Ticket Processing Fees - Ticketmaster and Beyond

What are they? Why are they necessary? And most importantly, how do I avoid them?

If you’re like me, and millions of others who have decided to skip the box office lines, and buy your sports, concert, and theatre tickets online, then you’re already familiar with the surcharges and extra fees that come along with the online market.  Is it worth it to buy from these online brokers?  Right now, my comfortable couch is telling me yes, but I’ll break down where these fees come from and how to avoid them, and let you decide for yourself.

What Are Ticket Processing Fees?

Ticket processing charges are secondary ticket market’s fees for making the ticket available to you.  So basically that extra 15$ you’re paying, you guessed it… goes directly into the pockets of the guys over at Ticketmaster, StubHub and others, not to the artist, team, or venue.

Your Options:

Ticketmaster: Okay, so they aren’t technically a secondary market, but they are still a major online ticket retailer so I couldn’t leave them out.  They’re reputable and you’re going to get your ticket directly from the source.  Unfortunatley, because it isn’t a secondary market, once tickets go, they’re gone, and ticket prices are set in stone.  Ticketmaster was one of the first players in the online ticket market, which gave them a huge chunk of the market, but this also gives them the ability to charge virtually whatever fees they see necessary.

Breakdown:  Flat fee of $10.90 (up to 50% of ticketprice) in most instances, plus shipping costs.

StubHub:  As far as secondary markets, they are the go-to for most consumers, simply because they don’t know what else is out there.  Individuals and brokers sell their tickets on StubHub, at whatever price they see fit, which often times is inflated.  Stubhub is known for being pretty legitimate, but because any individual can sell their tickets on Stubhub’s large market, fraudelent tickets are a possibility.

Breakdown:  If your buying, they tack on a 10% fee and minimum of $4.95 for shipping. Sellers can expect a 10-15% surcharge as well.

TickPick: On the downside, a relatively small company.  Fortunately that means a pretty personal touch, with live customer support from their offices in Manhattan, not Prajeet from Omaha (India?). And like StubHub or Ebay, they’re a secondary market, but unlike them, 99% of what TickPick sells is from legitmate brokers only, not Joey from Queens (Maybe?).  The positive here is that you can rest assured you’re tickets are legit.  Not to mention, they have some pretty cool features including a ticket rating system so you know if that front row ticket is really worth it (cough, cough..obstructed views… cough, cough), and a bidding system in case that listed ticket is just a bit outside your price range.

Breakdown:  Buyers recieve no processing fees of any kind, and the only incurred shipping charge is for online tickets (5$).  Sellers can still expect a 10% fee.

Ebay: Not most people’s first choice when purchasing tickets, but when you’re in a pinch you might find yourself at Ebay.  It’s not a bad idea sometimes because you can find some real deals, but let’s be honest, it is Ebay.  That’s where you found that pair of  “NEW JORDANS” for “ONLY $50!!!”. Let’s face it though, you weren’t really surprised when you got them and they were plastic… Legitimate plastic.

Breakdown:  Buyer’s get what they pay for; 0% fees.  There are still shipping fees in most cases.  Sellers still need to pay a 6% fee.

So there you go, the breakdown of Online Ticket Processing Fees for the major players out there right now.  Questions, Comments?  Post Below!