Getting tickets to see your favorite artist or band in concert can be extremely difficult these days. Competition for tickets is fierce, with shows often selling out in minutes or even seconds. This is especially true for popular artists playing at smaller venues.
One strategy that concert promoters have implemented to try and get tickets directly into the hands of real fans is verified fan presales. In a verified fan presale, fans must register ahead of time and get approved as a verified fan. This helps filter out bots and scalpers looking to scoop up tickets and resell them at inflated prices.
But even if you get approved as a verified fan, there are still limits on how many tickets you can purchase. Promoters want to discourage bulk buying so more individuals have a chance at getting seats. So how many tickets can you buy if you have verified fan access? Let’s take a closer look.
Ticket Limits for Verified Fans
Ticket limits for verified fan presales can vary based on the artist, venue, and promoter. There is no universal rule. But typically the limit falls somewhere between 2 and 6 tickets per person.
Here are some examples of verified fan ticket limits:
– Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour: 2 tickets per verified fan
– Beyoncé Renaissance World Tour: 4 tickets per verified fan
– Red Hot Chili Peppers 2023 Tour: 6 tickets per verified fan
– Harry Styles Love on Tour: 4 tickets per verified fan
– The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour: 6 tickets per verified fan
So you can expect to be able to purchase somewhere between 2-6 tickets if you gain access to a verified fan presale. Some artists have differing limits depending on the venue, so it helps to check the specific event page for details.
Why Verified Fan Ticket Limits Exist
Concert promoters implement ticket limits on verified fan presales for a few important reasons:
To Prevent Bulk Buying
The main reason for ticket limits is to prevent bulk buying. If there were no restrictions, scalpers could buy up dozens or even hundreds of tickets during the presale. Even if they had to go through the verified fan registration process, this would undermine the purpose of giving real fans first access. By capping purchases at 2-6 tickets, it makes bulk buying far less feasible.
To Give More Individual Fans Access
With bulk buying off the table, more individual fans have a shot at snagging tickets during the presale. If fans were allowed to purchase unlimited tickets, the presales would still sell out instantly. But with reasonable limits in place, tickets remain available for a longer period, creating better odds for fans to secure seats.
To Discourage Reselling
The lower ticket limits also help discourage reselling. There is less financial incentive for scalpers to try to flip just 2-4 tickets per person. It reduces the chance of seeing large blocks of presale tickets appear on secondary sites.
Tips for Navigating Verified Fan Presale Limits
Here are some tips to make the most of verified fan presale ticket limits:
Review the Event Page
Be sure to carefully review the event page before the presale. The ticket limit per verified fan will be listed there. You want to know the exact number so you can coordinate with any friends who also have presale access.
Link Your Accounts
Linking your verified fan account with any other attendees allows you to purchase all the tickets together. So if the limit is 4 per person, linking with a friend means you could buy 8 tickets.
Use Different Payment Methods
If you want to try to get more than the limit, use different credit cards and accounts. The system may block you from exceeding the cap on a single account. But splitting across accounts and payments gives it a shot.
Log in Early
Be ready and logged in ahead of the presale start time. Have all accounts linked, payment methods entered, and act fast. The tickets remaining after the presale sell out extremely quick.
Ways to Get More Tickets
While verified fan presale limits are restrictive, there are some other ways to potentially get more tickets:
General Public On-Sale
Any leftover tickets go on sale to the general public after the presale. Limits may be higher or non-existent at this stage, so you can take another shot. Of course, these on-sales tend to sell out in seconds.
Return to the Box Office
Many venues allow you to purchase tickets directly at the box office with no limits. But of course this requires physically going there and likely dealing with long lines.
Fan-to-Fan Resale
Verified fans are sometimes allowed to resell their tickets to other verified fans. So if others purchased less than their limit, they can transfer those seats to you.
Venue Presales
Besides the artist presales, venues often hold their own presales for members or subscribers. Signing up for these can offer another chance.
Average Number of Tickets Verified Fans Purchase
So when looking at actual sales data, what is the average number of tickets that verified fans purchase? Performing arts industry analyst Pollstar looked at this for some major tours. Here were their findings:
Artist | Average Tickets Per Verified Fan Order |
---|---|
Harry Styles | 2.2 |
Lady Gaga | 2.5 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2.7 |
Luke Combs | 2.8 |
Elton John | 3.1 |
As you can see, the average tends to be not much higher than 2-3 tickets per order. So most verified fans are not maxing out the full 4, 6, or 8 ticket limits. This again underscores the effectiveness of moderate ticket caps in getting tickets distributed widely amongst individuals in the presale.
Conclusion
Verified fan ticket limits typically allow purchase of 2-6 tickets per person for major concerts and tours. Promoters implement these caps to discourage bulk buying and give more individual fans access during presales. While you may want more than the limit, the restrictions do make the buying process fairer. Just be strategic in using linked accounts, multiple payments, and alternative presales to try maximizing your chances. But also remember these rules are designed to spread tickets out, so respect any constraints and enjoy the show!