Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket selling platforms that allows both individual sellers and professional ticket resellers to list tickets for sale. Like many ticket resale platforms, Ticketmaster charges fees to sellers for providing the marketplace and transaction processing services.
Types of Seller Fees on Ticketmaster
There are several different types of fees that Ticketmaster charges sellers when listing and selling event tickets on their platform:
Listing Fee
Ticketmaster charges a listing fee to post a ticket for resale on their platform. This is a flat per-ticket fee that is charged when the ticket is first listed for sale.
Final Value Fee
The final value fee is a percentage charged on the total sale price of the ticket when it is purchased by a buyer. Ticketmaster’s final value fee is typically around 10-20% of the ticket’s final sale price.
Service Fee
There is also a service fee added to each ticket sale. This is the fee that Ticketmaster charges for facilitating the transaction on their platform. The service fee is generally around 5-10% of the ticket price.
Order Processing Fee
Ticketmaster also charges an order processing fee to sellers on each transaction. This fixed fee is around $5-10 per ticket order to cover the costs of processing the sale.
Delivery Fee
If the seller opts to have Ticketmaster fulfill ticket orders and deliver them to buyers, there is also a delivery fee per order. This fee ranges from $2-$5 for standard mail delivery.
Are There Any Other Charges or Fees?
In addition to the standard listing, service, processing, and delivery fees, there are some other charges to be aware of when reselling tickets on Ticketmaster:
Ticket Transfer Fee
If you need to transfer the ticket from the original purchaser to the Ticketmaster reseller account, there is a ticket transfer fee. This is around $5-$10 per ticket transferred.
Ticketing System Charge
Some venues charge a ticketing system fee for tickets sold through Ticketmaster, which they will pass on to sellers on a per-ticket basis.
Charity Donation
Ticketmaster allows sellers the option to donate a portion of their ticket sales to charity. If you opt in to this donation program, a percentage of your sales will be donated and deducted from your profits.
Taxes
Sellers are also responsible for paying any applicable local taxes on ticket resales in certain states/jurisdictions.
Are Ticketmaster Fees for Sellers Negotiable?
For the most part, Ticketmaster’s fees for sellers are fixed and non-negotiable. Their fee structure and percentages are set for all users across the platform. However, there are a few cases where high-volume sellers may be able to negotiate customized contracts with lower fees:
- Professional ticket brokers or resellers who list a very high volume of tickets may be able to negotiate lower final value fees or capped per-order processing fees through custom contracts.
- Sellers who exclusively list high-demand, high-price tickets (like front row or VIP tickets) may have more leverage to negotiate the fees.
- Long-time sellers with a consistent history of sales on Ticketmaster have a better chance at negotiating a special rate.
But for the average individual seller who posts tickets infrequently, there is little ability to negotiate Ticketmaster’s standard seller fee structure. The fees are set at the discretion of Ticketmaster and tend to be non-negotiable for most users.
How Ticketmaster’s Seller Fees Compare to Other Resale Sites
Compared to some other major secondary ticket marketplaces, Ticketmaster’s fees for sellers tend to bemoderate:
Site | Listing Fees | Final Value Fees | Service Fees |
---|---|---|---|
Ticketmaster | $5 per ticket | 10-20% of sale | 5-10% of sale |
StubHub | No listing fee | 10-15% of sale | 10-15% of sale |
Vivid Seats | $2.49 per ticket | 10-20% of sale | 12-17% of sale |
SeatGeek | $10 per listing | 10-20% of sale | 5-10% of sale |
Compared to StubHub and Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster tends to have lower final value and service fees. However, their per ticket listing fees tend to be higher than StubHub and SeatGeek. Sellers who only sell a small handful of tickets may find the $5+ listing fees per ticket on Ticketmaster eat significantly into their profits versus a platform like StubHub with no listing fees.
Tips for Minimizing Fees When Selling Tickets on Ticketmaster
While Ticketmaster’s seller fee structure is relatively fixed, here are some tips sellers can use to try to minimize fees and maximize profits when selling tickets on Ticketmaster:
Sell Higher-Priced Tickets
The listing fees and order processing fees are fixed charges, so they take up a higher percentage of lower-priced tickets. Focus on selling premium or high-demand tickets where the fixed fees will represent a smaller portion of the total ticket revenue.
Avoid Transferring Tickets
Sell only tickets you already have in hand or in your Ticketmaster account to avoid paying the $5-$10 transfer fees per ticket.
Sell in Bulk
Take advantage of volume discounts where higher-volume sellers get capped order processing fees. Try to sell at least 10-20 tickets per order.
Price Strategically
Consider pricing your tickets a few dollars above similar listings to build in room for the fees while still remaining competitive. This can minimize the bite the final value fees take out of your profits.
Sell Locally When Possible
Avoid all Ticketmaster fees by selling accessible tickets directly to local buyers you can meet in person for ticket delivery. But ensure you follow all applicable local ticket resale laws.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster does charge a variety of fees to sellers listing tickets for resale on their platform. These include listing fees per ticket, final value fees on the total sale price, service fees, order processing fees, and potential delivery and transfer fees. For the average individual seller, there is little ability to negotiate fees with Ticketmaster. But high volume resellers may be able to get some discounts. Compared to other major resale sites, Ticketmaster tends to have moderate seller fees. By selling high-priced tickets in bulk, minimizing transfers, and optimizing prices, sellers can aim to reduce the impact of Ticketmaster fees on their bottom line profit per sale.