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Amex Presale Tickets: How to Get Them and Use Them

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Amex presale tickets are a window of early access for American Express Card Members. For select events, you can buy before the general public, as long as you pay with an eligible American Express Card. You usually don’t need a special code. In most cases you log in to the seller (often Ticketmaster), find the Amex presale on the event page when it opens, and pay with your Card. Early access is not a guarantee, though, so preparation decides who gets seats.

This guide covers who qualifies, how the presale works step by step, how it differs from Preferred Seating, what limits and fees to expect, and how to get ready so you are not scrambling at 10 a.m.

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Prepare for Your Next Presale
Ticket News Hub explains presale methods and preparation strategies, helping fans understand early access without relying only on codes or insider tricks.

TL;DR

  • Amex presale tickets let eligible American Express Card Members buy for select events and seats during a set period before the general on-sale.
  • You must pay with an eligible American Express Card. Prepaid, corporate, debit and third-party-issued Amex-branded cards are not eligible for the Venue Collection.
  • Presale access does not guarantee tickets. Supply can be limited and not every seat is offered.
  • Do the prep the day before: log in, save your Card to your seller account, check the presale start time for your city and know your ticket limit.
  • Always confirm times and rules on the event page, because they change by market and show date.

Table of Contents

What an Amex presale actually is

A presale is a sale that opens before tickets go on sale to everyone. Different presales are run by artists, venues, fan clubs, promoters and card issuers. The Amex version is tied to the card in your wallet rather than to a fan club or a mailing list.

American Express says eligible Card Members can purchase Amex Presale Tickets for select events and select seats during a specified period before the general on-sale date. Three details in that sentence matter:

  • Select events. Not every tour has an Amex presale. It depends on the deal between the card issuer, the promoter and the venue.
  • Select seats. Only part of the house may be offered in the presale. Some sections may simply not appear until the public sale.
  • A specified period. The presale has a start and an end. Miss the window and you are in the general sale with everyone else.

The tickets themselves are not sold by American Express. They are sold and fulfilled by third-party ticket sellers and are subject to the rules, terms, prices and fees set by the seller, the promoter and the venue. In practice that means the checkout, the fees and the ticket limit are the seller’s, and your Card is the key that opens the door.

Who qualifies: which cards work

The first thing to check is the card. For the American Express Venue Collection, prepaid, corporate, debit and American Express-branded cards issued by third-party financial institutions are not eligible. If your card is a standard personal or business credit or charge card issued by American Express itself, you are most likely in the clear, but the terms on the specific event page have the final say.

The card also has to be the payment method. For an event with an American Express presale, you select the number and price of tickets and follow the payment instructions. A valid American Express Card is the only accepted payment method, and tickets are available exclusively to Card Members during the presale period. Putting the order on another card, or splitting payment, won’t work.

If you don’t have an eligible Card, you still have routes in. Artist fan club sign-ups, venue mailing lists and free seller memberships often run their own presales on different dates. We cover that approach in more detail on Ticket News Hub.

Who qualifies: which cards work

How to access the Amex presale on Ticketmaster

Many Amex presales run through Ticketmaster, so this is the flow most readers need. The exact screens change, but the logic is steady.

  1. Find the presale on the event page. Ticketmaster’s event details page lists the available presales and their start times. An American Express presale will appear with a date and local time, and it will state that it is for eligible cardholders and requires payment with an Amex Card.
  2. Log in before the start time. Don’t wait for the clock. Sign in to your seller account early and keep the event page open.
  3. Add your Card in advance. For the US Open, American Express notes that you do not need to register beforehand, but adding your Amex Card to Ticketmaster may speed up checkout. The same habit helps for concerts: saving the Card removes a step when seconds count.
  4. Enter a code only if prompted. If the page asks for one, the US Open instructions say to enter the 10-digit customer service phone number on the back of your Card. That number is the code in the Amex presale context. Many fans never need it because the page unlocks when they are logged in with a connected Card.
  5. Pick quantity and seats, then pay with the Amex Card. Stay inside the posted ticket limit.
  6. Check the confirmation. Look at the order email and your account before you close the tab.

If a presale doesn’t show up for you, check three things: the time zone of the start time, whether you are on the right event date (presales can differ by city and show), and whether you are logged in.

Amex presale vs. Preferred Seating

Readers often mix these up, and the official wording separates them. Presale is about when you can buy. Preferred Seating is about which seats you can reach.

American Express explains that eligible Card Members can connect their Card to their Ticketmaster account to save their eligibility for Preferred Seating, which then unlocks automatically for eligible events when they are logged in. On Broadway and similar venues, American Express also describes Amex Presale Tickets alongside Amex Reserved Tickets and Amex Preferred Tickets, the latter two being seats reserved for Card Members while supplies last.

Amex Presale Preferred Seating
What it gives you Early purchase window Access to a set of seats for Card Members
Payment Eligible Amex Card Eligible Amex Card
How it unlocks Presale listing on the event page Card connected to your seller account, logged in
Availability Select events and seats Select events, while supplies last

The practical tip: connect your Card once, well before any on-sale, and you won’t be hunting for a code when a hot show goes live.

Presale times, dates and how they vary

Presale times differ by market and show date. Artist tours often release several presales on the same day: an artist or fan presale, a card presale, a venue presale, then the general sale. For a tour with dates in several countries, the order can differ too. For example, on one major 2026 tour, Amex and Album Pre-Order presales were together on some Australian dates, while the Live Nation presale came later.

We don’t list live dates in this guide because they go stale quickly. Here is the pattern to rely on instead:

  • Presales commonly open on a weekday morning local time, a day or a few days before the general on-sale.
  • The listing on the seller’s event page is the authority. Dates can move: even for the US Open, American Express states that presale dates and the schedule are subject to change.
  • Check the tour page for each city. Don’t assume that the presale for the first show applies to the others.

