Ticketmaster is one of the largest primary and secondary ticket marketplaces, providing millions of fans the ability to buy, sell, and transfer tickets to sporting events, concerts, theater shows, and more. One of the key features Ticketmaster offers is ticket exchanges – the ability to return tickets you can no longer use and get new tickets for an event instead.
What is a Ticketmaster ticket exchange?
A Ticketmaster ticket exchange allows you to return tickets you can already purchased on Ticketmaster.com and receive a credit for the value of the tickets towards purchasing new tickets for the same event or a different event on Ticketmaster.
Exchanges through Ticketmaster provide a convenient way for you to get new tickets if your plans change and you can no longer attend the original event you purchased tickets for. Exchanges are usually only available for events that have not yet occurred.
How do Ticketmaster exchanges work?
Here is an overview of how Ticketmaster’s exchange system works:
- You first need to have purchased tickets through Ticketmaster.com originally in order to exchange them.
- Most tickets purchased on Ticketmaster.com are eligible for exchanges, but some may not be depending on the event. Restrictions are usually noted during the original ticket purchase flow.
- You can initiate an exchange by logging into your Ticketmaster.com account and accessing your purchase history. Find the order with the tickets you want to exchange.
- Select the “Exchange” button or link next to the eligible ticket order. This will start the exchange process.
- You will be asked to choose which tickets from the order you want to exchange. You can select all tickets in the order or just a portion of them.
- After selecting tickets to exchange, you will receive a credit for the value of those tickets towards a future Ticketmaster purchase. This credit is usually valid for one year.
- Using the credit, you can search Ticketmaster.com for a new event and purchase tickets using the credit to cover the cost. The credit value from your exchanged tickets will be applied at checkout.
- Any fees paid on the original order are non-refundable. So your exchange credit will be the base price of the tickets only, excluding fees.
- Once the exchange is processed, the tickets you exchanged will be invalidated and you will receive the new tickets you purchased with the credit.
This exchange process allows you to return tickets you can no longer use and get the money back to purchase tickets for another event conveniently online. Exchanges are usually processed within 1-2 business days.
What are the requirements and restrictions for Ticketmaster exchanges?
Ticketmaster does have some requirements and restrictions in place for exchanges:
- As noted above, you can only exchange tickets originally purchased on Ticketmaster.com. Tickets purchased elsewhere are not eligible.
- Exchanges must be made prior to the event date. You cannot exchange tickets after the event has occurred.
- The new event and tickets you are exchanging for must also be available on Ticketmaster. You cannot use exchange credit for tickets on other vendor sites.
- Any parking passes, shuttle passes, or other ancillary items included in the original order cannot be exchanged. The exchange is for the ticket value only.
- There are limitations on the number of exchanges allowed. Typically only 1 exchange is allowed per order, but this can vary.
- The exchange credits usually expire within 1 year if not used.
- Fees paid on the original order are non-refundable and will not be included in the exchange credit.
These limitations help prevent fraud and misuse of the exchange program. Be sure to review the full exchange policy for an event, which is available during the ticket purchase flow.
What fees apply for Ticketmaster exchanges?
There are no Ticketmaster fees to process an exchange itself. However, there may be some fees to be aware of:
- Original order fees – As noted above, any convenience fees, order processing fees, or delivery fees paid on the original ticket order are non-refundable and will not be refunded or included in the exchange credit.
- New tickets purchase fees – When you use your exchange credit to purchase new tickets, you will need to pay all applicable delivery fees and convenience fees on that new order.
- Event exception fees – For very popular events with high demand, there may be an additional “exchange convenience charge” or similar fee assessed for doing the exchange. This is not typical but can happen in some cases.
So while Ticketmaster does not charge their own fee for exchanges, you may end up paying applicable new order fees when you re-purchase tickets using the exchange credit. Be sure to factor those fees in when determining if an exchange makes sense.
Why can’t I see the exchange option?
There are a few reasons why you may not see an exchange option when trying to return Ticketmaster tickets:
- The event is not eligible for exchanges – Some events restrict or prohibit exchanges, which is usually noted during the ticket purchase process.
- The event date has passed – Exchanges can only be processed prior to the event date.
- The tickets were not purchased via Ticketmaster originally – Exchanges only apply to tickets bought on Ticketmaster.com directly.
- You already exceeded the allowed number of exchanges – Typically only 1 exchange is permitted per order.
- The exchange request is too close to the event – Exchanges may be restricted within 7 days of the event, for example.
