Buying tickets to see your favorite sports team, musician, or show can be an exciting experience. However, purchasing tickets online can also be confusing, especially when understanding various fees. One popular ticket resale platform that often comes up is Vivid Seats. Many fans wonder, “Does Vivid Seats charge fees?”
The short answer is yes, Vivid Seats does charge fees on all ticket orders. However, the company strives to be upfront about its pricing structure and provide value through its services.
This in-depth guide will cover everything you need to know about Vivid Seats fees. We’ll explore what types of fees they charge, why they charge them, how their fee structure compares to competitors, and whether the fees are worth it. Additionally, we’ll provide tips on how to get the best deals on Vivid Seats and address common questions from fans about fees and cancelations.
What Fees Does Vivid Seats Charge?
Vivid Seats is transparent about the fees they charge on every ticket order. Here’s a breakdown of the fees you can expect:
- Service Fee: This fee is applied to all orders to cover the costs of Vivid Seats’ operations and customer service. The service fee is displayed before checkout and factored into the total order price.
- Delivery Fee: If you opt to have physical tickets shipped to you, Vivid Seats charges a delivery fee to cover the shipping costs.
- Seller Commission: When you sell tickets through Vivid Seats, the company deducts a 10% commission fee from your total sale price. This fee helps facilitate a seamless transaction between the buyer and seller.
Vivid Seats displays base ticket prices, which do not include additional fees. The final total includes the ticket price plus service and delivery fees.
Why Do Vivid Seats Charge Fees?
While fees can be frustrating for ticket buyers, Vivid Seats justifies their fee structure by highlighting the services and benefits they provide. According to the company, the fees cover the costs associated with:
- Listing Thousands of Tickets: Vivid Seats operates a massive marketplace, listing tickets for events worldwide. The fees help maintain this extensive inventory.
- Web Security and Privacy Measures: Ensuring secure transactions and protecting customers’ personal information requires robust security measures, which the fees help support.
- Coordinating Delivery of Orders: Fees contribute to the logistics and coordination involved in delivering thousands of ticket orders to customers promptly.
- Staffing Customer Support Center: Vivid Seats prides itself on its award-winning customer service, which requires staffing a dedicated support center available during extended business hours.
- Buyer Guarantee: Perhaps most importantly, the fees allow Vivid Seats to back every ticket sold with a 100% buyer guarantee, providing peace of mind for customers.
Vivid Seats charges fees to provide a reliable, secure, and customer-friendly ticket-buying experience in the complex ticket resale market.
Comparing Vivid Seats’ Fee Structure
Vivid Seats’ fee structure is competitive and often offers better value than other ticket resale options, despite fees being unavoidable.
“No Fee” Tickets: Are They Cheaper?
Some ticket resale sites advertise “no fee” tickets, leading many consumers to believe they’re getting a better deal. However, Vivid Seats cautions that these “no fee” tickets can be misleading.
Often, sites offering “no fee” tickets compensate by inflating the base ticket prices, potentially resulting in a higher overall cost for the buyer. Vivid Seats claims that their transparent fee structure, while including additional charges, can sometimes offer better pricing than these deceptive “no fee” listings.
To illustrate this point, Vivid Seats provides examples comparing the prices of seats in the same section and row between their site and a “no fee” marketplace. In some cases, the “no fee” site’s tickets were significantly more expensive, even without explicit fees.
Vivid Seats vs. Face Value Tickets
Another common comparison is between Vivid Seats’ prices and the face value prices charged by venues or event organizers. While face-value tickets may seem cheaper initially, they often come with numerous additional fees tacked on by the time of purchase.
Vivid Seats argues that their all-in pricing, including the listed service and delivery fees, can sometimes be lower than the final cost of face-value tickets once all venue fees are accounted for.
Of course, pricing can vary depending on the specific event and demand. However, Vivid Seats maintains that their fee structure aims to provide competitive overall pricing while being transparent about the additional costs involved.
Are Vivid Seats’ Fees Worth It?
Whether Vivid Seats’ fees are worth paying depends on individual circumstances and priorities. Many customers find the fees reasonable given the benefits and protections Vivid Seats offers.
Benefits of Using Vivid Seats
- Massive Inventory: Vivid Seats offers tickets to over a million live events, giving fans a vast selection to choose from across various genres and locations.
- Buyer Guarantee: Every ticket purchase is backed by Vivid Seats’ 100% buyer guarantee, ensuring valid and authentic tickets, on-time delivery, and compensation if an event is canceled.