Limits, fees and what can go wrong

Ticket limits. Every event sets its own cap. For one listed arena show, the Ticketmaster page says to use an Amex Card to pay during the presale and notes a limit of four tickets, with orders that exceed posted limits liable to cancellation. For the US Open, the limit is 16 total session tickets per date across presale and public on-sale. Read the limit on your event, because going over can cost you the whole order.

Fees and prices. Because the seller sets the terms, you should expect the same kind of service fees and dynamic pricing you’d see at the general sale. Look at the total at checkout, not the first price on the seat map.

Supply. American Express states that Amex Presale Tickets are subject to availability, supply may be limited and not all seats may be offered. Ticketmaster makes the same point about presales in general: presales give fans a chance to buy before the general sale, but codes do not guarantee tickets.

Problems with an order. For questions about presale tickets, American Express says to call the number on the back of your Card.

Four Amex presale risks and what to check

A preparation checklist that improves your odds

Most missed presales come from small, avoidable things. Here is the routine we suggest.

The week before

  • Confirm the presale on the event page and write down the start time in your own time zone.
  • Check that your Card is a personal or business card issued by American Express, not a prepaid, debit or third-party-issued one.
  • Update your billing address and card expiry in your seller account so the payment doesn’t fail.
  • Decide your budget and your fallback sections, so you don’t debate at checkout.

The day before

  • Log in and connect or save your Amex Card.
  • Test your connection and keep a second device ready, such as a phone on mobile data.
  • Sign up for any other presale on the same tour that you qualify for. Artist and venue sign-ups often run at different times, so you get more than one shot.

When the presale opens

  • Refresh the event page a minute before, don’t open multiple browser windows on the same account, and select your tickets immediately.
  • If the seat map shows nothing in your section, try a different quantity or section. Presale inventory can be partial.
  • If you are placed in a queue, stay in it. Don’t refresh, which can lose your place.

If you miss out

  • Watch for additional releases closer to the show date, since held-back seats sometimes appear.
  • Try the general sale, which often follows within days.

Our perspective: presale access is a skill, not a secret

We started Ticket News Hub because fans kept losing tickets over things that had nothing to do with how much they wanted to go. They didn’t know a presale existed, they had the wrong card, or they were hunting for a code while the inventory disappeared. The Amex presale is a good example. It sounds exclusive, but the mechanics are plain: the right card, a logged-in account, a clear start time and a ticket limit you respect.

Our view is that you should build your access from several directions rather than hunting a single code. An eligible Card is one door. A free seller account, an artist presale sign-up and a venue newsletter are others. A fan who holds three of those on tour announcement day has several chances at the same show, and that approach is more reliable than any trick.

We are independent of the ticket sellers, so we can tell you plainly that presale means early, not guaranteed. What we focus on is getting you ready before the clock starts, and linking you to the seller’s own page when you are ready to buy.

— Capital

Where to go once you are ready to buy

If you are comparing ways to get into a show, our guides pull the presale methods, on-sale dates and buying tips for tours and venues into one place. Start from the Ticket News Hub home page for the latest tour and on-sale coverage, or go straight to a venue guide such as our Boston Red Sox Fenway Park tickets page if baseball is next on your list.

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We earn a commission when readers buy through some of our links, which keeps the guides free. It doesn’t change the price you pay at the seller’s checkout.

FAQ

How do you get Amex presale tickets?

Find the American Express presale on the event page, log in before it starts and pay with an eligible American Express Card. Select your tickets within the posted limit and complete checkout. Tickets are available exclusively to Card Members during the presale period.

Is there a code for the American Express presale?

Often you don’t need one, because the presale unlocks when you are logged in. If the page does prompt for a code, the US Open instructions say to enter the 10-digit customer service number on the back of your Card. Follow the instructions on the specific event page.

Does an Amex presale guarantee I’ll get tickets?

No. American Express says supply may be limited and not all seats may be offered. Ticketmaster likewise says presale codes don’t guarantee tickets. Get ready early and have a backup plan for the general sale.

Can I use any American Express card?

Not always. For the Venue Collection, prepaid, corporate, debit and American Express-branded cards issued by third-party financial institutions are not eligible. Check the terms on your event page and, if you are unsure, call the number on the back of your Card.

What is the difference between Amex presale and Amex Preferred Seating?

Presale is early access to buy. Preferred Seating is access to seats set aside for Card Members at select events. You can connect your Card to your Ticketmaster account to have Preferred Seating eligibility unlock automatically when you are logged in.

Sources

Ticketmaster Waiting Room: How It Works and How to Prepare

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The Ticketmaster waiting room is a holding page that opens before a high-demand sale so the site isn’t flooded all at once. You can join it up to about 15 minutes before the on-sale time, and arriving earlier than that doesn’t buy you a better place in line. What you can control is your preparation: an updated account, one device, one browser, and a page you leave alone. Here is how the system works, what to do at each stage, and what no tactic can change.

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Prepare for Presales With Clear Guidance
Ticket News Hub explains presale methods and practical ways to prepare, while making clear that early access cannot guarantee tickets.

Explore presale guidance

TL;DR

  • Join the waiting room up to 15 minutes before the sale starts, using one browser on one device, and Ticketmaster’s own guidance says the same.
  • Your place is assigned when the sale begins, not by who arrived first, so showing up hours early doesn’t help.
  • Update your payment and contact details in your account before sale day, and don’t refresh the page once you’re in.
  • Being in the queue doesn’t guarantee tickets. Inventory sells on a first-come, first-served basis once you’re through.
  • A presale only moves you to an earlier, smaller crowd. You still prepare the same way.

Table of Contents

What the Ticketmaster waiting room actually is

When a popular tour goes on sale, far more people want tickets than a website can serve at once. Ticketmaster handles that by sending fans to a waiting room first, then releasing them into the shopping experience in controlled numbers. Ticketmaster describes the queue as a tool that helps block suspicious account behavior and paces how many fans shop at the same time.