If none of those apply and you still do not see the exchange option on your eligible Ticketmaster ticket order, reach out to their customer service team for assistance.
How long does a Ticketmaster exchange take?
In most cases, Ticketmaster exchanges can be fully processed within 1-2 business days. Here is what happens during that exchange timeline:
- Day 1 – You initiate the exchange request for the tickets in your Ticketmaster account. The original tickets are placed in a pending exchange status.
- Day 1 or 2 – Ticketmaster processes and approves the exchange. The original tickets are invalidated in their system.
- Day 1 or 2 – The refund credit for the value of the exchanged tickets is applied to your Ticketmaster account.
- Day 1 or 2 – You receive an email confirmation that the exchange is complete and the credit is available for you to use on new tickets.
In some cases during peak event seasons, exchanges may take 2-3 business days but this is less common. The key is initiating the exchange request as early as possible to allow time for processing before the event occurs.
Can you exchange tickets on the day of the event?
In most cases, Ticketmaster will not allow exchanges on the same day that the event occurs. Some key points on same-day exchanges:
- Exchanges are permitted up until 1-7 days out from an event depending on the specific event policy.
- No exchanges are allowed on the same day as the event or 24 hours prior typically.
- This is to prevent fraudulent last-minute exchanges right before events.
- If you need to return tickets on the event day itself, you would need to go through the venue’s box office directly instead of Ticketmaster.
- Venue box office exchanges follow different policies than Ticketmaster.
- Last-minute exchanges generally need to be for medical emergencies or other serious extenuating circumstances.
Check an event’s specific exchange policy closely and do not wait until the last minute. Exchanges at least several days before the event are highly recommended.
Can you exchange tickets for a different event?
Yes, one of the major benefits of Ticketmaster exchanges is that you can return tickets for one event and use the refund credit to purchase tickets for a completely different event instead.
For example:
- You purchased 2 tickets to a concert happening in March that you can no longer attend.
- You initiate a Ticketmaster exchange for those 2 tickets prior to the concert date.
- You receive a $200 credit back based on the value of those 2 returned tickets.
- Using the $200 credit, you can purchase 2 tickets to a sporting event happening in June instead.
So the credit does not have to go back towards the same event. You have great flexibility to exchange into any other Ticketmaster event you want to attend instead within the credit expiration window.
Can you exchange tickets for a more/less expensive option?
Yes, when exchanging tickets on Ticketmaster you can select new tickets that are priced higher or lower than your original tickets. Here is how it works:
- If your new tickets are priced lower than the exchange credit value, you simply get the cheaper tickets and the remainder of the credit is forfeited.
- If your new tickets are higher than the exchange credit value, you can use the credit to partially pay and then just owe the difference with another payment method.
This flexibility makes it easy to get better or worse tickets than you originally purchased during the exchange. You don’t have to limit yourself to the exact ticket value in the exchange credit amount.
Can you exchange tickets between different vendors?
Unfortunately, no. Ticketmaster exchange credits can only be used for new tickets sold directly via Ticketmaster.com itself. You cannot use Ticketmaster exchange credits for tickets on other vendor sites.
For example, if you originally bought tickets on StubHub that you want to return, you could not exchange them for tickets on VividSeats using Ticketmaster credits. Credits are limited to the Ticketmaster site and app only.
What if your plans change again after exchanging tickets?
If your plans change again shortly after doing a Ticketmaster exchange, you do have a few options:
- You may be able to do another exchange on the newly purchased tickets, if you are still within the exchange deadline for that new event.
- If outside the exchange window, you can consider reselling the tickets instead on Ticketmaster or another secondary marketplace.
- If the event was truly cancelled or you cannot attend for a covered reason, Ticketmaster may offer exceptions for refunds even after exchanging.
Try to avoid multiple exchanges for the same event, however, as there are limits enforced. For substantial changes after already exchanging once, reselling may be a better option.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster exchanges provide a very convenient way to return tickets you can no longer use and get new tickets for another event. By following Ticketmaster’s exchange policies and timeline requirements closely, you can successfully process exchanges and avoid any hassles. Be sure to initiate the exchange as soon as possible once your plans change in order to have the best chance of getting your desired new tickets.
Exchanges through Ticketmaster come with great flexibility – you can select different events, ticket values, seating options, and more when re-purchasing tickets using your exchange credit. While fees from the original purchase are non-refundable, exchanges provide a seamless experience for changing plans and getting new event tickets purchased fully online.