When buying tickets online, fees can really add up. Many popular ticket sites like Ticketmaster and StubHub charge service fees, shipping fees, and other additional costs that make the final checkout price much higher than the initial list price. This can be frustrating for customers who just want to purchase event tickets at face value.
Ticketmaster Fees
Ticketmaster is one of the largest primary ticket providers, especially for major concerts and sporting events. They hold exclusive ticket sales contracts with many major venues and teams. However, Ticketmaster is notorious for tacking on high fees during checkout.
Some common Ticketmaster fees include:
- Service Fee – This fee covers the costs of providing digital ticketing services. Often around $5-$25 per ticket.
- Order Processing Fee – A fee for processing the ticket order, usually a percentage of the ticket price such as 5-10%.
- Shipping Fee – If you choose ticket shipping instead of electronic tickets, this covers delivery costs.
- Facility Charge – This extra fee covers maintenance, upkeep, and operation of the event venue.
- Charity Donation – Sometimes an optional donation to a charity selected by the artist or event.
The service and processing fees are applied to every ticket purchase, and can add a significant cost to large group orders. Ticketmaster estimates fees can be up to 31% of the ticket price, but customers report even higher fees at times.
StubHub Fees
StubHub is one of the most popular ticket resale marketplaces where resellers can sell event tickets they are unable to use. As a resale site, StubHub charges fees to both the buyer and seller of tickets.
Buyer StubHub fees include:
- Service Fee – Charged as a percentage of the ticket price such as 10-15%. Covers costs of running the marketplace.
- Fulfillment Fee – For delivery of printed or mobile tickets. Charged per-ticket.
- Sales Tax – Collected for the buyer’s state.
Sellers also pay a percentage Final Value Fee out of their proceeds in addition to a per-order Seller Transaction Fee. StubHub’s combined fees on a single ticket purchase and sale can total over 35%.
Vivid Seats Fees
Vivid Seats is another large secondary ticket marketplace similar to StubHub. They partner with many resellers to provide resold tickets to sports, concerts, theater, and other events.
Typical buyer fees on Vivid Seats include:
- Service Fee – Charged as a percentage of the ticket price such as 10-20%.
- Order Processing Fee – A small fixed fee per order.
- Delivery Fee – For shipping ticket copies by mail.
- Sellers also pay a Final Value Fee out of their sale proceeds.
While specific fees vary, expect to pay around 15-25% above the ticket price in additional charges. Vivid Seats does offer some ticket sales with no added buyer fees at certain times.
SeatGeek Fees
SeatGeek provides primary ticket sales as well as a secondary marketplace connecting buyers and resellers. They emphasize transparency, showing full pricing breakdowns including fees upfront.
SeatGeek buyer fees include:
- Service Fee – A percentage of the ticket price such as 10-20%.
- Processing Fee – A small fixed fee per ticket order.
- Delivery Fee – For mailed ticket copies.
Sellers pay a final value sale commission. Overall fees are typically 14-20% of the ticket price. SeatGeek does not charge additional facility or handling fees on top of the listed service percentage.
No-Fee Ticket Sites
While most major ticket marketplaces charge fees, there are some exceptions. These ticket sites do not charge extra buyer fees, providing a checkout price equal to the listed ticket price:
CashorTrade
CashorTrade is a ticket exchange platform for face value ticket resales. Buyers and sellers trade tickets without inflated markups. Instead of fees, they encourage community-oriented practices like donations or volunteering. Sellers also can trade ticket for goods or services.
Official Team/Venue Sites
Purchasing tickets directly from the official box office website, like a sports team or concert venue, typically avoids fees. The checkout price is the same as the listed price. These are the best sources for primary market-value tickets.
Face-value Resale Sites
Some sites like Twickets and FanXchange specifically focus on face-value ticket resales. This provides a no-fee secondary option at typically lower costs than major resellers. Inventory depends on users re-selling their tickets.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite offers free ticket processing for many smaller events. This can be a good option for niche local events that don’t list on major ticketing platforms.
Avoiding Fees
Here are some other tips to minimize or avoid ticket fees when purchasing event tickets online:
- Buy early and avoid resale market – Fees are lower on primary market sales.
- Choose electronic ticket delivery – Avoid shipping fees.
- Buy group tickets in single order – One bulk order reduces per-ticket processing fees.
- Buy season ticket packages – Per-ticket fees are lower with subscription packages.
- Join fan clubs – Special pre-sales sometimes have discounted or no-fee tickets.
Conclusion
While most major ticket sellers like Ticketmaster and StubHub charge substantial service, processing, delivery, and other fees that can significantly inflate costs – some lesser known sites like CashorTrade and official venue sales provide no-fee alternatives. Avoiding resale markets, choosing electronic delivery, buying tickets in bulk, and looking for pre-sales and discounts can help minimize fees.
Carefully comparing all costs across multiple providers and planning ticket purchases carefully can potentially save many dollars in annoying fees.