When purchasing tickets online or over the phone, it’s common to get hit with annoying fees and surcharges on top of the base ticket price. Service fees, order processing fees, convenience fees – the list goes on. These extra costs can really add up, especially if you’re buying multiple tickets. The good news is there are ways to avoid or minimize these pesky fees if you know where to look.
Buy Directly From the Venue Box Office
One of the best ways to dodge services fees is to skip the middlemen and buy tickets directly from the venue’s box office. Whether online or in person, box offices typically don’t tack on the same fees that you’ll find on major ticketing websites. Just be aware that the box office will likely only have tickets to events at that specific venue, so it’s not helpful if you’re trying to buy tickets for concerts or shows taking place elsewhere.
Pros
- No service fees
- Supports local venue
- Can choose your exact seats
Cons
- Limited to one venue’s events
- May have shorter hours
- Can’t comparison shop
Use Ticket Presales and Promo Codes
Certain ticketing websites run special presales and promotions that waive service fees on select events. Presales give members early access to tickets before the general public. Promo codes are typically sponsored by the artist or venue. You’ll need to hunt around social media, artist and venue websites, and email newsletters to find presale passwords and valid promo codes. These can offer big savings on fees if you can snag the tickets you want during the limited presale window or apply the code correctly. Signing up for fan clubs and rewards programs through your favorite artists, teams, and venues can also give access to fee-free ticketing offers.
Pros
- No service fees
- Early access to best seats
- Exclusive offers for fans
Cons
- Limited presale ticket availability
- Needs pre-planning and research
- Promo codes may exclude popular shows
Use a Membership or Rewards Program
Certain memberships and loyalty programs come with major perks that can help you skip the fees. For example, American Express cardholders buying from AXS can save around 25% on service fees. Subscribers to Amazon Prime and Best Buy Totaltech also get special access to fee-waived tickets for select concerts, shows, and more. Credit card rewards portals like Chase and Bank of America offer statement credits to effectively wipe out service fees too. Of course, you’ll need to pay for the membership first. But if you were already considering signing up, the ticket perks can make back the membership cost quickly if you buy a lot of tickets.
Pros
- Fee waived or discounted
- Credit rewards can offset fees
- Perks for existing memberships
Cons
- Need to pay for memberships
- May still have limits
- Exclusions on high-demand events
Buy Season or Flex Packages
If you plan on attending multiple events put on by the same organization like a sports team, theater, or orchestra, look into season ticket or multi-event flex packages. The per-ticket fees tend to be much lower when you buy in bulk like this upfront. Plus, packages come with other perks like reserved seats, discounts on additional single-game/show tickets, merch, concessions, and more. The money you’ll save on fees over the season can really add up. Just be sure to consider if committing to that many events at once truly aligns with your schedule and budget.
Pros
- Lower per-ticket fees
- Added perks and discounts
- Same reserved seats all season
Cons
- Big upfront cost
- No flexibility on events
- May lose value if you can’t attend
Find Ticket Resale Deals
If a show is sold out or in high demand on primary vendor sites, you can sometimes actually save on fees by checking ticket resale platforms like StubHub, VividSeats, or SeatGeek. Reseller fees are typically baked into the ticket price, which is often marked up over face value. But the total price+fees on a resale ticket can occasionally be lower than buying the same seat directly would have cost when including exorbitant primary market service fees.
Pros
- Access to sold out events
- Potentially lower total cost
- Wide selection of tickets
Cons
- No fee transparency
- Risk of counterfeit tickets
- Prices inflated over face value
Use a Ticket Exchange Marketplace
Ticket exchange platforms like Lyte allow you to safely resell event tickets you can no longer use. Unlike resellers, Lyte tickets are sold at face value or less. The buyer covers Lyte’s fees instead of you, the seller. So you can recoup the cost of an unused ticket without losing money on fees. You can also shop exchange marketplaces to find discounted last minute tickets as events approach. Facebook Groups focused on ticket exchanges for specific teams, artists, and venues are another option. Just be wary of scams and use PayPal Goods and Services payments.
Pros
- Resell without fees
- Buy last minute deals
- Fair face value prices
Cons
- Smaller inventory than resellers
- No guarantees you’ll sell yours
- Scam risk on Facebook
Use a Ticket Reselling Broker
This method takes some extra work, but can pay off big on expensive tickets. Rather than buy from a ticket broker yourself, let them buy tickets on your behalf and eat the fees for you. For example, TickPick charges service fees to buyers rather than sellers. So you cover just the base price when you place an order through them and avoid the fees. The broker makes their profit on the buyer’s end. Just be sure to vet brokers thoroughly before using this method.
Pros
- No service fees for you
- Access to sold out tickets
- Can request specific seats
Cons
- Research required to find fee-free brokers
- Higher risk of problems
- Tickets costs may be inflated
Wait Until the Last Minute
This risky strategy only works for extremely patient people with flexible schedules. But waiting until the very last minute to buy tickets can sometimes save you big on fees. As the event date nears, venues may release last minute tickets at discounted prices with lower or no fees. Popular ticketing sites also run limited-time promos called “Steal the Seat” or “Last Minute Deals” targeting procrastinators. And resellers on exchanges slash prices trying to unload inventory before shows. Just know that waiting too long increases the risk of missing out entirely.
Pros
- Deeply discounted base prices
- Lower or waived fees
- Flexible on seat selection
Cons
- High risk of missing out
- Worst seat selection
- Very time sensitive
Conclusion
No one wants to see their ticket checkout total inflated 20-30% higher courtesy of bogus fees. With smart strategies like buying direct, using promos, leveraging memberships, or waiting for last minute deals, you can avoid getting nickeled-and-dimed just for the privilege of seeing your favorite sports teams, artists, and shows. Which method works best depends hugely on your priorities like budget, flexibility, risk tolerance and more. But why not try putting a few of these ticket fee dodging tactics to work for your next concert, game, play or big event?