Why Is SeatGeek Cheaper Than Other Ticket Resellers?

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Exploring SeatGeek's business model for selling affordable tickets

Co-authored by Cheyenne Main

Last Updated: May 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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Why is SeatGeek cheap?

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Is SeatGeek safe?

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Are SeatGeek tickets real?

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Fee Structure

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SeatGeek vs. StubHub

SeatGeek is a ticket marketplace for resellers that tends to offer less expensive ticket prices than other sites—but why? Their cheap prices all come from their reselling system and their low service fees. SeatGeek is a safe-to-use site to purchase tickets for a variety of concerts, sports games, and other events. Not only do they have a 100% buyer guarantee, but they also work hard to reduce the chances you’ll get scammed by fraudulent ticket sellers. Keep reading for all the info on this popular ticket resale site.

Reasons Why SeatGeek Is Inexpensive

Although SeatGeek’s tickets are cheap, they’re a legitimate site that’s safe to use. Most of their tickets are resold, which means that some tickets cost less than their original value if they’re in low demand. SeatGeek also charges less expensive service fees than other marketplaces like StubHub or Ticket Liquidator.

Section 1 of 5:

Why is SeatGeek cheaper than other ticket sellers?

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Most SeatGeek tickets are resold, which means their prices vary more. Most of the tickets sold on SeatGeek were purchased by people at the venue’s box office and are now being resold.^{[1]
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Research source} In a reseller’s marketplace, ticket prices might cost less than their original value or cost more if the original tickets are sold out or in high demand.^{[2]
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- Ticket prices on SeatGeek and other ticket sites also tend to drop as your event or game’s date approaches.^{[3]
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- This is why tickets on SeatGeek are cheaper than on sites like Ticketmaster, where a larger percentage of the them come directly from the venue.^{[4]
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- Other secondary marketplaces like Ticket Liquidator or StubHub also charge more hefty service fees than SeatGeek does.^{[5]
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- The benefit of buying tickets from a secondary market like SeatGeek is that you can almost always buy a ticket to an event after the ones from the venue’s box office are sold out.

Section 2 of 5:

Is SeatGeek trustworthy?

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SeatGeek is a legitimate app that’s safe to buy tickets from. SeatGeek was created by Jack Groetzinger and Russell D’Souza as an easier way to purchase otherwise sold-out tickets online.^{[6]
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Research source} The company is legitimate, has a good reputation, and handles your data and account security as well as other reputable online platforms and apps.
- SeatGeek is also partnered with trusted teams and venues, including MLB teams like the Yankees and NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys.^{[7]
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- You can enhance your account’s security by enabling two-factor authentication. Click on your profile on the site, then go to “My account” > “Login & security.”

Section 3 of 5:

Are the tickets sold by SeatGeek reliable?

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There’s almost no chance that tickets you buy from SeatGeek are fake. The chances of receiving a fake ticket from SeatGeek are very slim because the seller would earn a lifetime ban from the site. They’ll also lose money for selling fake tickets because each ticket vendor has a money-back guarantee that forces them to reimburse up to 120% of the ticket cost.^{[8]
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- If you ever get a fraudulent ticket from SeatGeek, email their customer support at hi@seatgeek.com.
- Your SeatGeek ticket may only be invalid if the seller lists it on multiple sites. If a seller does this, they will be penalized and your ticket will be refunded.^{[9]
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The tickets on SeatGeek are also backed by their buyer guarantee. SeatGeek’s tickets are sold by licensed sellers, other users, or the team’s box office. As part of their buyer guarantee, SeatGeek ensures that the tickets you get are the same as the ones you order, will provide valid entry, and will be delivered in time for the event.^{[10]
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- Most of SeatGeek’s tickets are paperless, but don’t worry if you haven’t gotten it yet! Most vendors don’t make the ticket available until 24 hours before the event as a security measure.
- If your tickets from SeatGeek don’t meet their buyer guarantee, go to their support page, select the issue you’re experiencing, and contact customer support.

Section 4 of 5:

Why does SeatGeek charge fees to buy tickets?

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SeatGeek charges service and delivery fees to keep its platform running. These fees vary based on the event and the kind of ticket you buy (like general admission vs. reserved seating tickets). Although fees raise the amount you pay, they go towards paying SeatGeek’s employees and the sellers who list their tickets on the site.^{[11]
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- You can see an event’s ticket prices with the fees included by turning on the “Prices with fees” filter. You’ll also see a breakdown of these fees for your order before submitting it.
- Since the fees are a part of the cost of your order, they won’t be refunded unless your event is canceled.
- Taxes might be included in these fees if the event’s location mandates sales or entertainment taxes.
- SeatGeek’s fees follow a similar range as fees for other ticket markets (like StubHub or Ticketmaster) and change depending on the same supply and demand.

Section 5 of 5:

How do SeatGeek and StubHub compare?

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StubHub charges buyers 10% of the ticket price. While buying a ticket on SeatGeek comes with delivery and service fees that vary, buying tickets from StubHub might cost more because StubHub charges a 10% fee on the total sale and a standard delivery fee of $4.95.^{[12]
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- While SeatGeek only accepts credit or debit cards, StubHub accepts all major credit and debit cards plus PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- However, StubHub and SeatGeek are both reseller’s marketplaces that have 100% buyer guarantee protections.^{[13]
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Listing tickets to sell on SeatGeek is free. On SeatGeek, you list a ticket to sell for free and there’s only a 10% fee once your ticket is sold. On StubHub, the initial seller’s fee varies, but it’s usually about 15% of the ticket’s price, which is generally more expensive for the seller than using SeatGeek.^{[14]
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- However, StubHub has a Fan Codes points reward system, which can go towards future tickets.
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SeatGeek may have a younger demographic than StubHub. Major League Baseball (MLB) replaced StubHub with SeatGeek as its official ticket marketplace because it believed SeatGeek would help it reach more GenZ users.^{[15]
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- A survey by Qualtrics also found that SeatGeek had the highest percentage of Gen Z users across all ticketing platforms because of its mobile-first approach.^{[16]
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- Both companies partner with large organizations like the NFL, which reduces the chance of getting fraudulent tickets because they’re transferred directly from the venue.^{[17]
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