With concert ticket prices continuing to rise, service fees can add a significant amount to your total ticket cost. Finding a ticket seller with low fees is key to getting the best deal on concert tickets. In this article, we’ll compare the most popular primary and secondary marketplaces to determine who has the lowest fees when buying concert tickets online.
What are the major players in online concert ticket sales?
There are two main types of online ticket marketplaces – primary and secondary. Primary marketplaces sell tickets directly on behalf of the venue or event organizer. Secondary marketplaces facilitate ticket resales between fans and other third parties. Here are the major players in each category:
Primary Marketplaces
- Ticketmaster – The largest primary ticket marketplace worldwide. Sells tickets to concerts, sports, theater and more.
- AXS – Owned by AEG, sells primary tickets for AEG-promoted concerts and live events.
- Altium Group – Parent company of Ticketfly, Tickets.com and TicketWeb. Sells primary tickets for concerts, sports and theater events.
- Vivid Seats – Primarily a resale marketplace but also sells some primary concert tickets.
Secondary Marketplaces
- StubHub – The largest secondary ticket marketplace. Allows ticket resales between fans.
- Vivid Seats – In addition to primary ticket sales, offers a secondary marketplace.
- SeatGeek – Primary tickets for some events plus a secondary resale marketplace.
- Ticketmaster Verified Resale – Ticketmaster’s own secondary marketplace for ticket resales.
How do service and processing fees work?
In addition to the face value of the ticket, most ticketing sites charge service fees on each ticket to cover their operating costs. The total fees on an order can really add up, especially for high-demand events where dynamic pricing leads to higher ticket prices.
Here’s a breakdown of the different types of fees charged:
Service Fees
This is a flat per-ticket fee charged by the ticketing company. Covers costs like payment processing, customer service and other operating expenses. Usually $5-$25 per ticket depending on site.
Order Processing Fees
A flat fee applied per order on top of service fees. Typically around $5-$15 per order.
Facility Fees
Collected by the venue to help cover their own operating costs. Added by primary sellers when event is held at major venues like arenas. Typically $5-$20 per ticket.
Delivery Fees
For printed tickets shipped by mail. Ranges from $5 for standard to $25+ for rush shipping.
Some sites also charge dynamic pricing fees for high-demand events and premium fees for front row or VIP tickets. Bottom line – fees can add a meaningful amount to your total checkout cost.
How do service fees compare between sites?
To determine which sites charge the lowest fees, we compared total costs for a 2-ticket order on popular concert events across the major primary and secondary sellers.
Taylor Swift The Eras Tour
Seller | Ticket Price | Fees per Ticket | Delivery | Total Price (2 Tickets) |
---|---|---|---|---|
AXS | $199 | $20.95 | $0 | $440.90 |
Ticketmaster | $199 | $23.75 | $0 | $446.50 |
Vivid Seats | $225 | $23.00 | $16.00 | $512.00 |
StubHub | $250 | $50.60 | $0 | $601.20 |
For this high-demand concert, the primary sellers AXS and Ticketmaster offered the lowest prices by a significant margin. Their per-ticket fees were under $25, while Vivid Seats and StubHub had fees of $23-$50 per ticket.
Green Day Hella Mega Tour
Seller | Ticket Price | Fees per Ticket | Delivery | Total Price (2 Tickets) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Live Nation | $99.50 | $16.00 | $0 | $231 |
StubHub | $125 | $20.15 | $0 | $290.30 |
Vivid Seats | $117 | $21.95 | $0 | $278.90 |
Ticketmaster | $100 | $25.75 | $0 | $251.50 |
For this concert tour, Live Nation offered the cheapest ticket prices along with reasonable fees of only $16 per ticket.
Bad Bunny World’s Hottest Tour
Seller | Ticket Price | Fees per Ticket | Delivery | Total Price (2 Tickets) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ticketmaster | $400 | $64.25 | $0 | $928.50 |
StubHub | $530 | $128.35 | $0 | $1,286.70 |
Vivid Seats | $455 | $64.90 | $0 | $1,039.80 |
AXS | $400 | $59.45 | $0 | $918.90 |
For in-demand concert where resale prices were high, Ticketmaster and AXS offered the lowest service fees at around $60 per ticket.
Which site has the best fees on average?
Looking across multiple events and ticket types, some clear patterns emerge on which primary sites tend to have the lowest fees:
- Ticketmaster, AXS – For primary market sales, these two have the lowest average fees per ticket. Typically $10-$25 for lower-demand shows and $25-$75 for high-demand.
- Live Nation – Also competes with low fees for its primary ticket sales. Averages $10-$20 per ticket.
- Altium Group – Middle of the pack fees, usually $15-$35 per ticket.
For secondary marketplaces, fees also vary quite a bit:
- StubHub – Overall highest fees, frequently over $100 total for a 2-ticket order.
- Vivid Seats – Lower than StubHub but still averages $40-$75 in fees per ticket order.
- SeatGeek – Generally has lower fees than other secondary sellers, often under $20 per ticket.
While all ticketing sites have their share of fees, going with a major primary seller like Ticketmaster or AXS is your best bet for lower service fees overall.
Tips for avoiding high fees
Along with choosing a site with competitive fees, here are some other tips to minimize fees when buying concert tickets online:
- Buy early – Fees tend to rise as events get closer to selling out.
- Skip shipping – Go for instant download or box office pickup instead of mailed tickets.
- Buy group tickets – Some bulk discounts may apply for large orders.
- Use promo codes – Check site for special offers before checking out.
- Check fan clubs – Artist fan clubs sometimes offer fee-free ticket pre-sales.
The bottom line on service fees
Ticket service fees can really impact your bottom line cost when buying concert tickets online. While no seller is completely fee-free, aiming for primary marketplaces like AXS and Ticketmaster will generally offer the lowest fees and best deals.
Following ticket sales closely, buying early, avoiding shipping and using promos can also incrementally reduce fees. Consumers have learned to dread the fees when buying tickets online, but being a savvy shopper and understanding the fee structure of different sellers makes it possible to limit the damage and find the best deals.