If you’ve ever purchased a concert or event ticket online, you’re probably familiar with companies like Stubhub and Ticketmaster. While it may seem like these ticket titans have cornered the market, there are still plenty of ways for individuals to make money by selling tickets online. You can even resell on those very sites!
Local laws vary when it comes to buying and reselling tickets. In certain places, reselling a ticket at a higher price than its face value is illegal. For this reason, you’ll want to research how to sell tickets online legally before putting tickets on the market independently. Or, you can sell through an online broker who
In this article, we will look at some of the most popular ticket reselling options and walk you through the process of selling tickets online.
Finding Tickets to Sell
You can’t start selling tickets online without first purchasing tickets. First, you should research upcoming events in your area and other cities with popular venues.
In order to make a profit, you’ll need to purchase tickets for events that will ultimately sell out. Predicting which concerts and events will sell out can be challenging, but you don’t have to be psychic to make the best choices.
First, you should identify which upcoming event will be in your area (or the area for which you’re planning to purchase the tickets) and your target audience.
Then, you can check out the full tour schedule on the event website. Unless you plan to sell tickets for the first stop on the tour, you’ll be able to investigate event ticket sales for shows earlier in the schedule. If the other shows are sold out, you can be pretty sure that the tickets you’re planning to resell will be in high demand.
Once all of the original tickets for the sold out event have been purchased, you can sell event tickets online for a higher price.
Even if the event you purchased tickets for doesn’t sell out, it’s still possible to make a profit off online ticket sales if you’ve purchased them for the best seats. Dedicated fans may choose to purchase tickets for a higher price in order to avoid watching from the nosebleeds.
Selling Tickets on Stubhub
Over one hundred million people are buying 1.3 tickets per second on the ticketing platform Stubhub. This
To start selling tickets online through Stubhub, you’ll first need to create an account. Once that’s done, you’ll simply input the number of tickets you’re selling, which seats you have, and the delivery method.
Stubhub allows for a variety of delivery methods. Hard copy tickets can be mailed, digital tickets can be transferred from the purchasing account, and ticket purchases that are validated via barcode can be delivered by entering the code.
Another advantage of selling tickets through Stubhub is that you will be able to set your own prices. Stubhub offers a pricing tool that lets you compare your prices to those set by other resellers.
Once your tickets have been purchased by someone, you’ll receive your payment directly from
Selling Tickets on SeatGeek
Similar to Stubhub, SeatGeek is a ticket brokering site that allows users to resell event tickets online. While Stubhub (or Ticketmaster) are the
As is standard, SeatGeek requires you to create an account in order for you to start selling tickets. You’ll also need to upload ticket information and have a valid credit card on file.
Like Stubhub, SeatGeek allows you to set your own price for your ticket sale. Unlike Stubhub, SeatGeek is transparent about the ticketing platform fees they retain. For each sale, SeatGeek keeps ten percent of the total. This makes pricing your tickets easier because you’ll know exactly how much you stand to profit.
SeatGeek is also popular with sports fans, so it’s a great option to consider if you’re looking to sell tickets online to sporting events
Selling Tickets on Facebook
If you’re interested in avoiding a third party and selling directly to the person who will use the resold tickets, selling tickets on the social media platform Facebook may be your best option. When selling your tickets directly, it’s important to research local laws. In general, this method of selling will involve a greater amount of research and legwork to make a profit.
Facebook does not allow users to sell tickets on Facebook Marketplace. To sell your tickets on Facebook, you will need to create a post on your personal page or in a group dedicated to buying and selling tickets. A number of these groups are currently active on the site. For example, “theXchange” is a private Facebook page for buying and selling concert tickets that currently has over 100,000 members.
To sell event tickets online via “theXchange” or a similar group, you will first need to request to join the group. Each has their own vetting process, and you may be required to answer additional questions to ensure the validity of your profile and sales. Once admitted, you will be able to post the details of your tickets, set a price, and coordinate with interested customers to make a sale.
It will be up to you to make sure the tickets (and your payment) are delivered, so there is a greater potential for error or scams when selling within these groups. That said, if you’re willing to put in the work to sell tickets on Facebook, there is certainly an active community and the opportunity to create a thriving resale business.
Growing your Ticket Selling Business
Even if you choose to resell tickets through a broker, you can take control of your business by setting up social media accounts or your own website. To ensure steady online ticket sales, you can post on Instagram and Facebook to keep followers up to date with the price and locations of events.
You might even consider establishing a website with information about concerts and events you plan to sell tickets for. That way, customers know exactly where to find information about available tickets and have a way to contact you if they’d like to request tickets for a particular event.
If you’re thinking about establishing a website to sell tickets online, check out Ecwid. During our free trials, you can establish an account and keep it free for as long as you want. Our powerful tools help you establish a website in minutes, and you can link your site to social media networks like Facebook and Instagram to easily manage your business across all platforms. Start selling tickets online today!
