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 buying 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 so you can decide for yourself.

What Are Ticket Processing Fees?

Ticket processing charges are the 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’ll get your ticket directly from the source.  Unfortunately, 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 share of the market, but this also gives them the ability to charge whatever fees they see fit.

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

StubHub

As for 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 is often inflated.  StubHub is known for being pretty legitimate, but because anyone can sell tickets on its large market, fraudulent tickets are a possibility.

Breakdown: If you’re buying, they tack on a 10% fee and a minimum shipping fee of $4.95. 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. And like StubHub or eBay, they’re a secondary market, but unlike them, 99% of what TickPick sells comes only from legitimate brokers.

The positive here is that you can rest assured your tickets are legit.  Not to mention, they have some pretty cool features, including a ticket rating system so you know whether that front-row ticket is really worth it.

Breakdown: Buyers incur no processing fees of any kind, and the only 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: Buyers 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.