Trying to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster but running into problems with your payment not going through can be incredibly frustrating. There are a variety of reasons why Ticketmaster may not be accepting your payment, from issues on your end to problems with their system. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through all the potential causes and solutions to help you get those tickets secured.
Your Payment Method is Declined
The most common reason for payment issues on Ticketmaster is that the specific card or payment method you are trying to use is being declined. There are several possible reasons your payment method may be declined:
- Insufficient funds – If you don’t have enough money in your account or available credit on your card, the payment will be declined. Check your balance and ensure you have enough available.
- Expired card – If your credit or debit card is past its expiration date, it will be declined. Update your card information in your Ticketmaster account.
- Fraud prevention hold – Your bank may have placed a hold on your card if they detected suspicious activity. Call your bank to remove the hold.
- Payment method not accepted – Certain cards or payment types may not be accepted. Use a different card or payment method.
- Billing address mismatch – The billing address entered must match what your bank has on file. Double check you entered it correctly.
If your payment method is declined, first double check the information entered is correct. If it is, you’ll need to use a different payment method that will go through, update the card information, or contact your bank to resolve any holds or insufficient fund issues.
Website Errors
Sometimes issues on Ticketmaster’s end can prevent payments from going through properly. Here are some common website errors that could occur:
- Timeout errors – If the website times out before your transaction completes, it may appear the payment didn’t go through. However, it still may have been processed. Check your bank account before trying again.
- Error codes – Specific error codes may display if something went wrong. Take note of these codes and contact Ticketmaster support.
- Pages not loading – Glitchy pages, broken links, or trouble loading booking pages can prevent successful payment.
- System outages – During high traffic sales, the site may go down temporarily. Try again later.
For website issues, try refreshing the page, clearing your browsing history/cookies, using a different browser, or coming back later. If errors persist, contact Ticketmaster support with any error codes that appeared.
Account Restrictions
In some cases, restrictions on your Ticketmaster account could prevent payment from being processed:
- Verification required – If your account is not verified, Ticketmaster may require ID verification before accepting payment.
- Payment restrictions – They may limit how many transactions or total dollar amount you can process within a certain timeframe as a fraud prevention measure.
- Account frozen/suspended – If there was suspicious activity on your account, Ticketmaster may temporarily freeze purchases.
If you run into account restrictions, you’ll need to complete any requested verification steps and check in with Ticketmaster support to understand why restrictions have been placed. Doing so will likely resolve the payment issues.
High Demand Issues
For extremely popular events or concert tours, Ticketmaster will see huge spikes in traffic. This can lead to the following issues:
- Overloaded servers
- Crashed websites
- Jammed phone lines
- Tickets selling out in seconds
This level of high demand can make it extremely difficult to process payments and secure tickets before they sell out. To increase your chances, be ready right when tickets go on sale and use Ticketmaster tips for high demand purchases:
- Set up an account ahead of time with payment details saved
- Use the Ticketmaster app which is more stable
- Have different browsers open to find one that loads
- Stay calm and keep trying if payments fail; don’t give up right away
Persistence and preparation will be key to push that payment through amidst the buying frenzy of popular events.
Possible Ways to Resolve Payment Failures on Ticketmaster
If you’re running into payment issues that you cannot resolve on your own through Troubleshooting, here are a few ways Ticketmaster support may be able to help:
- Review error codes and determine cause of failure
- Run a diagnostic test on your account
- Attempt the transaction internally on their end
- Whitelist your account to remove verification holds or restrictions
- Increase payment method limits temporarily
- Offer alternative payment methods like PayPal
Be ready to provide detailed information to support about the circumstances of the failed payments. Screenshots of errors can also help them resolve it faster.
Prevent Future Payment Problems on Ticketmaster
Once you’ve resolved any immediate payment issues, take these steps to avoid repetition of the problems in the future:
- Save payment details – Storing payment information in your Ticketmaster account makes checkout faster and more seamless.
- Ensure accounts are verified – Complete ID verification steps when prompted to prevent restrictions.
- Check payment limits – Understand if there are caps on how much you can purchase within a certain timeframe.
- Keep card details updated – Don’t let your stored payment information expire to avoid declines.
- Add backup payments – Have multiple payment methods on file you can use if one fails.
Setting up your account properly and understanding Ticketmaster’s policies will make the booking and payment process much smoother.
Top Tips for Avoiding Ticketmaster Payment Issues
Here are our top tips for dodging problems with Ticketmaster rejecting your payments:
- Store valid payment information in your Ticketmaster account ahead of time.
- Double check all billing and payment details entered are completely accurate.
- Use a desktop computer instead of mobile when purchasing in-demand tickets.
- Have backups ready like another credit card or PayPal.
- For high-demand sales, be ready right at the on-sale time with details already filled in.
- Call your bank first to resolve any card issues like fraud holds or limits.
- If errors occur, take screenshots to share with Ticketmaster support.
- If all else fails, purchase directly through the box office to avoid the website.
Contact Ticketmaster Support
If you continue having unresolved payment issues on Ticketmaster, contacting their customer support is the next best step. Here are some ways to get help:
- Phone – Call their support line at +1 800-653-8000.
- Email – Reach out with details on your issue to [email protected].
- Chat – Use the live chat function through your Ticketmaster account.
- Social media – Tweet @Ticketmaster with your problem.
When you contact support, provide as much detail as possible including:
- The events you were trying to purchase tickets for
- Exact wording of any error messages
- Screenshots of failures occurring
- Transaction ID numbers if available
Equipping support with this information will help them troubleshoot and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. They have access to tools and diagnostics not available to regular users. If your case is complex, ask for it to be escalated to a supervisor for specialized assistance.
Use an Alternative Ticket Site
If you absolutely cannot get Ticketmaster to process your payment no matter what you try, last resort options are to purchase tickets through an alternative ticket site including:
- StubHub
- VividSeats
- SeatGeek
- RazorGator
- MegaSeats
- TickPick
These sites resell tickets purchased from Ticketmaster and other major ticket companies. Prices are often marked up compared to face value. However, these sites may be able to process your payment if Ticketmaster continues rejecting it.
Conclusion
Trouble having your payment go through on Ticketmaster can certainly be stressful and cause you to miss out on coveted tickets. However, in many cases, there are steps you can take to resolve the issues. Start by troubleshooting your payment method, account, and the website issues. If that fails, promptly contact support with detailed information to optimize your chances of a quick resolution. And as a last resort, check alternative ticket sites where you may have better luck completing your purchase. With persistence and savvy problem-solving, you’ll hopefully overcome the payment problems and get those fingers clicking triumphantly on the purchase confirmation page. Good luck scoring those tickets!