How These 3 Major Ticketing Marketplaces Are Dealing With All-in Pricing and Transparency

Nowadays, buying tickets to sports, music, and entertainment events on the secondary market has become so common, and with the increased convenience that the internet presents, it’s very clear why.

However, navigating the ticketing industry can still be a difficult task for even the most seasoned event-goers.

With different ticket marketplaces to choose from on the secondary market, hidden fees, and policies, many consumers often find themselves in the dark when it comes to knowing the final ticket price. And naturally, encounter many difficulties when attempting to find the most affordable tickets.

But, the winds of change are on the horizon as millions of consumers worldwide call for increased transparency – and All-in pricing methods do just that.

Let’s discover how three major ticketing marketplaces are dealing with All-in pricing and transparency.

Gametime

Gametime works around the clock to provide customers with the utmost transparency at all times. Their All-in pricing feature ensures customers don’t encounter any hidden fees at checkout. Meaning, what you see is what you pay.

To enable All-in pricing, simply visit the account tab in the Gametime app, tap Settings, and switch on All-in pricing. Once on, you’ll be able to see the full cost of tickets upfront, including all fees, while scrolling through the app.

Further, Gametime goes the extra mile with their price guarantee and claim that “If you do find a lower price elsewhere, we’ll add 110% of the difference between the price you found and our price in Gametime credit to your account.”

No matter what, you’ll always find the best tickets on the market with Gametime.

StubHub

In 2014, StubHub announced their new model for ticketing transparency through the shift to an all-in pricing structure. They claimed that “on StubHub, you’ll see the final price right when you hit the site. Nothing more will be added to your cost. Not even delivery charges.”

However, this structure didn’t last long, as less than two years later, StubHub decided to reverse their decision and go back to their previous model of drip pricing, where they list lower prices and add in extra fees right before checkout.

And currently, this is still the case.

However, customers wishing to see all-in prices can use StubHub‘s “show prices with estimated fees” search filter, which breaks down the total ticket cost, including a list of all fees at checkout.

It’s important to note that the fees are good for that browsing session only and may differ between desktop and mobile.

SeatGeek

SeatGeek’s marketplace boasts transparency through the use of their “prices with fees” filter.

Like other secondary marketplaces, SeatGeek does charge fees. But, in their attempt to protect consumers from last-minute price jumps, and provide them with an overall better purchasing experience, SeatGeek bundles these extra fees and gives the option to filter tickets by displaying prices with or before fees.

Keep in mind, these extra fees may not be hidden, but they can be high – making tickets cost significantly more than their face values at times.

Final Note

While transparency and clarity is the way forward, not all ticketing marketplaces are on board the all-in pricing model. Why? You (might) ask.

Often, marketplaces that embark on the all-in pricing model find themselves at a disadvantage when customers comparison shop, and encounter what appears to be cheaper ticketing options than drip pricing options display – before the extra fees are added at checkout. On these sites, the initial value presented won’t be the final price, and it’s important to remember this when comparison shopping.

Currently, it may not be possible to avoid surprise hidden fees due to the discrepancies between sites. So, when possible, aim to search using All-in pricing filters, to ease your search for affordable ticketing options and guarantee as much transparency as possible.

Good luck!