Gift cards have become a popular gift-giving option in recent years. Rather than trying to guess what someone might want or need, gift cards allow the recipient to choose for themselves. Gift cards make great gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. They provide flexibility and options for the recipient.
Concerts and live events also continue to grow in popularity. Concert tickets can make great gifts for music lovers, live event fans, and those with a favorite performer or band. However, can you use gift cards to purchase concert tickets? Let’s take a closer look.
Purchasing Concert Tickets
Typically, concert tickets can be purchased directly from the performing artist or band, through an official ticket seller like Ticketmaster, or on secondary marketplaces like StubHub. Here are some of the most common ways to buy concert tickets:
- Directly from the artist/band’s website – Most performers and groups sell tickets directly through their official website. This is the best way to ensure you’re buying valid tickets.
- Official ticket sellers – Large ticket marketplaces like Ticketmaster have deals with venues, artists, promoters, and event organizers to sell tickets officially and securely.
- Secondary marketplaces – If an event is sold out or you’re looking for resale tickets, sites like StubHub allow ticket holders to resell extra tickets.
- Box office – You can buy tickets directly from the venue’s box office, which may have tickets not available online. However, box offices usually only sell last minute and day-of-show tickets.
- Resellers – Unofficial resellers and scalpers may also sell tickets outside venues. But this tends to be higher risk in terms of fraudulent tickets.
The option you choose depends on factors like event popularity, ticket availability, and your budget. Official sources like the artist’s website and major ticket sellers tend to be the most secure way to buy concert tickets.
Can You Buy Concert Tickets with Gift Cards?
The ability to purchase concert tickets with gift cards depends on where you are buying the tickets from. Here are some of the most common cases:
Buying Directly from the Artist/Band
If you purchase tickets directly through the artist or band’s official website, whether or not you can use gift cards will depend on their payment processor. Many sites accept major credit cards and services like PayPal. They may or may not accept gift cards.
For example, if the website uses a processor like Stripe to handle payments, they can choose to accept gift cards from vendors like Amazon, Target, and more as a payment method.
So it depends on the individual artist’s website and payment settings. There is no universal policy across music acts. You would need to check with that specific band or performer to see if they allow gift card payment for ticket purchases through their website.
Using Major Ticket Sellers
For major ticket sellers like Ticketmaster, the ability to use gift cards varies. Ticketmaster is one of the largest concert and event ticket marketplaces.
In many cases, you cannot directly use gift cards to make purchases on Ticketmaster. They accept major credit cards, PayPal, and Ticketmaster gift cards or prepaid cards. But most retailer gift cards are not accepted.
However, there are some exceptions. For certain events, Ticketmaster may allow you to use gift cards from specific merchants like Amazon or Delta Airlines if they are sponsoring the event. This is relatively rare though.
So for most Ticketmaster ticket sales, standard gift cards cannot be used. You would need to have a credit card, PayPal, or a Ticketmaster-specific gift card or voucher.
Using Secondary Marketplaces
For secondary ticket marketplaces like StubHub that allow ticket resales, gift card acceptance also varies. Many only allow credit card or PayPal payments.
However, some like StubHub do accept gift cards from certain major brands. According to StubHub’s website, they allow gift cards from companies like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Home Depot, and more to be used for purchases.
So if you are buying tickets through a resale marketplace, check their specific payment policies. Some will allow retailer gift cards, while others may not.
Going Through the Box Office
If you purchase tickets directly through the event venue’s box office, gift card acceptance will depend on their individual payment systems. Some box offices may allow gift cards, especially if they use a processor that enables gift card payments.
However, most box offices only accept cash and major credit/debit cards. It is less common for them to accept gift cards, compared to credit card payments. But some venues may accommodate gift cards at the box office on a case-by-case basis.
Using Ticket Resellers
For unofficial ticket resellers like scalpers, gift cards are rarely accepted. These resellers tend to deal in cash payments. It would be very unusual for an unofficial reseller to accept gift cards. Avoid buying tickets from unauthorized resellers in general due to increased fraud risk.
Pros of Using Gift Cards for Concert Tickets
Assuming the concert ticket retailer accepts them, there are some pros to using gift cards:
- Easier budgeting – Gift cards let you pay a set amount towards the tickets. You don’t have to worry about going over budget.
