In the digital age, electronic or e-tickets have become increasingly common for events like concerts. E-tickets provide a convenient way to purchase, receive and store tickets without having to deal with paper tickets. But this raises the question – is it necessary to print out e-tickets for concerts or can you just show the digital version on your phone? There are advantages and disadvantages to both printed and digital tickets.
What are E-Tickets?
E-tickets, also known as electronic tickets, are tickets that are distributed digitally via email or a website rather than printed out on paper. When you purchase e-tickets for a concert online, the tickets are delivered to you electronically through an email confirmation or by accessing your account on the ticketing website.
E-tickets contain a unique barcode or QR code that can be scanned digitally when you arrive at the concert venue. The venue’s scanner reads the code on your phone or printed e-ticket to verify it is valid.
Some key advantages of e-tickets:
- Convenience – e-tickets eliminate the need to wait for physical tickets to be mailed to you. You can access them anytime digitally.
- Security – e-tickets reduce the risk of lost, stolen, damaged or counterfeit paper tickets.
- Flexibility – e-tickets allow you to easily transfer or sell extra tickets securely online.
- Environmentally friendly – paperless e-tickets are more sustainable than printed tickets.
Do You Have to Print E-Tickets for Concerts?
The short answer is no – you do not have to print e-tickets in order to attend most concerts. As long as you can display the barcode or QR code on your phone screen, venues can scan your digital ticket to grant you entry.
However, there are some advantages to still printing out hard copies of e-tickets in certain situations:
- Avoid technical issues – Printed tickets serve as a backup if your phone runs out of battery, loses signal or your digital ticket file becomes corrupted.
- Faster entry – Paper tickets may allow quicker access if the venue’s scanners or internet connection have issues reading digital codes.
- Collector’s item – Fans may want a printed memento of tickets to major events or concerts by favorite artists.
So print versus digital comes down to personal preference. If convenience is your priority, digital tickets work fine in most cases. But printed tickets provide assurance if you want a foolproof backup. Many ticketing platforms give you both options.
Advantages of Using Digital Tickets
While printed tickets are still valid, there are some excellent benefits to going digital-only with your concert tickets instead:
Convenience
E-tickets provide significantly more convenience when purchasing tickets as well as accessing them later for the event. Buying tickets online allows you to quickly select and pay for seats from anywhere without waiting in line at a physical box office.
Your e-tickets are delivered instantly to your email or account. You can pull them up anytime on your phone without worrying about misplacing a printed ticket. This makes it easy to distribute tickets to friends going to the concert with you as well.
Security
E-tickets have built-in security benefits over paper tickets:
- Reduced fraud – E-tickets have unique barcode IDs tied to the purchaser, making them nearly impossible to counterfeit or duplicate.
- Less chance of lost tickets – Digital tickets obviously can’t be physically lost or left behind accidentally like printed tickets.
- Limit ticket scalping – Resale of e-tickets can be restricted or tracked better than paper tickets.
Some ticket sellers even allow you to reclaim and reissue e-tickets if your phone is lost or stolen before the concert.
Environmental Impact
Major concert tours can generate hundreds of thousands of printed tickets. By using only digital ticketing, venues and artists can dramatically reduce their paper waste and environmental footprint through:
- Removed need for shipping and printing physical tickets
- Reduced use of ink, paper and other resources to produce tickets
- Decreased carbon emissions from less materials transport and waste
Large bands like Coldplay have started requiring concerts use only digital ticketing for these eco-friendly benefits.
Data and Insights
E-ticketing platforms allow concerts and venues to track data on ticket sales that is harder to gather from paper tickets. Digital data can provide valuable insights like:
- Detailed ticket demand and sales velocity metrics
- Demographics on fanbase like location and age
- Ideal price points and sections selling out fastest
All this data allows tuning future concert promotion, pricing and experiences.
Disadvantages of Digital Tickets
However, there are some downsides or risks to only using e-tickets instead of printed tickets for concert entry:
Technical Difficulties
You are reliant on technology like smartphones, venue scanners and WiFi working properly to gain entry with digital tickets. Printed tickets serve as a failsafe backup if any of these essential systems have issues:
- Dead phone battery – A printed ticket ensures you’ll still get in if your phone dies before scanning.