It helps to think of two stages:

  1. The waiting room. A page you can enter shortly before the on-sale time. You wait here with a countdown.
  2. The queue. When the sale begins, you’re given a place in line. When it’s your turn, you move to the ticket selection page.

Fans often use the two words interchangeably, and in everyday conversation that’s fine. The distinction matters for one reason: the order you enter the waiting room is not the order of the final line.

When to join the waiting room

Ticketmaster recommends joining the waiting room up to 15 minutes before the sale begins. In practice, that gives you a simple schedule:

  • 30 minutes before: log in, check your account, and close everything else.
  • 15 minutes before: open the event page and join the waiting room as soon as the option appears.
  • At on-sale time: stay on the page and wait for your place in line.

The exact window can vary by event, and the event page shows the current instructions. If the button isn’t there at 15 minutes, don’t panic and don’t open a second tab. Reload the event page once, then leave it.

Which time zone?

On-sale times are shown in the venue’s local time on the event page, though your device may display your own. A fan in Los Angeles waiting for a 10 a.m. New York sale needs to be ready at 7 a.m. Pacific. Convert the time the night before and set two alarms.

Is the Ticketmaster waiting room random?

Mostly, yes, and this is the part fans most want to hear differently. According to a Ticketmaster help article, when the sale starts the queue is refreshed, and anyone in the temporary queue is randomly assigned a place in the final queue, whether they waited hours or minutes. A Ticketmaster blog on sale preparation makes the same point: visiting the page earlier won’t get you a better spot.

What this means for you:

  • Joining at 15 minutes before is as good as joining at 14. Don’t stress about seconds.
  • Being late is the real risk. If you miss the waiting room window entirely, you can still join after the sale starts, but you’ll be placed behind the people who did arrive in time.
  • Placement isn’t something you can hack. If a site promises a secret trick to jump the line, treat it with suspicion.

That last point is core to how we approach this topic. Preparation gives you a fair shot. It doesn’t turn a lottery into a sure thing.

How to join the Ticketmaster waiting room, step by step

The process is simple, but the details are where people slip up.

  1. Find the event. Search for it on Ticketmaster or use the link sent for certain presales. Presale links are often emailed to you, so check your inbox and spam folder the day before.
  2. Sign in early. Use the same account you registered or signed up with. Many presales are tied to a specific account.
  3. Open the event page about 15 minutes before the sale. Follow the on-screen prompt to join the waiting room.
  4. Wait without refreshing. The countdown and your status update on their own.
  5. When the sale starts, you’re given a place in line. The page tells you roughly how long the wait may be.
  6. When it’s your turn, you’re moved to ticket selection, and your spot is held for 10 minutes. Choose quickly and check out.

That 10-minute hold is why preparation matters. People who reach the front and then hunt for a credit card or reset a password often lose the window.

Preparation checklist for sale day

Ticketmaster’s advice is to make sure your account details, such as payment and contact information, are up to date before the sale, use only one browser and device, and keep your page active without refreshing. Here is how that translates into a working routine.

The day before

  • Log in and confirm your password works. Reset it now if there’s any doubt.
  • Save a current card in your account and check the expiration date and billing address.
  • Confirm your email and phone number are correct, since verification codes may be sent to them.
  • Decide your budget and your must-have section so you don’t deliberate at the front of the line.
  • Know how many tickets you want. Ticket limits per order apply, and they vary by event.

Thirty minutes before

  • Plug in your laptop or phone, or make sure the battery is full.
  • Use a stable connection. A wired or strong Wi-Fi signal beats a weak mobile one. Turn off VPNs, which can interfere with account checks.
  • Close extra tabs, apps and streaming. They compete for bandwidth.
  • Turn off screen sleep so your device doesn’t lock while you wait.
  • Have a backup payment method nearby, such as a second card, but don’t open a second session.

While you wait

When you reach the front

  • Pick quantity and section fast. Best available is often quicker than browsing the map.
  • If a selection fails, choose another. Others are competing for the same seats.
  • Go straight to checkout and enter your CVV. Don’t second-guess price changes in the final seconds unless they exceed your budget.

The multi-tab and multi-device myth

You’ll see advice online that says to join from several phones and laptops to increase your odds. We’d steer you away from that. Guidance from Ticketmaster is to use one device and browser, and one fan’s write-up of the process warns that joining the same sale on the same account across multiple tabs or devices can get you flagged and removed. Even if you have the odd friend who got lucky, a flagged account is a much bigger problem than a bad queue number.

The fair version of the “more chances” idea is this: if your friends or family each want to attend and each have their own account on their own device, each person can join separately, once. That’s one person, one account, one device, repeated across several real people.

Recommended and risky ways to join a ticket sale

Presale waiting rooms: is it different?

A presale waiting room works the same way as a general on-sale one. The difference is who can get in. Presales are tied to a code, a registration, a credit card benefit, a venue or fan club membership, or an artist sign-up. The crowd is smaller than the general public, but it’s rarely tiny, and the queue still assigns places when the sale starts.

What changes in practice:

  • Your link or code may come by email shortly before the sale. Check early and keep the email open in a separate window on the same device.
  • The waiting room may open at the same 15-minute mark, so you still need to be ready before the on-sale time, not at it.
  • Presale is no guarantee. Early access means you’re in an earlier line. It doesn’t mean tickets will be waiting for you.

If you’re missing a code, the more useful question is which presale you qualify for. Free fan-club memberships, artist mailing lists, venue lists and card-linked presales are all legitimate routes, and they often don’t need an insider code at all.

