There are two main types of tickets sold on Ticketmaster — standard admission tickets and resale tickets. How ticket prices and fees are determined depends on the type of ticket you’re purchasing.
When it comes to standard tickets: artists, promoters, sports leagues, or teams decide how they want to sell their tickets on Ticketmaster’s marketplace. That includes setting the face value prices, determining how many tickets to sell, and when to put them on sale.
For resale tickets: the listing price is determined by the seller, which includes fans, season ticket holders, and professional resellers. Often a resale price exceeds the initial face value set by the artist or team.
In any case, ticket fees (which can include a service fee, order processing fee, and the occasional delivery fee) are determined by and shared between the parties who have a hand in making live events happen including venues, Ticketmaster, sports teams, leagues and promoters.
What is the face value price of a ticket?
Face value refers to the price of the ticket (before fees and taxes are added). Artists, sports teams or promoters set the face value ticket price, which Ticketmaster doesn’t keep any portion of. They can also decide to change that price at any time.
Why am I seeing all-in pricing on some events?
In the case of events utilizing all-in pricing, you will see the total cost upfront including the face value price and fees. Artists, venues and sports teams can choose to use Ticketmaster’s All-In Pricing.
Additionally, some states have started to pass laws requiring all-in pricing, so any events in New York, Tennessee and Connecticut will automatically have all-in pricing shown. All-in pricing has also been instituted for all new shows in venues operated by Live Nation as of September 25, 2023. Ticketmaster continues to advocate for a national all-in pricing law.
What do the different fees mean?
Ticket fees are shared between Ticketmaster, venues, sports teams, leagues, promoters, and other parties who have a hand in making live events happen.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of each type of fee.
Service Fee: In exchange for the rights to sell their tickets, venues and sports teams share a portion of the fees collected. A service fee is charged once per ticket. Service fees may apply to in-person box office purchases depending on the venue.
Venues use their portion of the service fee to cover the costs of putting on live events. That includes employing local staff — from the people who scan your tickets, to security staff and ushers — and the day-to-day expenses of running a building throughout the year.
As a ticketing vendor selected by the venue, Ticketmaster’s portion covers the costs of the technology, people, and resources needed to provide a safe and secure ticket-buying experience. It also covers the equipment and support we provide venues with, helping them to manage their box office and seamlessly get everyone into the venue on event day.
Other than the service fee, here are other types of fees that may apply:
Order Processing Fee: This fee is charged once per order and is shared between venues or teams and Ticketmaster. Order processing fees do not apply to in-person box office purchases.
Delivery Fee: For most events, tickets are mobile and delivered directly to your Ticketmaster account for free — so your phone is your ticket. But delivery methods can vary from event to event, and you may have the option to choose physical delivery, which includes a fee.
Facility Charge: Venues use this fee to cover the costs of hosting live events, including staffing, insurance, and paying suppliers. Facility charges may vary by event and can be raised or lowered over time. Ticketmaster does not keep any portion of the facility charge.
In addition to fees collected, the total cost of the ticket also includes applicable city, state, and local taxes (provincial and Federal Goods and Services taxes in Canada).