I recently posted about how I got into reselling concert and theater tickets on StubHub. While StubHub is my primary venue for reselling tickets, I’ve recently started selling tickets on Ticketmaster as well. Ticketmaster resale is not an option for all tickets, but when it is available, I tend to favor it over StubHub. Here’s what I’ve learned about reselling tickets on Ticketmaster and why it’s sometimes better to list them on Ticketmaster instead of StubHub. Keep reading to learn how to sell tickets on Ticketmaster.
What You Need to Know About Selling Tickets on Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Fan-to-Fan resale is only available for certain events. If you’re tickets are eligible for resale, you’ll see this button on your order.
If you purchased tickets through a third party site or over the phone with Ticketmaster, your order will not be eligible for resale.
Listing tickets for resale on Ticketmaster is super easy. StubHub makes it simple, but since Ticketmaster is the original source of the tickets, they’re able to make the process even easier. No uploading PDFs or mailing tickets required! Instead the buyer gets their electronic version of the tickets instantly from Ticketmaster even if you bought hard stock tickets.
One thing I’ve noticed when listing tickets is that the price Ticketmaster says you paid is actually lower than what you really paid for the entire order. This is because they leave out the order processing fee and only show the ticket subtotal.
The ordering processing fee is less than $10 but it’s important to factor it in to ensure you won’t lose any money on the tickets.
It’s also important to note that some events will not let you sell the ticket below face value. This can be bad if you’re trying to get rid of tickets right before a show and you want to recoup at least some of what you spent. In this case, it’s best to head over to StubHub and list for whatever price you’d like.
When selling tickets on Ticketmaster, it’s easy to select which tickets from the order you want to sell. If you are selling two tickets, they’re guaranteed to be sold as a pair. For other combinations, here are the options Ticketmaster presents to buyers:
3 tickets – sold as 1 or 3
4 tickets – sold as 2 or 4
5 tickets – sold as 1, 2, 3, or 5
6 tickets – sold as 2, 4, or 6
7 tickets – sold as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7
8 tickets – sold as 2, 4, 6, or 8
When listing tickets, Ticketmaster shows you the price the buyer will see and the amount you will be paid if your tickets sell. The fee works out to about 14% of the sale price. This fee can vary based on your listing price. While higher than Stubhub’s 10% fee, Ticketmaster has some benefits over StubHub which I will describe below.
Why You Might Want to Choose Ticketmaster Over StubHub
The main reason I choose Ticketmaster over StubHub is because it can help you get around precautions by the venue that make reselling on StubHub difficult. First off, Ticketmaster resale will help you get around lengthy delivery delays. I bought tickets in January through Fan-to-Fan resale and received them instantly despite there being a delivery delay until June (the event is in August).
When you’re a seller, getting around a delivery delay can be really useful. I bought Hamilton Chicago tickets for a show almost a full year later. Since there is a delivery delay until 45 days before the show date, if I were to sell on StubHub, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill the order and get paid for almost a year!
Sometimes, StubHub only allows hard stock ticket sales. This generally happens for big events like Hamilton that aren’t distributing PDF tickets but rather mobile only tickets. Since there’s no way to transfer these tickets to a StubHub buyer, you’re out of luck for reselling on StubHub. While StubHub has no way of transferring the tickets, Ticketmaster sure does!
I also like using Ticketmaster Fan-to-Fan resale as a way to quickly flip tickets. For shows that will likely sell out quickly, if you purchase tickets through a presale or are able to snag a pair in the general onsale, fans who missed out on tickets will be eager to buy your resale tickets. The resale option doesn’t become available until the general onsale begins, but if you list your presale tickets ASAP, buyers will start seeing the option for resale tickets once the regular tickets are sold out. A person who missed out on tickets but still wants to see the show will likely buy the resale tickets, especially since Ticketmaster puts them right in their face. Some people may head over to StubHub, but it’s certainly easier to grab a pair through Ticketmaster resale.
A Word of Caution About Listing Tickets on Both Sites
Sometimes you’ll end up with tickets that aren’t selling well. It can be tempting to list your tickets on both StubHub and Ticketmaster. This is generally a bad idea since you run the risk of double selling the tickets. I’m not sure exactly what happens if you double sell your tickets, but you will likely face fees and possible suspension from both Ticketmaster and StubHub. Never start off by listing tickets on both sites since you aren’t sure how quickly they may sell. If you have some tickets that have been sitting around for a while, list them on both sites ONLY if you will always have access to your cell phone or a computer. Imagine going to a movie and leaving the theater to find two emails, one from StubHub and one from Ticketmaster, saying your tickets sold. No bueno. It’s up to you to decide if you want to take this risk, but it can be easy to forget they’re on both sites and can cause a lot of problems down the line.
Final Thoughts
While only available for certain events, Ticketmaster resale is an important option for reselling tickets. Not only does Ticketmaster make it easy to list tickets, some buyers might trust the Ticketmaster name over sites like StubHub. Ticketmaster resale has come in handy for me in a few situations like circumventing a Hamilton delivery delay. While I primarily sell on StubHub, I almost always choose Ticketmaster when the option is available.
