The term “will call” is commonly used to refer to ticketing situations where a customer has purchased a ticket for an event but will pick up the ticket later at the venue’s box office. For example, you may purchase concert tickets online and then choose “will call” as the delivery option – meaning you will pick up the physical tickets at the concert venue rather than having them mailed to you ahead of time. But where did this term originate and how did it become so widely used, especially in the entertainment industry?
The meaning of “will call”
The phrase “will call” indicates that an item will be held until the customer is ready to retrieve it. The word “will” implies intention – the customer intends to come pick it up. And “call” suggests the action of coming to get it when ready.
So “will call” effectively communicates that the recipient intends to come get the item held for them at some point in the future. It’s often used for situations where an item has been paid for but the hand-off of the physical product is delayed until a later time.
Early origins
While the exact origin of using “will call” to refer to a ticketing scenario is obscure, there are some early documented uses that provide clues.
One of the earliest references comes from a newspaper article in 1897, which noted:
“The ticket speculators about the hotels are stuck with a number of tickets. They have left quite a bunch at the box office in the hands of the treasurer to be held until called for.”
This shows the concept of tickets being held at the box office for customers to pick up later was already common practice in the theater industry by the late 19th century.
There are also references to the use of “will call” in early 20th century literature. For example, in the novel “Penrod” by Booth Tarkington published in 1914, there is the line:
“Your tickets will be at the box office; ask for them at will call.”
Again demonstrating the use of “will call” as instructions for ticketing retrieval.
The rise of “will call” in music
While originally used in theater contexts in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term “will call” really became widespread and well-known thanks to the rise of popular music events in the mid 20th century.
As concerts and music festivals grew larger and ticket distribution became more complex, “will call” became the standard way to handle situations where ticketholders needed to pick up tickets on-site.
For example, events like Woodstock in 1969 brought huge crowds where prior ticketing by mail would have been incredibly difficult. By offering “will call” pickup, it streamlined the process of getting hundreds of thousands of tickets to attendees once they arrived at the festival grounds.
How music events popularized “will call”
There are a few factors around music events that made “will call” such a useful and omnipresent term:
- Getting physical paper tickets out to fans was logistically challenging, especially for larger events.
- Fans often purchased tickets right before shows making mailing impossible.
- Ticket distribution required flexibility – fans might transfer tickets between friends at the last minute.
- Venues needed a way to hold unpaid tickets until they were picked up and settled.
“Will call” fulfilled all of these practical needs for both events and ticket buyers. It allowed procuring tickets early while handling distribution logistics on the day itself.
How music venues use will call
Today, most large music venues have dedicated will call areas or windows where fans can pick up pre-purchased tickets. There are a few common practices for how will call operates:
- Photo ID is required to verify identity and prevent fraud.
- Credit card used for purchase may be needed to confirm order details.
- Tickets may only be released to the original purchaser.
- There are time limits on picking up will call tickets.
Using these rules, will call allows venues to securely hold and distribute tickets without the risks of mailing physical tickets out.
Adoption beyond music
While the music industry played a major role in popularizing the will call method, it has since expanded to all kinds of events.
You’ll now see “will call” as a ticket option for things like:
- Sporting events
- Theater performances
- Comedy shows
- Conferences
It has also moved beyond just tickets to being used for goods pickup in other industries. For example, “will call” might be used in:
- Retail – such as online order picked up in store.
- Shipping/logistics – goods held until customer pickup.
- Restaurants – takeout food left under a customer name.
- Automotive – vehicles left for test drives or scheduled service.
Any scenario where an exchange of goods is separated into purchase stage and pickup stage, “will call” provides a convenient shorthand for the pickup portion.
Why “will call” has persisted
Despite changes in technology, the concept of “will call” has remained deeply embedded across industries. There are several factors that help explain why it continues to be the go-to term after 100+ years:
- It’s succinct – the phrase “will call” conveys a complex concept in just two words.
- It’s flexible – can be applied in many different scenarios beyond just ticketing.
- It’s trusted – the system has proven reliable over decades of use.
- It’s widespread – as more venues/events adopt it, consumer recognition grows.
- It fills a need – there is still demand for separated purchase/pickup in many situations.
Even with the rise of fully digital ticketing via mobile phones, the physical hand-off of goods often still needs to occur separately. As long as that happens, “will call” provides the perfect shorthand for the “waiting to be picked up” state of the items.
Will call in the digital era
So how has will call evolved for our increasingly digital world? While the fundamentals remain the same, there have been some technological upgrades:
Digital ticketing
Many tickets today are issued electronically rather than as printed paper tickets. Mobile tickets provide a barcode or QR code that can still be scanned digitally at the venue. This reduces waste and complexity without changing the will call fundamentals.
Online will call systems
Fans can now manage will call tickets through vendor websites or apps. This allows looking up order status, changing delivery options, transferring tickets to others digitally. Overall it makes will call more convenient.
Digital ID verification
Instead of physical IDs, many venues now use electronic systems to validate identities against ticket orders. This speeds up pickup while maintaining security.
Enhanced pickup options
Some will call systems provide concessions pickup, express lanes, scheduled time slots, and other features to improve convenience and reduce wait times.
The future of will call
What might “will call” look like in the future? Some possibilities as technology keeps evolving:
- Seamless digital ticketing where physical pickup is increasingly optional.
- Integration with rideshare/transit apps for smoother transportation to events.
- Drone delivery for on-demand pickup summoning rather than set pickup locations.
- Virtual/augmented reality previews during the pickup experience.
- Biometric identification removing requirements for IDs.
Despite these potential advances, there will likely always be some level of separation between buying and receiving in many scenarios. As long as that gap exists, the idea of “I intend to come pick this up later” captured in the phrase “will call” will remain relevant. So while the implementation continues modernizing, the underlying utility seems here to stay.
Conclusion
From its origins in theater ticketing in the late 1800s, “will call” has become engrained across event ticketing and other pickup scenarios. The live music industry especially amplified its use and popularity starting in the 1960s. Its flexibility and ability to handle variable pickup timing has kept “will call” standing the test of time. Even as technology evolves, the basic idea of deferred item retrieval that “will call” represents continues filling an important need. While pickup processes have become more sophisticated, that succinct phrase remains shorthand for “I’ll get it when I’m ready.”