- Use leftover balances – Gift cards allow you to use up leftover balances rather than letting them go to waste.
- Added flexibility – Gift cards give you more payment options beyond just credit cards and cash.
- Controlling your spending – Paying with gift cards allows you to have more control over spending for a special event purchase like concert tickets.
Using gift cards for concert tickets or other live event tickets can take some of the stress out of purchasing. The fixed amount on the card helps prevent overspending. And they allow you to use gift card balances conveniently rather than letting them sit there unused.
Cons of Using Gift Cards for Concert Tickets
There are also some potential downsides to keep in mind when using gift cards for concert tickets:
- Many sellers don’t accept them – As we covered earlier, many major concert ticket sellers do not directly allow standard gift card payments.
- Need backup payment – If your gift card balance doesn’t cover the full ticket amount, you’ll need a credit/debit card as a backup payment source.
- Expiration dates – Gift cards can expire, so you risk losing the funds if they go unused for too long.
- No refunds to gift cards – If you need to return the tickets for a refund, the money typically goes back to your credit card rather than the gift card.
While gift cards provide some benefits for concert ticket purchases, they also have some drawbacks to consider. The limited acceptance, need for backup payment, risk of unused expiration, and refund issues are things to keep in mind.
Tips for Using Gift Cards for Concert Tickets
If you want to use gift cards to purchase concert or event tickets, here are some helpful tips:
- Make sure to check the merchant’s gift card acceptance policy before purchasing.
- Have a credit/debit card available as a secondary payment method in case the gift card balance is insufficient.
- Watch out for expiration dates on the gift card to avoid losing the unused funds.
- When possible, use gift cards with no fees to maximize your balance.
- See if you can combine multiple low-balance gift cards from the same merchant into a larger balance.
- Compare ticket prices from multiple sellers to maximize what you can buy with the gift card balance.
- Don’t wait until the last minute, as many gift card transactions require extra processing time.
By following these tips, you can successfully use gift cards to purchase concert and events tickets in many cases. Understanding the policies of the ticket seller, having backup payment, and buying early are all key things to remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use gift cards on Ticketmaster?
In most cases, standard retailer gift cards cannot be used directly for purchases on Ticketmaster. They typically only accept major credit cards, PayPal, and Ticketmaster-specific gift cards or vouchers. However, for some events, they may allow gift cards from a sponsoring retailer like Amazon.
Do concert venues accept gift cards?
It depends on the specific venue. Some concert halls and theaters allow gift cards if they have a gift-card enabled payment processor. But most venues only accept standard payment methods like cash, credit/debit cards, and their own gift certificates. Contact the venue box office to check their gift card policies.
Can I use a Visa gift card to buy concert tickets?
Yes, you can use a prepaid Visa gift card to purchase concert tickets in most cases. As a major payment brand, Visa gift cards are accepted nearly everywhere that regular Visa credit and debit cards are taken. Just make sure the ticket seller you use accepts Visa payments.
What’s the best way to buy concert tickets with a gift card?
The best way is to purchase directly through the artist or band’s official website, if they allow gift card payments. Alternatively, use a secondary ticket marketplace like StubHub that accepts major retailer gift cards from brands like Amazon or Target. This ensures you are using reputable sellers and maximizes the chances of gift card acceptance.
Can you buy concert tickets from Ticketmaster with an Amazon gift card?
Typically, no. Ticketmaster does not usually allow Amazon gift cards as a payment method. However, for some specific events and concerts, Ticketmaster may accept Amazon gift cards if Amazon is sponsoring that event. Outside of limited promotions though, Amazon gift cards cannot be used to buy Ticketmaster tickets in most cases.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, the ability to purchase concert, theater, and events tickets with gift cards depends on several factors:
- The specific ticket retailer, marketplace, or box office you are using
- Their payment systems and policies on accepting gift cards
- Whether the concert/event has a sponsor that allows their gift cards to be used
- What brand and type of gift card you have (retailer, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc)
While some ticket sellers like StubHub facilitate gift card transactions, others like Ticketmaster typically do not. Venues and box offices are also hit-or-miss in terms of gift card acceptance. There is no universal policy across the live events industry.
The best approach is to check gift card acceptance on a case-by-case basis for each specific ticket purchase. Have backup payment methods available, and take advantage of the times when you can use gift cards to conveniently spend your gift card balances on concert tickets and more.