Ticket transfers have become a hot topic in recent years as more fans look to resell or transfer tickets they can no longer use. Many find it frustrating that Ticketmaster does not allow transfers on most tickets sold through their platform. Here we’ll look at why Ticketmaster makes this policy and the reasoning behind it.
Why won’t Ticketmaster let me transfer my tickets?
The main reason Ticketmaster does not allow transfers is to protect against ticket scalping and fraud. Ticketmaster is the exclusive ticket sales platform for many major venues and events. Part of their agreements with clients is to ensure measures are in place to deter scalping and unauthorized reselling. By restricting transfers, Ticketmaster limits opportunities for scalpers to resell tickets at inflated prices.
Specifically, Ticketmaster aims to enforce two key policies:
- Tickets should only be used by the fans who originally purchased them.
- Tickets should not be resold at higher than face value prices.
Enforcing transfers would make it much harder to monitor and control where tickets end up and how much they are resold for. It also ensures tickets remain linked to the original purchaser’s account for identification purposes.
Are there any exceptions where Ticketmaster allows transfers?
In some limited cases, Ticketmaster does allow ticket transfers:
- Verified Resale: Season ticket holders for sports teams and other clients sometimes have the option to resell through Ticketmaster’s Verified Resale platform. This allows transfers but puts measures in place to approve resale pricing.
- Official ticket exchanges: For high-demand shows or events, Ticketmaster may create an official exchange where fans can return and reclaim tickets. Exchanges require both parties to have Ticketmaster accounts.
- Mobile tickets: Mobile tickets assigned to your smartphone can be transferred in the Ticketmaster app, but there are restrictions in place.
Outside of these exceptions, transfers are generally prohibited on standard event tickets purchased through Ticketmaster. Some event organizers do allow transfers on their end for special cases like charity resales, but standard Ticketmaster tickets cannot be transferred.
Why are other sites able to allow transfers?
Secondary marketplaces like StubHub and Vivid Seats have built their businesses around ticket resales and transfers. They have the systems in place to monitor pricing and broker activity in order to comply with resale laws.
These platforms also take different approaches to transfers:
- Some act as intermediaries that “transfer” tickets from seller to buyer within their own systems.
- Others facilitate true ticket transfers directly between user accounts.
- Many use electronic ticket delivery to enable transfers.
Ticketmaster views these sites as unauthorized ticket brokers and prohibits season ticket holders from reselling through them. However, for one-off event tickets, Ticketmaster has no way to track or control resales on external platforms. This is a source of ongoing frustration for event organizers working with Ticketmaster.
Can I list my Ticketmaster tickets for sale elsewhere?
While Ticketmaster cannot explicitly allow you to transfer or resell your tickets elsewhere, there is nothing stopping you from listing tickets for sale on a secondary platform.
Many buyers and sellers take the following approaches:
- List tickets on a resale site to find a buyer.
- Agree to transfer or sell the tickets outside of Ticketmaster.
- Use the Ticketmaster ticket transfer as proof of ownership.
- Complete the exchange through the secondary platform for payment processing and buyer protection.
It is a bit of a workaround, but allows you to effectively resell non-transferable Ticketmaster tickets on secondary marketplaces. Just be discrete about any listing details and be sure to comply with Ticketmaster’s terms of use.
Why won’t Ticketmaster facilitate my transfer?
If you directly ask Ticketmaster to facilitate a ticket transfer to another customer, they will decline due to their anti-scalping policies. Their customer service team is well trained to recognize and deny these types of requests.
Some reasons Ticketmaster customer support may decline a transfer:
- The recipient is not a family member or friend (to prevent scalping).
- You are trying to resell tickets above face value.
- It is a high-demand event where transfers increase scalping risk.
- The tickets are non-transferable mobile or print-at-home tickets.
- You do not have the recipient’s Ticketmaster account details.
Your only options are trying an official ticket exchange if available or taking the informal resale approach discussed above.
Are Fan-to-Fan ticket transfers secure?
Transfer Method | Security Risk |
---|---|
Via Ticketmaster’s Official Exchange | Low – must have Ticketmaster account |
Directly on a resale platform | Medium – depends on protections |
Peer-to-Peer offline | High – no formal buyer or seller protection |
Ticketmaster exchanges offer the most security by linking transfers directly between verified Ticketmaster accounts. Resale platforms also offer various buyer and seller protections.
Private peer-to-peer exchanges are the riskiest, as you have to trust the other party. Ensure you only sell to family, friends, or trusted buyers with solid reviews. Use secure online payment methods. Also meet in public for exchanges and register tickets under the recipient’s name when required.
How can I make Ticketmaster tickets safely transferrable?
If you want to resell event tickets from Ticketmaster, the most secure way is to:
- List them for sale on a major secondary ticket marketplace like StubHub.
- Only sell to buyers who have solid platform review histories.
- Use the marketplace’s transaction systems for payments and digital ticket delivery.
- Remove any personalized ticket information to allow for transfers.
- Provide the Ticketmaster receipt as proof of ownership.
This allows you to effectively “transfer” non-transferable tickets by leveraging the security and buyer protections of established resale platforms.
Can Ticketmaster cancel my tickets if I resell them?
In most cases, Ticketmaster will not outright cancel your tickets if you resell them. However, for high-demand events, they do monitor secondary listing activity and season ticket holder transfer patterns.
If they identify season ticket holders frequently reselling through unauthorized channels, they may revoke season ticket privileges. They may also place limits on future ticket purchases for your account.
For individual events, there is little risk of Ticketmaster canceling unless it is a mobile ticket you have already transferred via their systems. In that case, Ticketmaster could cancel the tickets tied to your account after seeing them active under someone else’s name. But this would be a rare scenario.
Is Ticketmaster going to change its policies on transfers?
Ticketmaster has held firm on restrictive transfer policies for many years now. They may face increasing pressure to relax policies as:
- More competitors like AXS, Eventbrite, and SeatGeek allow transfers.
- Artists and teams want more transfer flexibility for fans.
- Fraud detection and buyer vetting systems improve.
But for now, their priority remains stopping scalpers over fan flexibility. Look for small experiments with transfers for select concert tours or teams. More major policy changes will likely take years of tech and process improvements before being implemented platform-wide.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster takes a firm stance against transfers as part of their anti-scalping efforts and agreements with major venues and events. While frustrating for some fans, this policy aims to get tickets directly to fans and keep prices reasonable. Your options are limited to authorized resales through Ticketmaster where available or informal exchanges facilitated through external marketplaces.
Going forward, Ticketmaster may slowly ease restrictions thanks to new technology, competitive pressure, and client demands. But sweeping changes to enable free transfers appear unlikely in the short term. Understanding the rationale for their strict policies can help fans make informed decisions when reselling tickets.