- Poor internet connection – Venues may have spotty WiFi preventing downloading your ticket.
- App or file errors – Corrupted or incorrect digital ticket files could cause confusion and delays at entry.
Less Flexible Resale or Transfers
Printed tickets are easy to hand off to a friend or resell online to any buyer. E-tickets have more restrictions around transferring to prevent fraud and scalping. Sellers may need to formally reissue tickets through the platform. Buyers likely need an account with the ticketing company. This makes e-tickets less flexible for simple resale or last minute transfers.
Upcharges for Printed Tickets
While most major ticket sellers now provide free digital tickets, some may charge unnecessary fees for printed ticket delivery. Fans desiring paper mementos could pay $5-$10 extra per ticket for hard copies to be mailed or picked up at will call. These extra costs quickly add up, especially for group purchases.
Lack of Tangible Souvenir
For many fans, printed tickets serve as prized memorabilia from seeing favorite bands or artists in concert, especially for marquee events. An e-ticket provides no physical artifact from the show. Some vendors offer the option to request commemorative tickets post-show for an added fee. But these lack the authenticity of original tickets marked with the date.
Tips for Using Digital Tickets
If you decide to go with e-tickets-only for your next concert, here are some tips to ensure smooth entry and enjoy the benefits of digital ticketing:
Download in Advance
Don’t wait until you arrive at the venue to download and access your e-tickets. As soon as you receive the email confirmation with ticket links, download them to your phone’s wallet, take screenshots or save PDF files to a cloud folder as backup. This avoids any last minute technology hiccups.
Charge Your Phone
Arrive at the concert with a fully charged phone with plenty of battery life to last throughout the show. Have a backup phone charger in your bag as well in case you need extra juice to pull up tickets. Avoid draining your battery beforehand on other apps and features.
Enable Offline Access
For tickets in mobile apps, make sure to enable offline access which downloads a copy of the ticket barcode directly to your device rather than relying on internet connectivity. This allows the venue scanner to validate your ticket even with no signal.
Organize Group Tickets
If you purchased tickets for multiple people, make sure to distribute their individual ticket links or barcodes beforehand. Having everyone’s tickets ready on their own devices speeds up group entry instead of fumbling through one phone.
Know Your Venue’s Policy
Check your concert venue’s website to confirm their digital ticketing protocols. Some have strict requirements like only accepting mobile tickets from the official artist app. This avoids any confusion so you have exactly what’s needed to enter.
Common Questions about Digital Concert Tickets
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about using e-tickets for concerts:
Is my e-ticket guaranteed to work?
Legitimate e-tickets from authorized sellers like Ticketmaster or AXS should have reliable barcode technology that venues recognize. Beware tickets sold through unofficial 3rd party vendors which may have flawed or fake digital barcodes that don’t scan properly.
Can I print a copy of my e-ticket?
Most ticketing platforms allow you to print a paper copy of e-tickets if desired for backup. This printed backup contains the same barcode and QR code to be scanned. But you’ll still want the digital version on your phone for convenience.
What if my phone battery dies before the concert?
If your phone dies before entry and you didn’t print a physical backup, find the ticket seller’s on-site box office. Have them look up your e-ticket purchase by name for a reprint. Venues want to accommodate you if technical issues arise.
Can I transfer my e-tickets to friends?
Transferring depends on the restrictions placed on those e-tickets. Some prohibit resale and require ID of original purchaser. Others allow transfer to a contact’s email but may charge a transfer fee. Buyers generally need an account with that ticketing company.
Is WiFi available to access e-tickets?
Venues will try to provide WiFi but its reliability with thousands of users can’t be guaranteed. Enable offline access for tickets when possible and have screenshots or printouts as backup for spotty connections. Data usage charges could apply if relying on cellular data.
Conclusion
In summary, e-tickets provide the convenience, security and sustainability benefits of digital ticketing for modern concerts and events. While paperless, you do not absolutely have to print e-tickets in most cases thanks to advanced barcode scanning. But printed copies serve as useful backups if technical issues arise with digital access.
To best leverage the advantages of e-tickets while avoiding the pitfalls, download tickets early, charge your phone and have contingency plans like offline access. With smart preparation, you can fully enjoy the ease of use and other upsides of all-digital ticketing for your next concert.