Paperless event ticketing

[bcla]

Going to be in Southern California after Christmas and looked into going to a few games there. Clippers and Lakers are out of town, but the Kings and Ducks are going to be in town and I got tickets through the official resale site. I do remember on StubHub they stated that if one purchased a ticket from them, the seller would be required to provide a transfer through the official site.

But then I got the "tickets". When I bought them I was informed that they would be 100% paperless and that I would have to use the official app (either TicketMaster for the Ducks or AXS for the Kings). And when I checked the tickets there were kind of oddball in that they said that a screenshot wouldn't work. In the TicketMaster app, there was some line that waved back and forth across the PDF417 code. I took a screenshot anyways, and the photo looked normal but it also has a message that it wouldn't work. With the AXS app, a code came on, but also a message that the code would change every 60 seconds.

The last time (2018) I ever got tickets from TicketMaster, they were rather normal on the app. I could take a screenshot and I believe that's how I got it - by presenting that and not specifically opening up the app. So how long has rotating codes been a thing? I remember the first time I dealt with print at home tickets and that was a near disaster when I used it, although they stamped the page at the gate to validate it. I've heard of numerous issues with paper tickets that weren't somehow torn. I always wondered about how scalpers would sell printouts - whether they could even verify if they were valid. But this seems like paperless ticketing is an end run against ticket scalpers, although brokers can probably work with transfers. I'm not sure if scalpers can deal with paperless ticketing.

 

[bcla]

I found an explanation with a GIF. This must have been done after the last time I'd gone to an event.

https://blog.ticketmaster.com/mobile-ticketing-an-essential-for-safe-entry/

 

[tvguy]

My only experience with paperless tickets was at a few Spring Stadiums in Phoenix in March 2020. It didn't work so well there. Think about it. The entrance gates are all in the bright sunlight and your phone screen was so washed out their reader couldn't read them. They would have to do a little dance to position the phone out of the sun to get the reader to work. And it's technology, and while I am 65, most of the workers at Spring training are even older retired folks with less tech savy.
Hopefully, they have invested over the pandemic in tents or some sort of shade screens at the gates to help fix some of the issues.

 

[kdonnel]

It is not universal that a screen cap will not work but is becoming more common.

I think the official reason is to cut down on fraud as it makes it difficult to sell the same ticket multiple times since it must be transferred through the app.

However, I believe the real reason is control.

This way the ticket service maintains control and could in the future charge a fee to transfer tickets, generating another revenue source.

 

[bcla]

It is not universal that a screen cap will not work but is becoming more common.

I think the official reason is to cut down on fraud as it makes it difficult to sell the same ticket multiple times since it must be transferred through the app.

However, I believe the real reason is control.

This way the ticket service maintains control and could in the future charge a fee to transfer tickets, generating another revenue source.

I checked my TicketMaster code that I'd taken a photo of and compared it to the current one. Definitely different. I actually had the TicketMaster code long enough and I could see how it changed. But with AXS they have a countdown timer before it goes to the new code.

 

[prairie_girl]

I’m actually going to a concert tonight and I bought the tickets through Ticketmaster. Like you, I have been told over and over that the screenshot will not work. I’ll report back and let you know if it was a seamless process.

 

[RedAngie]

I add Ticketmaster and StubHub to my Apple Wallet. It works fine. There isn’t a barcode. It says “Hold to reader.” My expired ticket erased the hold to reader.



Why are you going to the resale sites? There are plenty of Ducks and Kings seats available from the original sellers.

I went to the Ducks in November but couldn’t get the Kings seller to work the morning of the game. It rejected 3 different credit cards. I skipped going.

 

[bcla]

I add Ticketmaster and StubHub to my Apple Wallet. It works fine. There isn’t a barcode. It says “Hold to reader.” My expired ticket erased the hold to reader.

View attachment 724798

Why are you going to the resale sites? There are plenty of Ducks and Kings seats available from the original sellers.

I went to the Ducks in November but couldn’t get the Kings seller to work the morning of the game. It rejected 3 different credit cards. I skipped going.

I'm not sure I can do that since my phone (iPhone 7) is too old and doesn't support a lot of NFC features. My Apple Wallet only has stuff with static codes. I've tried stuff like fare cards, and those usually say that one needs at least an iPhone 8, which is when they started going to glass.

I did pull it up (through the TicketMaster website) and added it to Apple Wallet, but I'm not sure if it will work. I hear various things about whether an iPhone 7 will work since it has an aluminum shell. I guess I could try and see what happens. Worst case is I need to pull up the TicketMaster website on my phone or maybe the app. The website does that side to side thing just like the app.

My first look at resale tickets was whatever came up first in a web search and it wasn't an official ticket provider. But for the Ducks game I got one resale ticket through TicketMaster and for the Kings game I got it through AXS. The latter was only $20 and one of the few singles I could find. Fees were less than $6. I think I'm spending less than $45 total on the Ducks game. Some people are just dumping their tickets cheap.

 

[disneychrista]

My problem right now is I bought tickets to a concert and every time I go to see them on Ticket Master I get this:


It's been this way for about two weeks now.

 

[RedAngie]

If for some reason you can’t use mobile tickets, go to customer service at the venue with your confirmation number and ID and they should be able to assist.

 

[bcla]

If for some reason you can’t use mobile tickets, go to customer service at the venue with your confirmation number and ID and they should be able to assist.

I’m pretty sure it’s going to work one way or another. I can pull up the tickets in the TM and AXS apps on my iPad Mini. Not sure about my iPhone 7, which is really low on storage since it’s the base model. The TM website looks just like the app, but the AXS website can bring up my purchase but doesn’t display a usable virtual ticket. I might have to load the app, but only after I free up storage (wasn’t enough to load a 44 MB app).

And it is frustrating that each venue uses a different ticketing service. But I suppose competition is good.

 

[China Expat]

I second adding to your wallet!

 

[prairie_girl]

I used my tickets tonight without a problem. I just opened the ticketmaster app and they scanned the bar codes. The whole thing took maybe 30 seconds. I didn’t add them to my wallet, so it can be done without that step.

 

[Babs Johnson]

If for some reason you can’t use mobile tickets, go to customer service at the venue with your confirmation number and ID and they should be able to assist.

Yes, the box office will print you a barcode if you don’t have a smartphone.

 

[RedAngie]

Here’s what a valid TM phone wallet ticket should look like. No barcode.



(A screenshot (not valid) for the MLS championship match taken about 14 hours before the game started.)

 

[GreatLakes]

I've gone to multiple concerts and sporting events using the Ticketmaster app. It is very easy, just make sure you are logged in. Their app is prone to logging you out.

I have an Android phone and the majority of tickets allow you to save them to your Google wallet. I always do that because I use my wallet for everything from credit card payments to loyalty cards. It also acts as a backup if the Ticketmaster app is down.