someone else’s payment details and mailing address.
- Spacing out your ticket purchases over several weeks or months.
Keep in mind that violating Ticketmaster’s purchase limits does breach their terms of service.
There was a technical error during ticket processing
With a high volume ticketing site like Ticketmaster handling millions of ticket purchases, technical issues can randomly occur during the ticket checkout process:
- Connection errors or interruptions during checkout.
- Glitches when passing data between pages.
- Errors validating fields like your phone number.
Often these are just random one-off technical problems. Trying again or taking the following steps may resolve them:
- Clear your browser cookies and cache before trying again.
- Try a different web browser or device.
- Use a more stable/faster internet connection.
- If possible, complete the purchase on a desktop computer rather than mobile.
Here is a summary of the potential causes and solutions:
| Potential Cause | Solutions |
|---|---|
| You entered the number incorrectly | Double check the number entered matches your phone number format |
| Number associated with another account | Sign into the correct Ticketmaster account. Update phone number on existing accounts. |
| VOIP or virtual number | Try a different permanent number that Ticketmaster verifies. |
| Unsupported phone carrier | Use a supported carrier phone number. Use WiFi or another mobile network. |
| Hit ticket purchase limit | Use different account, payment details, IP address, mailing address. Spread out purchases. |
| Random technical error | Retry purchase. Clear cookies and cache. Use different device or browser. |
Conclusion
Being unable to complete a ticket purchase because of an invalid phone number error can be frustrating. But in most cases, the problem can be resolved by double checking your number entry, ensuring you use the right Ticketmaster account, updating your account info, using supported contact details, and retrying the purchase.
If none of these basic troubleshooting tips work, it’s best to contact Ticketmaster customer support for additional assistance in determining why your phone number isn’t being accepted.