What you can and can’t control

You can control You can’t control
Having your account, card and contact info ready Your random place in the final queue
Joining on time, on one device and browser How many fans are in the line
Choosing quantity and section fast How many tickets are released
Qualifying for an earlier presale Whether an event sells out before you reach the front

If you stay on the left column and accept the right column, sale day gets much calmer.

Does being in the waiting room guarantee tickets?

No. Ticketmaster is clear that joining the waiting room or queue does not guarantee you’ll be able to buy tickets, as tickets sell on a first-come, first-served basis. A fan at the front of the line can find the section they wanted already gone, and a fan further back can still get seats if a lot of people drop out.

That means it’s worth having a second plan. Know which sections you’d accept, which nights on a tour you could attend, and what your ceiling price is. Fans who treat the waiting room as one attempt among several tend to come away less frustrated.

Our perspective

Most of the frustration we hear from fans isn’t about losing the lottery. It’s about feeling they were never told it was one. People hunt for a code, a hack or a secret time to click, and the real gains are almost always elsewhere: knowing which presale they qualify for, having their account ready, and arriving once, on time, with a clear plan.

Our perspective

That’s why we built our guides around preparation instead of tricks. Our view is that a fan who understands the waiting room will make better choices than one who is chasing a rumor. They’ll sign up for the artist presale weeks ahead, keep a free membership active, check card and venue perks, and set a budget in advance. None of that promises tickets, and we say so openly. Presales give early access, not a guarantee. But they do put you in a smaller crowd, and a prepared fan in a smaller crowd has the best realistic odds.

We’re independent of ticket vendors, so we can tell you what the process looks like without a sales pitch for a shortcut. When you do decide to buy, we want you to arrive knowing what you’re doing.

— Capital

Where to find presale and on-sale guides

If you want presale methods, on-sale dates and step-by-step buying tips in one place, our guides cover code-free access, artist sign-ups and card and venue perks, so you can work out which early line you can actually join before the sale.

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Browse the guides on Ticket News Hub and check the event you’re after before the next on-sale. Ticket purchases happen on third-party platforms, and some links on our site are affiliate links.

Common waiting room problems and fixes

The waiting room button won’t appear

Check the time first. If it’s earlier than about 15 minutes before the sale, the option usually isn’t live yet. Make sure you’re on the correct event page, signed in, and using an up-to-date browser. Reload once, then wait.

You get kicked out or sent to the back

This usually follows a refresh, a second tab, a device switch or a connection drop. Since the guidance is to stay on one browser and device, the fix for next time is to keep one clean session and a stable connection.

The page seems stuck

A long wait with no movement is normal during big sales. Don’t refresh. The page updates automatically. If you have lost connection altogether, rejoining may place you behind others, which is another reason to settle your Wi-Fi first.

Your card is declined at checkout

Banks sometimes flag a large, sudden purchase. Contact your card issuer before sale day if you’re buying multiple tickets, and keep a second payment method ready for the same account.

You reach the front but tickets disappear

This happens when others ahead of you are buying the same seats. Pick another section right away. Don’t spend your 10-minute hold deciding.

A simple sale-day timeline

Time What to do
Night before Check login, saved card, contact info, budget and number of tickets
30 minutes before Close extra apps, connect to stable internet, charge your device
15 minutes before Open the event page and join the waiting room
On-sale time Stay on the page, no refresh
Your turn Choose seats quickly, check out within the 10-minute hold
After Check your confirmation email and your account

FAQ

What time can I join the Ticketmaster waiting room?

Ticketmaster recommends joining up to 15 minutes before the sale starts. The event page shows the on-sale time in the venue’s local time. Don’t expect the option to appear much earlier.

Does joining the waiting room early give me a better spot?

No. When the sale begins, the queue is refreshed and people who joined are assigned a place at random, whether they arrived hours or minutes ahead. Arriving on time matters. Arriving very early does not.

How do I get a good spot in the queue?

You can’t choose your position, but you can avoid the mistakes that cost fans their place. Join once, on one browser and device, keep your account details current, and don’t refresh. Qualifying for a presale also puts you in an earlier and smaller line.

Is the waiting room the same for a presale?

The mechanics are the same: you join before the sale starts and are given a place in line when it begins. The difference is who has access, since presales need a code, link, membership or sign-up. Check your email for the link ahead of time.

Does the waiting room guarantee I’ll get tickets?

No. Tickets sell on a first-come, first-served basis once you’re through, so seats can sell out while you’re in line. Prepare backup sections or dates in advance.

Sources

Presale Access Without a Code: 7 Ways In

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Yes, you can sometimes get into a presale without typing a code, but only when the event is set up that way. Some presales unlock automatically for members signed in to an account, some open through an artist sign-up you complete in advance, and some come through a card or a venue perk. If none of those apply, the general sale is still your path. Below we cover each route, how to check which one your show uses, and what to do when you are locked out.

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Explore music events and ticket options, with insights on affordable tickets to help you plan your next concert.

TL;DR

  • Many presales need a code, but some unlock automatically. Live Nation Presales on Ticketmaster.com unlock without a code for All Access members signed in with the email they joined with.
  • Artist presales usually require advance sign-up, and the sign-up is what replaces the code.
  • Card, team, venue, and radio presales are other code-free or code-light routes worth checking.
  • No presale guarantees tickets. If you miss out, the general sale and official resale are still open.
  • Always read the event’s own presale instructions before the sale starts.

Table of Contents

What a presale code actually does

A presale code is a gatekeeper. It tells the ticketing system you belong to a group that gets early access, such as a fan club, a cardholder group, or an artist’s email list. Without the right one, the system does not show the presale inventory at all.

That is why people searching for presale access without a code are really asking a narrower question: is there another way to prove I belong to the group? Often there is. According to Ticketmaster’s explanation of presales, fans can typically get in by entering a special code, but the same page lists other ways in, which we walk through below.

