Online ticket resale has become a big industry for a variety of reasons. Some people are looking to score tickets to otherwise sold-out events from people who can no longer attend. Others are hunting for deals as non-attendees with tickets offer lower prices as they urgently try to sell their seats before the event starts. Still others are aiming to avoid high service fees that sometimes come with buying tickets straight from primary vendors.
There are risks involved in tapping the online secondary ticket market, though, so it’s important to know who you’re buying from and who you can trust. Easier said than done, right? Well, we’re here to help you out with an overview of the top ticket resale sites and what they do best, so you can pick the one that gives you the most of what you’re looking for.
7 best ticket resale sites for cheap event tickets
First up, let’s meet the players and learn a little more about them.
1. StubHub resale: the current MVP of ticket resale
StubHub is one of the biggest names in fan-to-fan ticket resale, as it’s incredibly easy to sell on StubHub. One of the things that makes it stand out is the coupons and promotions you can have delivered to your email inbox to save money on your favorite events. Another is its “FanProtect” guarantee that you’ll get replacement tickets or a full refund if your tickets aren’t valid or on time, or the event is canceled. It’s a popular website for getting resold cheap baseball tickets.
Also be sure to check out these other popular sites like StubHub.
2. eBay resale: buy, bid, or barter for tickets
eBay, the current parent company of StubHub, is well known as being one of the first big auction houses and general e-commerce marketplaces on the Internet. And yes, it also does ticket resale. However, you may not necessarily have to win an auction to score tickets on eBay (at least not anymore); some tickets can be bought immediately, while for others, the seller may accept an eBay best offer.
3. Ticketmaster resale: tickets straight from the source
Ticketmaster is a primary ticket outlet, so it sells legitimate tickets straight from event venues. However, it has recently begun allowing ticket resale to a limited degree. It has a good refund and exchange policy, but high selling fees that mark up the cost of tickets. As a result, lots of alternatives to Ticketmaster have cropped up over the years.
4. SeatGeek resale: shop around for tickets without the site-to-site hassle
SeatGeek allows ticket resale, but it’s more of a ticket meta-search engine. Basically, that means it looks for tickets for a particular event across several ticket resale sites and compares the costs up front for you. Its claim to fame is its “Deal Score” algorithm, which rates how reasonable prices for tickets are based on how good your seats are and how in-demand the event is.
5. Vivid Seats resale: tickets with peace of mind and a personal touch
Vivid Seats is another popular ticket resale site. Its biggest asset is how it goes the extra mile to protect the security and satisfaction of its fans, including the legitimacy of the tickets sold on it. Its prices are decent as well, though its interface takes a bit of getting used to.
6. Craigslist resale: good old-fashioned one-on-one resale
Online classified advertising websites like Craigslist are another option for scoring resold tickets. You may be able to find better deals here, but generally, the protection policies on the legitimacy of your tickets are a lot weaker – generally just whatever the seller posts. Take some precautions to make sure that you don’t run headfirst into a common classified ad scam.
7. TicketsNow resale: authentic resale tickets at reasonable prices
TicketsNow is Ticketmaster’s dedicated resale site for event tickets. Like its parent company, it’s good at getting you 100% legitimate tickets, but charges high processing and delivery fees. It also doesn’t have a very good return or refund policy.
The bottom line: what is the best ticket resale site?
Of the sites we listed, we feel that StubHub offers the best balance of geographic availability, price, event selection, and buyer protection. But as it grows in popularity and profitability, it’s leaving niches in which the other sites can do certain things better than it.
For example, sites like SeatGeek can find you better prices than StubHub, while Vivid Seats outshines StubHub in terms of buyer-friendly policies and protections. The best place to buy resale tickets, then, like many things, depends on your priorities.
Why choose StubHub?
StubHub is a great choice for sports tickets, as it has a large selection of events worldwide to choose from. It also has a decent buyer protection policy and occasional discounts.
Why choose eBay?
A general e-commerce website like eBay can be a better bet for finding tickets to venues that other resale sites may not carry, like museums and theme parks. You also have purchasing options: buy upfront, bid in an auction, or submit a price offer.
Why choose Ticketmaster?
If you want to skip the worry of wondering if your tickets are genuine, pick a primary ticket seller like Ticketmaster. This can be a good strategy for a big-name concert, where you have a rather limited time to see the event in your area.
Why choose SeatGeek?
SeatGeek’s “Deal Score” can help you figure out what a reasonable price is for tickets if you’re not sure how to assess their value. It also has low service fees and a good selection of sports tickets.
Why choose Vivid Seats?
If you’re a serial concert-goer who likes to support local acts and venues, Vivid Seats has a bunch of perks that you’ll love. Their policies are really customer-friendly, too.
Why choose TicketsNow?
TicketsNow can be a good choice if you want the peace-of-mind of verified authentic tickets while not necessarily paying face value like you would at Ticketmaster. Just be sure you’re actually going to the event, though, because they have a very strict refund policy.