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Ticketmaster resale is BS. They set a minimum price so you can’t undersell their prices. No free market at work here, I guess. If I want to sell my tickets for less than I paid, I lose money not TM. I think they’re looking at yet another class action in the very near future.
Really helpful article!! Thank you!
Thanks so much for reading!
Will the sell ticket option be off on ticketmaster during the presale? wondering if I will be able to sell them during the general public sale?
The resell option is off during presale and becomes available during the general onsale. However not all events participate in Ticketmaster resale so it is not guaranteed you will be able to resell them on Ticketmaster.
Thank you!!
I bought some rolling stones tickets and posted them on stubhub. They have not sold. Anu suggestions?
Thanks for your comment and apologies for my delayed response. I find that with StubHub, it’s best to monitor the sale prices of similar tickets for the event and change your pricing as necessary. I tend to price low since I’d rather make a small profit or break even vs. waiting too long and losing money. If you have trouble selling the tickets with StubHub, you could try posting on Facebook and sell to a friend or friend of a friend at face value. Hope this helps!
Is there a reason that a particular venue won’t allow fan to fame resale or even just transfer of tickets? I purchased tickets for my son (only available electronically) and then found I can’t even transfer them to his account. Nor can they be listed for resale (because it turns out my son can’t use them). Resale of tickets for the same tour is available at different locations but not at Nissan Stadium. Any idea why that would be?
Unfortunately not all events/venues are eligible for fan-to-fan resale or transfer but I’m not really sure why. Since Ticketmaster isn’t an option, maybe you could give StubHub a try?
Hello and thanks for the article. I have a pair of VIP tickets for Paul McCartney that I need to sell. Do you know if the VIP elements of the ticket transfer to the purchaser if reselling on Ticketmaster? Thanks!
Thanks for your question! I believe that the VIP perks will transfer as well but it may be best to contact Ticketmaster to confirm before posting.
What is Ticketmaster charging a seller? I can’t find the info anywhere…
The fee can vary depending on the show and the price you set for your tickets. You can calculate the fee based on how much Ticketmaster will charge the buyer and how much money you will receive when they sell. You can start the reselling process to calculate the fee without actually having to post the tickets. Hope that helps!
From experience, how far back from the date of the event do you start to advertise your tickets. Is there an advantage to waiting?
If I’m buying the tickets specifically for resale, I try to flip them as quickly as possible in case the artist announces a second show which causes demand to go way down. If it’s for an event I can’t attend, I put them up early as well so I can price dynamically based on how other tickets are selling. I find it’s harder to sell as you get too close to the show since sellers get nervous and prices tend to drop.
do you prefer buying hard tickets vs. e-tickets for resale?
More recently StubHub has made it easy to transfer e-tickets so I mostly go for that. If there is a chance I would need to sell on craigslist or ebay, I go for hard tickets, though I have sold PDF tickets on ebay before…it takes a trusting buyer to make that sale!
I want to sell five tickets. I paid $200 each. (About) how much will I pay in fees? A range is fine.
And why doesn’t Ticketmaster be upfront about their fees? Are they hiding something?
It’s hard to tell how much you will pay since Ticketmaster is non-transparent with the fees until you go to list the tickets. Try starting a listing on Ticketmaster to see what the fees will be and then you can decide whether or not to actually list them. Good luck!
If I list my tickets on StubHub, should I start by listing them at the price I paid? Should I use StubHub’s Manage Price for Me feature? I bought my tickets on TicketMaster but it does not give me the option of re-selling them. A customer service rep at Ticketmaster suggested I use ticketsnow.com but the date of the show is not displayed on the ticketsnow website. My tickets are certified platinum. Should I note that when I list my tickets for sell? Thank you.
I would try listing on StubHub at a price that will allow you to make back what you paid for the tickets and covers StubHub’s fees. With that said, if similar seats are listed for a much lower price, you may have to adjust your price and potentially lose money on the tickets in order to find a buyer. I think certified platinum refers to the seats being good seats so I’m not sure you need to note that when selling the tickets as long as the buyer sees what seats you have. Good luck!
Can you resell a resale ticket (bought from Ticketmaster) on Ticketmaster? thanks!
That’s a really good question…I’m actually not sure if it’s possible or not. I think it should work but I recommend calling Ticketmaster to get a definitive answer before trying this.
Do you have to wait until it says that tickets are available before you can resell them? I’m assuming that’s why I’m getting an error code when I try.
In the past I was able to sell tickets on Ticketmaster before they were available. Try calling Ticketmaster to see what’s going on in your situation. It’s possible the policy has changed.
I want to sell mobile only leaf tickets from my in-law who has season tickets. Will i have to turn in his hard ticket if i post my mobile ticket on ticketmaster for resale?
I believe a new barcode is generated on fan-to-fan resale tickets so I don’t think you would have to turn in the hard ticket but it’s best to check with ticketmaster to confirm.