Two things stay true no matter how you get in. First, a code, or its code-free equivalent, does not guarantee tickets. Second, presales are one stage of a release schedule that ends with a general sale, which is when tickets are made available after all presales have finished.

Seven ways to get presale access without entering a code

Not every route exists for every show. Think of this as a checklist you run through when a tour you want is announced.

1. A free membership that unlocks presales automatically

This is the cleanest code-free route in the U.S. Live Nation All Access is a free membership that lets U.S. fans unlock access to 20,000 Live Nation Presales. On Ticketmaster.com, those presales unlock without a code as long as you are signed in with the same email address you used to join.

In practice, the steps look like this, based on Live Nation’s own instructions:

  1. Sign in on Livenation.com or in the Live Nation app, find your event, and tap Buy Tickets.
  2. When the box listing the presale options pops up on the Ticketmaster event page, do not enter a password. Tap OK.
  3. Find the Live Nation Presale box and select View Offers to filter the tickets available to members.
  4. Click Unlock on a ticket option to reveal prices, then choose your seats and buy.

Pro Tip: The email match matters. If you joined with one address and are signed in to Ticketmaster with another, the presale will not unlock. Check this the night before, not when the queue opens.

2. An artist presale sign-up

Many artist presales replace the code with a registration step. You can join an artist presale by signing up in advance on the artist’s presale sign-up page. The key word is advance. Once the sign-up window closes, you generally cannot add yourself later.

Ticketmaster says its Artist Sign-Up platform is available in 22 markets, including the United States, as of December 2025. The same page says the artist-branded experience aims to prioritize fans likely to attend and deprioritize suspicious accounts. For you, that means signing up with your real, long-standing account rather than a fresh one made for the occasion.

3. A credit or debit card perk

Some presales belong to a payment card. Ticketmaster notes that credit card companies like Citibank and Chase may offer cardholders special presale access as a customer perk. It also says Cash App customers with an active card sometimes get access to certain presales using the first nine digits of their Cash Card.

Card presales often ask you to pay with that card, which is a common reason fans get stuck at checkout. If you are weighing a card perk against other savings, our guide to smart ways to save on concert tickets puts it in context.

4. Team, venue, and radio presales

Not every presale runs through the artist. Ticketmaster says you may also find presale opportunities with your team, venue or on the radio. Venue presales often reward people on the venue’s mailing list or loyalty program, and radio presales are typically announced on air or on the station’s site.

These are easy to miss because they are not tied to the tour announcement. If your local venue is on the route, check its site the day dates go public.

5. A venue or promoter membership with its own login

Some organizations run members-only presales where the login is the key. For example, Secret Sounds in Australia says its presale tickets are available to registered members without a code, and members need a free account and must be logged in. That is an Australian promoter, so it will not help you with a U.S. show, but the pattern is common: a free account, a login, and the presale appears.

Member login leading to presale ticket access

6. A public presale

Some events run a presale that anyone can reach. These are sometimes labeled public or open presales, and the event page states whether a password is needed. We cannot promise one exists for your show, so look for that label on the official listing rather than trusting a forum post.

7. Fan club presales

Fan club presales are often the most generous, and they usually do come with a code. They are still worth knowing about because joining the club is the code-free part: you sign up once and the access follows. Our guide to fan club presales and the 2026 FTC fee rule explains what to expect on pricing.

How to check which route your show uses

Guessing wastes time. The event’s own page tells you, and it takes five minutes.

According to Ticketmaster, the thing to check is whether the presale requires you to sign up or get a code to access the ticket sale. Here is a short routine:

  • Open the official event page from the artist’s or venue’s own site, not from a search ad or a social post.
  • Read the list of presales, including start times and what each one requires.
  • Note whether each presale says sign up, member login, card, or code.
  • Write down the time zone of the start time. Presales often start at 10 a.m. local time at the venue, which may not be your local time.
  • Complete any required sign-up before its deadline.

For the timing side, see our guide to ticket release times and how to be ready. If you do still need a code, our walkthrough on finding presale codes for new tours covers where they are usually posted.

Why you can be in the presale and still not get tickets

Fans often think presale access is a golden ticket. It is a head start in a line that is still crowded. The numbers are simple: for many events, far more people try to buy tickets than there are tickets available, so they can sell out quickly and not everyone will secure one. That O2 guidance is from the U.K., but the dynamic is the same for big U.S. tours.

Ticketmaster’s Italian help center also describes the underlying rule: tickets are sold first-come, first-served while available inventory lasts. So a presale is a sale with fewer people, not a reserved seat.

A few other things can block you even when you have access:

  • Wrong account: the email on your membership does not match the one you are signed in with.
  • Wrong payment method: a card presale that requires a specific card.
  • Ticket limits: per-customer limits are often set to stop scalpers from buying multiple tickets and reselling them at inflated prices.
  • Queue timing: joining late, or refreshing the page and losing your place.

Before a big on-sale, run through our ticket queue checks so a small mistake does not cost you your spot.

What to do if you cannot get into the presale

Missing the presale is not the end. Work through these in order.

  1. Wait for the general sale. It opens after all presales end, and it is open to everyone. You do not need a code.
  2. Be ready at the exact start time. Sign in early, confirm your payment details, and use one device and one browser tab.
  3. Check again closer to the show. More tickets sometimes become available closer to the event, and tickets may also be available through official resale.
  4. Use verified resale, carefully. If you go to resale, follow our steps for buying resale tickets safely and our resale checklist.
  5. Skip anyone selling codes. Codes are free from the official source. Paying a stranger for one is a classic setup, and our guide to avoiding concert ticket scams shows what the pitch looks like.

Pro Tip: Decide your maximum all-in price before the sale opens. Under queue pressure, people overpay. A number written down in advance is easier to stick to.

