7 Inside Tips for Scoring the Best Tickets at the Cheapest Prices (2024)

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There are more ways to buy tickets to see your favorite artists and sports teams than ever before, but that can also make the process feel daunting. Should you rush to get the first seats you can on Ticketmaster before an event sells out? Or should you wait it out and try your luck on the secondary marketplace, buying resale tickets from a vendor like StubHub or SeatGeek? Money spoke with StubHub spokesperson Jessica Erskine about the value of the secondary marketplace and how you should navigate it to make sure you’re getting the best deal — and how to avoid getting ripped off, or worse, a fake ticket.

Looking for the cheapest? Never buy during the initial sale.

“The good news is that with the secondary marketplace, you no longer have to rely on the on-sale,” Erskine says, referring to the first sale of tickets. “It means you have the option of shopping around and everyone has a different qualification for what they consider value.” Think about what you want out of your tickets. If you’re simply looking to get into the event, she says it’s very rare you’ll get the best price from the on-sale. However, if your main concern is finding the best seats no matter the cost, this is your best bet.

It actually pays to wait.

It might seem counterintuitive, but you’re generally not going to get a cheaper ticket by buying early. That’s just not how the laws of supply and demand work. “You’ll spend a little less the closer you get to the show,” Erskine says. “There are a lot of people who may want to go to the event, but if they can get a certain price point, they’ll get rid of the ticket. And there’s a lot of people who buy four tickets with the intention of bringing their best friends, and those people can’t show up, so they just need to get rid of the tickets.” A lot of people with unused tickets would rather get most of their money back than pay full price for an empty seat.

Set up price alerts.

Reputable sites like StubHub and SeatGeek can feel overwhelming when browsing, but they offer criteria to narrow down what you want. First step: download the StubHub or SeatGeek app from the iTunes Store or Google Play.

Now, say you want to see an upcoming Guns N’ Roses concert, but you don’t want to pay more than $130. Choose that maximum price, and StubHub will let you know when and if what you want becomes available. StubHub also has a “Best Value” tool that allows you to sort by price and section, and it has an algorithm that determines the best deal for what you’re getting.

Be comfortable going solo.

If you’re going to a seated event, it’s always going to be a little tougher to get two or three or four tickets together. “If you just want to get in and you’re really looking at price point, look for single tickets because you’ll find a lot of those instances as well where someone just had that one extra ticket,” Erskine says. Hey, who says you can’t headbang to Metallica by yourself?

Always make sure you’re buying from a vendor with protections.

It’s impossible not to cringe when you read stories about people being denied access to Hamilton because they bought fake tickets. That’s why, no matter how hot the event, you should insist on buying from vendors that offer certain protections on resale tickets. StubHub, for example, has a security team that constantly searches for fraud. As a customer, look out for 24-hour customer service, so you can be sure to get help when you need it. Finally, partnerships like StubHub’s with Major League Baseball ensure the ticket you’re buying is legit.

Maybe skip going to that coveted playoff game.

Sporting events that offer the highest stakes also don’t tend to drop much in price. “We don’t see them dropping as much when it’s an experience of that bucket-list nature," she says. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a great experience for the price of a couple beers. “Look for a game that might not be such a high-risk competition," she says. "The live experience is indescribable no matter what."

Similarly, seek out up-and-coming music artists you happen to love. You might be surprised at the level of talent you can see for around $30. Even Chance the Rapper was once an unknown.

If all else fails, look for the unlikely seat.

If all you want to do is see your favorite act (or, well, partly see them), search for tickets most people don’t want. “I would never encourage anyone to get a ticket that says ‘obstructed view.’ But it means it’s a lot cheaper than the ticket right next to it that doesn’t say ‘obstructed view,’” Erskine says. Every venue is different, so you might be surprised by how decent such a seat can be.

If you can, get to know the venue better. For example, StubHub offers a “Virtual View” so you don’t have to guess what your seat will offer. Also, general admission “standing room only” tickets can offer a wide range of prices, “and if you get to the venue sooner, you can get right to the front of the stage.” Talk about an indescribable experience.

7 Inside Tips for Scoring the Best Tickets at the Cheapest Prices (2024)

FAQs

How do I get good cheap tickets? ›

  1. Start at the box office. Always check the box office first, says Brett Goldberg, the cofounder of TickPick, another ticket marketplace. ...
  2. Check resale sites. ...
  3. Time it right. ...
  4. Watch out for fees. ...
  5. Don't buy from strangers. ...
  6. More from Money:
Jun 14, 2022

Do ticket prices drop the day of the game? ›

On average, the lowest-priced tickets were sold the same day as the game. Only 4% of all resale tickets were sold on game days, but they were a staggering 29% cheaper than average.

Does StubHub lower ticket prices? ›

Sometimes we discount tickets for some events on StubHub. This is why your ticket price on site may be lower than what you listed. All listings are impacted equally. Showing lower prices helps to maximize the tickets you sell on StubHub.

Which is better Ticketmaster or StubHub? ›

Ticketmaster is great for those who purchased their tickets through their platform, and who want an easier time selecting the tickets they want to sell. StubHub, on the other hand, is the better option for selling tickets purchased from any platform, and it will allow sellers more flexibility with selling prices.

Do tickets get cheaper later? ›

It actually pays to wait. It might seem counterintuitive, but you're generally not going to get a cheaper ticket by buying early. That's just not how the laws of supply and demand work. “You'll spend a little less the closer you get to the show,” Erskine says.

What time of the day are tickets cheapest? ›

According to Skyscanner's research, the best time to book on any given day is around 5 a.m. So, it's true that the early bird gets the worm. Or, the flight deal, that is. In addition, whether you want to save on domestic or international flights, you should also fire up your laptop on Sunday.

