Getting early access to concert tickets on Ticketmaster can be a great way to secure seats for highly anticipated shows before the general public has a chance to buy them. Here’s an overview of how early access works and tips for taking advantage of presales on Ticketmaster.
What is early access?
Early access refers to presales that give certain groups of people the chance to purchase tickets before the general onsale date. Presales provide early bird access to tickets, usually 1-7 days before the public onsale.
There are a few different types of presales on Ticketmaster:
- Fan club presales – for official fan club members
- Venue presales – for subscribers to the venue’s email list or members program
- Artist presales – for fans who have signed up for the artist’s email list
- Spotify presales – for Spotify users who follow the artist and have listened to their music
- American Express presales – for American Express cardmembers
- Radio presales – for listeners of certain radio stations
- VIP Packages presales – for buyers of special VIP ticket packages
- Other promotional presales – presales for certain groups like Chase cardholders, Citi cardholders, or concert promoters
These presales give certain groups exclusive early access to purchase tickets directly through Ticketmaster before the general public gets the chance.
Why use presales?
There are a few key benefits to using presales:
- Access to tickets before the general public – presales can give you first pick of available tickets before high demand causes shows to sell out.
- Get better seats – You can secure seats closer to the stage before resellers or bots grab them up.
- Avoid sell outs and immediate resells – Fewer tickets might be held for the general onsale after presale allocations are filled.
- Less competition from scalpers – Presales help limit the number of tickets purchased purely for resale.
So presales give fans an insider advantage to get tickets directly from the source before the mass-market onsale.
How do presales work?
Presales have their own unique onsale date and time which is earlier than the public onsale. Typically presales start 1-7 days before the general onsale.
On the presale date, eligible buyers can log into Ticketmaster and access special presale tickets. There will be a unique presale code or link required to unlock and shop the presale allotment.
Buyers usually need to act quickly once the presale starts because there is limited inventory. Presales typically last for 6-24 hours until they sell out or until the inventory is converted over the public onsale.
Any tickets not sold during the presale get released to the general public on the main public onsale date and time.
How to find presales
There are a few ways to find presales and get presale codes:
- Fan clubs – Join an artist’s official fan club to get access to fan club presales. Members often get emails with presale codes.
- Venues – Sign up for venues’ newsletters and email lists which will advertise their upcoming presales.
- Artists’ mailing lists – Subscribe to artists’ official mailing lists to receive presale codes and links.
- Spotify – Follow artists on Spotify and listen to their music to get access to Spotify presales.
- American Express – Amex cardmembers get early access to presales for select shows.
- Radio stations – Listen to certain radio stations and sign up for their listener programs to access presale codes.
- VIP packages – Purchasing VIP ticket packages includes access to VIP presales.
- Ticketmaster – Check Ticketmaster’s presale page which lists some upcoming presales.
Tips for accessing presales
Here are some key tips for making the most of Ticketmaster presales:
- Sign up for presale alerts ahead of time so you have the codes and links ready to go when the presale starts.
- Log into your Ticketmaster account ahead of the presale and make sure your payment info is saved for faster checkout.
- Be ready and waiting online for the presale 10-15 minutes early so you can access it right at the start time.
- Have a list of target seat locations in mind, like lower level or closer to the stage.
- Act fast once the presale starts! Inventory goes quickly so submit your order right away.
- If you miss out on a presale, keep checking back for the public onsale. Oftentimes more tickets are released.
Pros and cons of presales
Here’s a quick look at some of the key pros and cons to be aware of with Ticketmaster presales:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
– Early access before general public | – Requires presale codes/links to access |
– Better availability of seats | – Limited inventory available |
– Avoid sellouts/immediate resells | – Need to act fast before tickets sell out |
– Less competition from scalpers | – Popular shows still sell out quickly |
Are there ticket limits?
Presales often have ticket purchase limits in place to help prevent scalpers from buying up all the tickets.
Common presale ticket limits include:
- 2-4 tickets per household
- 6-8 ticket maximum
- Limits for front row/VIP tickets separately
Any ticket limits will be specified on the presale page before you select seats and checkout.
Can you buy resale tickets?
Presales only offer direct primary market tickets for sale through Ticketmaster. They do not offer resale tickets.
However, once a presale ends any unsold tickets are released to the general public. At that point those tickets could end up being resold through secondary market sites.
So it’s only possible to buy verified resale tickets after the primary market presale and public onsale have ended and inventory sells out. There are no resale tickets offered during the presale itself.
How are seats assigned?
With Ticketmaster presales, it’s possible to pick your exact seat locations from the available inventory.
When you access a presale, you can view an interactive seat map to browse available seats. You can select your desired seats and proceed through checkout.
Seat assignments are on a first come, first served basis. The earlier you access a presale, the better selection of seats you’ll have to choose from.
Conclusion
In summary, presales are a great opportunity for fans to beat the crowds and secure tickets to popular shows before the general public. Just be aware of the right presales to join, when they start, and how to access codes in order to get the best tickets.
Following presale alerts, logging in early, and understanding the inventory limits are key tactics for success. Presales require more work than the public onsale, but give you the advantage of earlier access.
So consider taking advantage of Ticketmaster presales next time your favorite artist goes on tour or a must-see show comes to town!
With the right preparation, you can use presales to get ahead of scalpers, resellers, and the masses to get the tickets you want!
Finding and utilizing presales is one of the smartest tactics superfans can use to keep seeing their favorite live events year after year!
I hope this detailed overview gives you a better understanding of how Ticketmaster’s presales work and how you can use them to get the best seats at your next concert!
Let me know if you have any other questions!