Our take: code-free access is about preparation, not tricks

We write about ticket buying every day, and the same pattern keeps showing up. The fans who get tickets are rarely the ones with a clever workaround. They are the ones who signed up early, matched their accounts, and read the official presale list.

We would put it this way:

  • Treat sign-ups as the new code. If an artist offers a presale registration, it is the most reliable code-free path, so do it the day it is announced.
  • Join free programs once. A free membership costs nothing and can unlock many presales without any code hunting.
  • Do not pay for access. Legitimate presale access is free or comes with a perk you already have.
  • Compare all-in prices, not just face value. Presale does not always mean cheaper, and fees change the total.

We do not take payment from ticket sellers or venues to shape our recommendations, and we aim to show you the options side by side so you can choose. Our site earns commission when readers buy through referral links, and we say so because trust matters more than any single sale.

— The Ticket News

Find your next show and the best way in

If you are chasing a specific tour, start with the shows we track. We keep pricing breakdowns and ticket-source notes for upcoming concerts and festivals, such as our page on discount Outlaw Music Festival tickets, and our guide to securing event tickets easily and safely covers the buying steps from account setup to checkout.

The Ticket News

Browse the full list of upcoming events and deal alerts on The Ticket News, and check each event’s official page for the presale list that applies to that show.

FAQ

Can anyone get presale tickets?

Only people who meet the presale’s requirement can get in, but the requirement is often easy. It might be a free membership, an advance artist sign-up, a particular card, or a code. If you do not qualify, the general sale is open to everyone after the presales finish.

Does a presale sell all the tickets?

Not necessarily. Tickets are usually released in stages, with presales followed by general sale, and not everyone will be able to secure tickets. Some shows sell out in a presale, and others still have tickets at the general sale.

What is the point of a presale code?

It shows the system that you belong to the group getting early access, such as a fan club or cardholder group. Without it, the presale inventory is not displayed. A code does not guarantee you a ticket, only a place in that earlier sale.

How do I get artist presale access on Ticketmaster without a code?

Sign up in advance on the artist’s presale page, or use a free Live Nation All Access membership if the show is a Live Nation Presale. For the membership route, sign in with the email you used to join and do not enter a password when the presale box appears. Check the event page to see which applies.

Sources

Concert Ticket Price Factors: What Sets What You Pay

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A concert ticket’s price comes from five layers: what it costs to put the show on, how much demand the artist has in that market, where your seat is, the fees added at checkout, and whether you buy at face value or on resale. Each layer is something you can read and, in most cases, plan around. Below, we walk through them in the order you meet them as a buyer.

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TL;DR

  • Face value is set by the artist’s team and promoter to cover show costs and reach a revenue target, and it is sometimes set deliberately below what the market would pay.
  • Artist popularity, the city, the venue and your seat section move the base price more than anything else.
  • Fees can add roughly a quarter or more on top of the ticket, so compare all-in totals, not the headline number.
  • Dynamic pricing and resale respond to demand in real time. Waiting for a drop is a gamble on high-demand shows.
  • VIP packages price access and extras, not just the seat.

Table of Contents

How face value gets set

Face value is the price printed on the primary-market ticket. It is not a neutral number. According to the Congressional Research Service, primary-market tickets are often priced to maximize revenue based on supply and expected demand, but some are set below the market-clearing price to protect an artist’s reputation, reach fans across income levels, ensure a sellout, or lift merchandise and concession sales.

That last point surprises many buyers. A $90 ticket to a show that resells for $250 is not a mistake. It is often a choice. Our guide to what a face value ticket is covers how that gap shows up in practice.

What the artist’s team has to cover

Billboard reports that artist teams start from an earnings target after buses, staffing, production, commissions and desired profit. The promoter then adds the cost of mounting the show: venue rent, advertising, stagehands, security and catering.

Artist and promoter costs shaping ticket prices

The Los Angeles Times described the same chain in 2023: artists, promoters, venues, ticketing companies and resellers all influence the final price, with promoters setting primary prices that include artist guarantees, promotion costs and venue charges.

Why the same tour costs different amounts in different cities

Booking agents negotiate with promoters, and prices partly depend on what a local market can support. A band can charge more in a city with a strong fan base and a smaller venue than in a market where it has to work to fill an arena. If you are flexible, checking two or three nearby cities is often the single easiest way to cut your cost.

Pro Tip: Before you buy, open the same tour date in the two nearest cities. A drive of an hour or two can change both the base price and the fees.

Artist popularity, venue and seat location

A 2025 peer-reviewed study of North American concert pricing found that more popular musicians used price discrimination more often, meaning they charge different prices for different sections or bundled perks. Artists and managers use tiered pricing for venue areas and bundled goods or services, and prices may be posted statically or change dynamically with forecast demand and remaining supply.

Why seats near the stage cost more

The Association for Cultural Economics International notes that consumers are less price-sensitive for seats close to the stage, so organizers can charge more there, while distant sections generally need lower prices to help fill the room.

What that means for you:

  • Front floor and lower bowl carry the highest face values because the fans who want them will pay.
  • Upper sections and sides are priced to fill the building and are usually where the lowest face-value tickets sit.
  • Smaller theaters and clubs have less variation between sections, so the cheapest seat is often close to the best one.

The venue effect

Venue size and cost shape the base price before the artist is even considered. A 20,000-seat amphitheater spreads costs across more tickets, while a 1,500-seat historic theater has far fewer seats to cover the same fixed costs of rent, crew and security. For country, Americana and roots acts, mid-size theaters and festival stages often give you a closer view at a price that stays reasonable, and many are friendly to families.

Fees, taxes and the total at checkout

The number you see first is rarely the number you pay. A 2018 Government Accountability Office review of a nongeneralizable sample found that primary-market ticketing companies charged total fees averaging 27 percent of the ticket’s price, and fees on secondary-market tickets averaged 31 percent. Those are older figures from a limited sample, so treat them as a sense of scale, not a rule for every show.