What day is it cheaper to buy tickets? ›

That means flying on off-peak days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are often much cheaper days to fly. Shifting your departure and return dates by just a day or two can save you hundreds of dollars.

What day of the week is better to buy tickets? ›

Here are the top takeaways according to the 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report: Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 15%: Travelers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 5% on domestic flights and 15% on international flights.

Who charges more StubHub or Ticketmaster? ›

Ticketmaster vs StubHub fees

You're more likely to pay less for original-source tickets on Ticketmaster; however, there is always a chance that StubHub could offer a better deal if a reseller is listing tickets for a cheaper price.

Do ticket prices go down closer to concert? ›

Because promoters overestimate the number of seats they hold back, a flood of tickets may hit the market during the hours before a gig. Scalpers also tend to give up in the final stretch, slashing prices on tickets they don't manage to sell for a profit.

How much money does StubHub take when you sell tickets? ›

It is free to list tickets for sale, and to search for tickets to buy on StubHub. On each completed transaction, the buyer pays a 10% fee, and a 15% fee is deducted from the seller's payment. For example, on the sale of a $100 ticket, the buyer would pay $110. The seller would net $85.

Who is cheaper than Ticketmaster? ›

7 best ticket site alternatives to Ticketmaster
  • TicketLiquidator. TicketLiquidator is one of the most often-mentioned outlets for getting cheaper tickets than Ticketmaster. ...
  • StubHub. ...
  • VividSeats. ...
  • SeatGeek. ...
  • RazorGator. ...
  • TicketCity. ...
  • Coast to Coast Tickets.
Mar 9, 2022

How can I get cheaper tickets from Ticketmaster? ›

Just make sure to buy tickets from verified, third-party sites like StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats. You'll still pay fees but they're generally cheaper than Ticketmaster's bevy of charges. You can also try aggregator sites, like Ticketwood, which scans the web for the best deals from several resale sites at once.

Is Vivid Seats more expensive than Ticketmaster? ›

Vivid Seats: For the same tickets, Vivid Seats is charging $53.66 each, with $13.66 of that being made up of fees. That's lower than SeatGeek and much lower than Ticketmaster.

How can I improve my ticket system? ›

Ticketing system best practices
  1. Ensure proper agent training. ...
  2. Decide how you will prioritize tickets. ...
  3. Use all the automation capabilities. ...
  4. Ensure your team isn't overloaded. ...
  5. Make the right use of ticket tagging. ...
  6. Set and monitor ticket statuses. ...
  7. Create canned messages and templates. ...
  8. Implement Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

How do I know if my tickets are good? ›

If you're worried that the tickets you've purchased are fake, an easy way to check is to call the box office and ask them to verify. You can do this as soon as you have the tickets in hand or online. “Especially if you're giving them as gifts, you want to check them out ahead of time,” Hutt said.

Why are tickets cheaper on Tuesday? ›

According to people that know the airfare industry well, sales on tickets used to go public on Tuesday. This meant that in order to get the airline tickets on sale, a person had to check on Tuesday before they were all gone. Back in those days, managers were manually updating prices and inputting discounts.

Do flight prices go down on Tuesday? ›

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

What time do flight prices drop on Tuesday? ›

Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book

And midnight later in the week actually gets more expensive. So put the "always book at midnight" myth to bed.

What month are tickets the cheapest? ›

Jan. Most of the month. Once the Christmas through New Year's travel rush subsides, and school starts for many around Jan 7th.

Do flight prices go up the more you search? ›

No, your search history doesn't affect flight prices.

"We run thousands of searches every day, day after day. If prices were rising based on those previous searches, we'd see it."

Why are tickets so expensive these days? ›

Flights and Routes Cancellations Affect Supply

As a result of fewer flights available to accommodate the hiked demand, the average airline airfare in the U.S. is up 16.9% between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. This is yet another reason why are flights so expensive in 2022.

Which ticket website has lowest fees? ›

TickPick is the original no-fee ticket marketplace and still remains the only major no-fee ticket site. In this blog, we tell you all there is to know about no-fee ticket sites. Plus, we show you how to get no-fee tickets to sports, concerts, and theater events on TickPick.

What website has the best ticket prices? ›

  1. StubHub. The best concert ticket site overall. ...
  2. Ticketmaster. The best customer-guaranteed concert ticket site. ...
  3. VividSeats. The best rewards program for a concert ticket site. ...
  4. See Tickets. The best concert ticket site for ease of use. ...
  5. ViaGoGo. ...
  6. SeatGeek. ...
  7. TickPick (previous Razorgator) ...
  8. TicketCity.
Feb 28, 2023

Where is the best website to buy tickets? ›

Answer: The top 5 most popular Tickets websites in the world in February 2023 are:
  • ticketmaster.com.
  • eventbrite.com.
  • tickets-center.com.
  • stubhub.com.
  • livenation.com.

Is Vivid Seats a good place to buy tickets? ›

Yes. Vivid Seats is a trusted and reliable way to buy and sell tickets. It is a legitimate company that facilities hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ticket sales each year. We recommend the company for anyone looking for deals on concert tickets or shows in the United States.

How can I avoid getting scammed when buying tickets online? ›

How to Safely Buy Tickets from Someone Online
  1. Check the ticket's authenticity. ...
  2. Avoid offers that seem “too good to be true.” If someone contacts you first about selling tickets, has a price too good to be true, and has a very low follower count, this is most likely a scam.
Jan 24, 2023

Are tickets cheaper online? ›

To get the cheapest plane ticket, always book online. Even if this means booking a ticket on your phone in the airport parking lot, you'll be better off. Airport ticket prices just aren't less expensive, as people seem to think.

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