Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies in the world. They sell tickets for various live entertainment events like concerts, sports games, theater shows, and more. When customers purchase tickets on Ticketmaster, there are often additional fees charged on top of the base ticket price. One of the most common fees is a charge for using a credit card to make the Ticketmaster purchase.
What is the credit card fee for Ticketmaster?
Ticketmaster charges a credit card fee for purchases made online or over the phone with a credit card. The exact fee amount depends on the event, venue, and payment method:
- Online credit card purchases are charged a fee of $5.00-$20.00 per ticket
- Phone credit card purchases are charged a fee of $15.00-$25.00 per ticket
- For resale tickets, the credit card fee can be up to 30% of the ticket price
In general, expect to pay an additional $10-$15 per ticket if using a credit card to buy tickets on Ticketmaster. The fee often applies no matter what kind of credit card you use, whether it’s Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover. Debit cards and prepaid credit cards are also typically subject to the same credit card fees on Ticketmaster.
Why does Ticketmaster charge credit card fees?
Ticketmaster charges fees for credit card transactions to offset the processing costs they incur. Any time a credit card purchase occurs, the merchant (in this case Ticketmaster) has to pay a processing fee to the credit card networks and issuing banks. This fee covers the costs of facilitating the digital transaction.
The typical credit card processing fee for merchants is between 1.5% to 3.5% of the total transaction amount. Large merchants like Ticketmaster generally fall on the lower end of that spectrum due to their high sales volume. However, with millions of ticket purchases each year, those percentages still add up to significant processing costs. Ticketmaster passes those costs along to customers in the form of credit card fees on each purchase.
Does Ticketmaster charge a fee for debit cards?
In most cases, Ticketmaster processes debit card purchases the same as credit cards and charges the same fees. Debit card transactions run through the major payment networks like Visa and Mastercard, even though the funds come directly out of your bank account. Because the backend processing is similar, Ticketmaster charges comparable fees for debit card use.
However, there are some exceptions. When using a debit card directly through a PIN purchase network like Pulse or NYCE, no credit card fees apply. Ticketmaster only charges the fees when debit cards are processed through Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover networks.
Does Ticketmaster charge fees for PayPal or other payment services?
If you use a third-party payment service like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster, you can avoid credit card fees. These payment services process transactions through their own systems instead of the major card networks. Therefore, Ticketmaster does not charge their credit card fees for purchases made through PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and similar services.
Keep in mind that the third-party services may charge their own fees for facilitating the transaction. But those are often less than Ticketmaster’s credit card fees. For example, PayPal charges a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee for online purchases. That is still less than the over 10% in fees you could pay Ticketmaster when buying with a credit card.
Does Ticketmaster charge a credit card fee for e-tickets?
Ticketmaster’s credit card fees apply both to hard tickets that are shipped and e-tickets that you access digitally through your Ticketmaster account.
Even though e-tickets avoid any shipping costs, Ticketmaster still charges the processing fees for the credit card transaction itself. Whether your tickets are mailed to you or delivered electronically, expect to pay around $10-$15 extra per ticket when using a credit card to buy them.
Can you get Ticketmaster tickets without a credit card fee?
There are a few ways to avoid Ticketmaster’s credit card fees when purchasing event tickets:
- Use a debit card through a PIN purchase network – This avoids running the transaction through Visa, Mastercard, etc. which triggers the fee
- Pay with a prepaid credit card – These work like debit cards when used for signature or PIN purchases
- Use PayPal or another digital wallet – Third-party payment services don’t incur the credit card network fees
- Pay with cash – Buy tickets at a physical box office to pay in cash with no processing fees
- Use a Ticketmaster gift card – Gift cards have no associated payment fees
The most convenient options are generally PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay since you can complete the purchase online. But anytime you can avoid directly using a credit card, you won’t have to pay Ticketmaster’s credit card fee.
Does Ticketmaster charge other fees besides credit card fees?
Yes, Ticketmaster is notorious for adding on many fees during the checkout process, not just credit card fees. Some of the other common fees and charges include:
- Delivery fee – For mailed tickets, ranges $5-$20 per order
- Service fee – A base fee on all ticket orders, usually around $10-$25 per ticket
- Facility charge – Added by the event venue, typically $5-$10 per ticket
- Order processing fee – On top of the delivery and service fees, up to $15 per order
It’s not unusual for the final price paid on Ticketmaster to be 30% or more above the initial event ticket price after all the fees are added. The various service, processing, and delivery fees are in addition to the credit card fees.
Is Ticketmaster the only ticket seller that charges fees?
No, Ticketmaster is far from the only ticket marketplace that charges additional fees. Most major ticket sellers add on fees during checkout, including:
- LiveNation – Ticketmaster’s parent company also charges similar fees
- StubHub – Large resale site has lower fees but higher ticket prices
- VividSeats – Charges delivery fees, service fees, and credit card fees
- SeatGeek – Order processing fees and a Deal Score service fee on most tickets
- AXS – Owned by AEG, has added fees comparable to Ticketmaster
The exact fees vary by seller, but they generally include a combination of service fees, order processing fees, delivery fees and credit card fees. In most cases, expect to pay 10%-25% more than the upfront ticket price listed.
Is there a way around Ticketmaster fees?
Unfortunately, there is no completely fee-free option for purchasing tickets to major concerts, sporting events, and other hot ticket events. As the primary ticketing provider for many major venues and promoters, Ticketmaster has a dominant position in the industry. There are few ways to avoid their fees when buying tickets for popular events.
Your best options are:
- Buy directly from the venue box office – Some don’t charge fees but have limited availability
- Purchase resale tickets on a site like StubHub – Lower fees but tickets cost more upfront
- Avoid credit cards and pay with PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. – You’ll still pay some fees
- Join fan clubs or reward programs – Some offer fee-free ticket presales
For extremely high-demand events where tickets sell out instantly, there is often no way to avoid Ticketmaster and all their fees if you want to secure tickets online. But choosing alternative payment methods can at least help minimize the charges.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster charges a credit card fee ranging from $5-$25 per ticket for online and phone purchases made with a credit or debit card. This helps them offset the 1.5%-3.5% processing fees they incur on credit card transactions. Some ways to potentially avoid the fees are using PayPal, paying with cash at the venue, or purchasing a Ticketmaster gift card. However, for most major concerts and events, it’s difficult to avoid Ticketmaster altogether, in which case you’ll likely incur their credit card processing fees.