Charge What it is Who usually gets it
Face value The base price set for your section Artist, promoter, venue (split by contract)
Service fee Ticketing company’s charge for selling Ticketing company, sometimes shared with the venue
Facility fee Charge tied to the venue Venue
Delivery or processing fee Charge for ticket delivery or payment Ticketing company
Sales or amusement tax Statutory charge Government

The tax line is separate: statutory charges such as sales or amusement taxes are collected on behalf of governments and are distinct from service, facility or delivery fees. Who gets each fee varies by contract, so the table shows typical recipients, not a fixed split.

The all-in price rule

Since May 12, 2025, the FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees requires that businesses advertising live-event tickets tell people the total price upfront, including charges the business knows about and can calculate in advance. The rule covers third-party platforms and resellers too. In practice, this makes comparing totals easier, but you should still check the final checkout screen, because anything that depends on your choices, such as delivery method, can change the number.

For a full worked example, see our U.S. concert ticket price breakdown, and for ways to trim charges, our guide to concert ticket fees and presales.

Dynamic pricing and platinum-style pricing

Some tickets are not fixed. Dynamic pricing, sometimes called surge pricing, lets ticket prices fluctuate based on demand, much like airline fares. One industry statistics roundup reports that 45% of venues have adopted dynamic pricing for concert tickets. The same AOL report notes Ticketmaster says it does not impose dynamic pricing and that artists request it.

What it means at the checkout: two fans looking at neighboring seats in the same hour may see different prices, and the price you saw this morning may not hold this afternoon. We explain the mechanics in our full guide to dynamic ticket pricing. For a way to see how a price moves over time, read how to track ticket price history.

For a look at how demand-driven pricing works at live events more broadly, demand-based pricing at concerts is a helpful companion read on how artists and ticketing companies each play a part.

Presales, sellouts and why resale prices climb

When face value is set below what fans will pay, the gap becomes an opening for resellers. GAO explains that industry representatives say performers sometimes intentionally underprice tickets to maintain fan goodwill and ensure a sold-out house, which creates a larger margin for resale profit. The same GAO work found tickets are often resold above face value.

Bots add pressure. GAO notes that professional brokers can use staff and bots to rapidly buy many tickets as they are released, then resell them at substantial markups. That is why a show that sells out in minutes often has a resale market priced well above face value within the hour.

Three guides go deeper on this layer:

If you do buy resale, a face-value exchange keeps the price from running away. See our walkthrough of fan-to-fan resale, and read what a scalper ticket is and the risks before paying a stranger. How buying and reselling habits affect what is left for you is also covered in how ticket resale affects availability, from an artist’s side of the equation.

VIP packages: paying for access

A VIP package bundles a ticket with extras such as early entry, a merchandise item, a lounge or a meet-and-greet. USA TODAY reported in 2022 that packages it reviewed ranged from about $200 to $3,500, and packages with artist meet-and-greets commonly cost $500 to several thousand dollars, reflecting the premium on scarce access.

To decide whether a package is worth it:

  1. Ask what the ticket alone would cost in that section and subtract it.
  2. Price the extras you would actually use. A poster you will not hang is not value.
  3. Check whether the package is limited to a set number, which usually pushes the price up.
  4. Look at the refund and transfer terms before you commit, since packages are often less flexible.

Have concert prices really risen?

Yes, and by a lot. Pollstar data put the average concert ticket at just under $26 in 1996 and $133 in 2025. Part of that is inflation, but the layers above, from tiered pricing to dynamic pricing to fees, explain why the average has grown faster than most household budgets.

Perspective: how we read ticket prices

Perspective: how we read ticket prices — overview diagram

We cover ticket pricing for readers who plan to buy, so we look at the price the way you will meet it: as a stack. Face value is the part the artist and promoter control. Fees and resale are the parts the market and the seller control. Most overspending we see comes from skipping the middle step, comparing the headline price on one site with the all-in total somewhere else.

Our approach is simple. Check face value first, compare the all-in total on every source you are considering, and decide your ceiling before the sale opens, not during it. That last habit matters most, because a countdown timer and a queue are designed to make a higher number feel reasonable. Our recommendations are driven by what readers report paying, not by what a seller or venue would prefer you to see.

— The Ticket News

Can tickets get cheaper closer to the show?

Sometimes. Prices may drop closer to an event if demand flags, which can mean last-minute bargains. But the same report warns this is risky for high-demand shows, which are likely to sell out well in advance.

A practical rule: wait only if the show is in a large venue, the artist is not at peak demand and you would be fine missing it. If it is a limited run, a small theater or a major name, buy at face value when your target price appears. Our ticket queue checklist helps you get ready for the sale itself.

Pro Tip: Set a price ceiling, including fees, before you open the queue. If the total passes it, close the tab and check again later.

A step-by-step way to pay less

  1. Identify the face value range for your section before the sale, so resale prices have a reference point.
  2. Join the presale that fits you, such as a fan club or venue list, where face value is usually what you pay.
  3. Compare all-in totals across every legitimate source before you click buy.
  4. Consider off-peak nights and nearby cities, since weekday dates and smaller markets often cost less.
  5. Pick a section by value, not by habit. Side and upper seats in a theater can beat the floor of an arena.
  6. Buy only from verified sources. Our guides on secure ticket purchasing and securing event tickets safely cover the checks, and if you plan to split payments, read our checkout rules for installment plan tickets.

Find deals on shows you want

We track upcoming tours, presale details and discount options for artists across country, Americana, rock and soul, with pricing breakdowns and comparisons of ticket sources. Start on The Ticket News to see what is on sale near you, or go straight to a show page such as discount Outlaw Music Festival tickets.

FAQ

Who decides how much a concert ticket costs?

The artist’s team, the booking agent and the promoter together, with input from the venue and sometimes the label depending on the contract. They start from the cost of the show and an earnings target, then adjust for what the local market can support.