- Rewards Program: Vivid Seats operates a unique loyalty program in the live event industry, allowing fans to earn credits toward free tickets after their 10th purchase.
- Positive Customer Reviews: While no company is perfect, Vivid Seats generally receives positive customer reviews, with many praising the platform’s ease of use and customer service.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating: Vivid Seats maintains a B rating from the BBB, indicating a satisfactory track record in addressing customer complaints.
For fans who value a seamless ticket-buying experience, buyer protections, and a vast selection of events, the fees charged by Vivid Seats may be worthwhile. Additionally, savvy shoppers can employ strategies to minimize the impact of fees, as discussed in the next section.
How to Get the Best Deal on Vivid Seats
Fees are part of using Vivid Seats, but there are ways to get the best deal:
- Look for a “Great Deal” Badge: Vivid Seats highlights underpriced inventory with a “Great Deal” badge, allowing you to identify exceptional values quickly.
- Sign Up for Newsletter: By subscribing to Vivid Seats’ newsletter, you’ll receive periodic exclusive promo codes and discounts directly in your inbox.
- Check for New Customer Discounts: Like many online retailers, Vivid Seats often offers special promotions or discounts for new customers.
- Browse During Less Busy Periods: Ticket prices tend to be more competitive during less busy on-sale periods, such as shortly after an event is announced or closer to the event date (for non-sellout shows).
- Consider Fees vs. Retail: When comparing Vivid Seats’ prices to face-value tickets, factor in all additional venue fees to ensure you’re getting the best overall deal.
You can get great seats at a reasonable price by using these tactics, even with Vivid Seats’ fees.
What If an Event is Canceled?
One of the primary concerns for ticket buyers is the possibility of an event being canceled or rescheduled. Fortunately, Vivid Seats has consumer protections built into its fee structure to address these scenarios.
Event Cancellation
If an event you’ve purchased tickets for is officially canceled, Vivid Seats provides two options:
- Full Refund: You can receive a 100% refund of the total purchase price, including fees.
- 110% Credit: Alternatively, you can choose to receive a 110% credit of the total purchase price to use toward future event tickets on Vivid Seats.
Rescheduled Events
In the case of an event being rescheduled to a new date, your tickets will automatically remain valid for the new date and time. No further action is required on your part.
If you’re unable to attend the rescheduled event, you can opt to resell your tickets through Vivid Seats’ platform, recouping at least a portion of your initial investment.
These cancelation and rescheduling policies provide added peace of mind for ticket buyers, ensuring they’re not left empty-handed in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Fans Ask About Vivid Seats Fees
To address some common fan questions and concerns regarding Vivid Seats fees, here are succinct answers in an easy-to-scan format:
Why are Vivid Seats tickets more expensive than face value?
Vivid Seats operates as a ticket resale marketplace, meaning individuals or third-party sellers are reselling the tickets listed. As such, ticket prices are determined based on demand and market conditions, often resulting in prices higher than the initial face value set by the venue or event organizer. Additionally, Vivid Seats’ service and delivery fees contribute to the overall higher cost compared to face value pricing.
Can I sell my extra tickets on Vivid Seats?
Yes, Vivid Seats provides a platform for individuals to easily list and sell any tickets they can no longer use or have extras of. The process involves uploading your tickets and setting a price, and Vivid Seats facilitates the transaction with the buyer. A 10% commission fee is deducted from the total sale price.
Are there ever fee-free deals on Vivid Seats?
While Vivid Seats charges fees on all orders to cover their operational costs, they do offer opportunities to save. Look for the “Great Deal” badge, which highlights underpriced inventory from sellers. Additionally, signing up for the Vivid Seats newsletter can provide exclusive promo codes and discounts periodically.
The Bottom Line
Vivid Seats is upfront about charging fees on ticket orders, but these fees serve to provide a secure, user-friendly marketplace with valuable buyer protections and an extensive event inventory. While the additional costs can be frustrating, Vivid Seats argues that their transparent fee structure often results in competitive all-in pricing compared to deceptive “no fee” listings or face value tickets with numerous hidden fees.
Vivid Seats offers convenience, peace of mind, and a wide selection. Fans can use smart shopping strategies like monitoring deals, promo codes, and comparing fees to retail prices to minimize fees and enjoy the benefits of Vivid Seats.
For many event-goers, the tradeoff of paying fees is worthwhile for the added security, consumer protections, and access to a wide range of events facilitated by Vivid Seats’ robust ticket marketplace.
