When you buy tickets on Ticketmaster, the price you see up front is the price you pay (generally before taxes) and covers both the face value and required fees. You’ll still be able to see a breakdown of your total—so you know where your money is going.
Who Sets Ticket Prices?
The face value of a ticket—the base price before fees—is determined by the Event Organizer. They consider various factors such as production costs, venue size, and interest in the event when setting this price.
As part of their ticketing strategy, Event Organizers also determine how many tickets to sell, when to put them on sale and when to share prices. For the most popular sales, we’ll display the All In Price ranges when the sale opens—so you know all the price levels that were made available.
What Fees Are Included?
The upfront price includes all required fees in addition to the face value. These fees help cover the behind-the-scenes costs of putting on live events and keeping the ticketing process secure and smooth.
Service Fees
Service fees are generally negotiated and shared between various parties involved in organizing the event and may include a profit to them. The service fee is charged once per ticket and may apply to in-person box office purchases depending on the venue.
- Venues often use their share to pay local staff (like security and ushers), manage day-to-day operations, and keep the venue running year-round.
- Ticketmaster uses its share to provide the tech, customer support, and secure tools that power your ticket-buying experience—including the equipment venues use to scan tickets and run their box offices to get everyone into the venue on event day. This fee also typically includes credit card processing costs.
Facility Charge
Some events may also reflect a Facility Charge which is determined by the venue. Ticketmaster does not keep any portion of the facility charge. Venues use this fee to cover the costs of hosting live events, including staffing, insurance, and paying suppliers. These are separate from service fees and can vary by venue and event.
What Charges Aren’t Included Up Front?
While most costs are included up front, some charges may be added during checkout based on your choices or location, including:
Delivery Fee: Only charged if you choose a specific delivery method (like mail or courier).
Taxes: Applicable city, state, and local taxes are automatically added based on where the event takes place. In some states, this tax is included in the upfront price.
What About Resale Tickets?
Some of the tickets on our site are Resale tickets being sold and priced by the reseller. These tickets are:
- Clearly labeled as resale before you buy.
- Sometimes listed above or below the original face value.
- Priced by the reseller who sets the base ticket price and earns all proceeds minus fees.
Resale Fees
Resale service fees may be shared among various parties involved in putting on the event and may cover operational costs and profits. For example, Ticketmaster uses these fees to invest in authenticating resale tickets prior to sale to prevent fraud and ensure a safe, secure experience for both buyers and resellers.
Additionally, some artists also choose to cap resale prices to protect fans from the possibility of inflated markups. When that’s the case, you’ll see that clearly labeled too. These tickets are referred to as face value exchange and Ticketmaster does not charge any resale fees on these tickets.