Why are concert tickets so expensive now?

Average prices have climbed from just under $26 in 1996 to $133 in 2025 according to Pollstar data. Tiered seating, dynamic pricing, fees and a strong resale market all contribute, on top of higher production and touring costs.

Are fees the same everywhere?

No. Fees vary by ticketing company, venue, event and whether you buy primary or resale. A 2018 GAO sample averaged 27 percent on the primary market and 31 percent on the secondary market, so always compare the final total.

Do VIP packages cost more than the extras are worth?

It depends on what you would use. Reviewed packages have ranged from about $200 to $3,500, with meet-and-greets commonly costing $500 or more. Price the ticket alone, subtract it, and judge whether the extras justify the difference.

Sources

Ticket Resale Taxes: What You Owe and What to Keep

by Leave a Comment

If you sell a concert ticket for more than you paid, the profit is taxable income on your federal return, whether or not a platform sends you a tax form. If you sell at a loss, you generally cannot deduct it. Only the gain counts, not the full sale price, and the records you keep decide how large that gain looks on paper.

This guide walks through how the IRS treats casual resale, how to calculate your gain, what Form 1099-K does and does not mean, when selling becomes a business, and where sales tax fits in. We are a ticket guide, not a tax firm, so use it to understand the rules and to know what to ask a tax professional.

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TL;DR

  • A gain on a resold ticket is taxable. Your gain is the sale price minus what you paid, adjusted for fees, and the IRS says a gain on a personal ticket sale is taxable even without a Form 1099-K.
  • A loss on a ticket you bought for personal use is not deductible, and it cannot offset a gain from another sale.
  • Platforms generally issue Form 1099-K only when you pass $20,000 in gross payments and 200 transactions, but that form never decides whether you owe tax.
  • Keep the purchase confirmation, the sale confirmation and every fee receipt for each ticket.
  • Sales tax on tickets is a state matter. Some states require businesses that resell admission tickets to register and collect it.

Table of Contents

Is ticket resale income taxable?

Yes. The IRS explains that a gain on the sale of a personal item is taxable, and it is generally the difference between the sales price and the purchase price. A concert ticket you bought to attend, then could not use, is a personal item in this sense.

Three points trip people up:

  1. You are taxed on profit, not on the sale total. Sell a $300 ticket you bought for $280 and your gain is $20, before fees.
  2. A form is not required for the tax to apply. The IRS states plainly that income from selling goods or services must be reported whether or not you receive a Form 1099-K.
  3. Losses do not help you. Capital losses on the sale of personal items are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

That asymmetry is the reason most fans who resell at face value or below owe nothing, and the reason the few who sell high-demand seats at a markup need to pay attention.

How to calculate your gain or loss

The formula is simple: sales price minus purchase price. The details are in what counts as each side.

The IRS says that selling fees and payment-processing fees should be included in the basis or used as a downward adjustment when you calculate gain or loss. In practice, that means the fee the marketplace takes from your payout reduces your profit. Your purchase side should include what you actually paid, which for a ticket normally means the service and delivery fees added at checkout, not just the face value. Our breakdown of how a $60 ticket can reach $76 shows how large those add-ons can be, and every dollar of them belongs in your records.

A worked example

This is an illustration with made-up numbers, not tax advice.

Item Amount
Two tickets bought, including buyer fees $240
Sale price of both tickets $400
Seller fee deducted by the marketplace $60
Net proceeds $340
Taxable gain $100

The platform would show $400 as the gross payment. You report the $100 gain, not $400.

The IRS’s own ticket example

The IRS walks through a similar case. A $550 gain, from an $800 sale of a ticket that cost $250, is reported as a short-term gain on Form 8949 and Schedule D. In the same example, a separate $50 personal loss on another ticket goes on Schedule 1 and cannot offset the gain.

That last point matters. Gain or loss on personal items is reported transaction by transaction. If you sold one ticket for a $200 profit and another for a $150 loss, you cannot net them to $50. You report the $200 gain and the loss is simply not deductible.

Separate reporting of ticket resale gains and losses

Pro Tip: If you sold a personal ticket at a loss and a platform reported the payment on a 1099-K, the IRS says to include the gross proceeds in the entry space at the top of Schedule 1 so the reported amount is accounted for. A tax preparer can place it correctly.

What records to keep

The weakest spot in casual resale taxes is the purchase price. If you cannot prove what you paid, a reported $400 payment can look like $400 of profit. The IRS advises keeping accurate records, and if you have forgotten an original price, to look to bank or seller records.

For each ticket or pair, save:

  • The original order confirmation email showing the price, fees and date
  • Your card or bank statement line for the purchase
  • The resale listing and the sale confirmation
  • The payout statement showing the fee the marketplace kept
  • Any refund, since it changes your cost

A single folder per tax year, with one subfolder per event, is enough. Do it at the time of sale. Reconstructing a year of transactions in March is where gains get overstated.

Form 1099-K: what it is and what it is not

Form 1099-K is an information return a payment platform sends to you and the IRS to report gross payments. The IRS says that for third-party settlement organizations, a form is generally not required unless gross payments exceed $20,000 and transactions exceed 200. Both conditions must be met. That rule was updated on October 23, 2025, on the IRS page.

Some states set lower filing thresholds. Illinois, Massachusetts and Virginia are examples, so if you live in one of them, check your state revenue department’s current rules.

Two misunderstandings are worth clearing up:

  • No form does not mean no tax. A seller who clears a $150 profit on a single sold-out show still reports it.
  • A form does not mean you owe the whole amount. Form 1099-K reports gross, unadjusted payments, so fees and your original cost still need to be factored in on your return.

If you receive a form that overstates your income because it ignores your cost, do not ignore it. Report the transaction on your return with your real basis, and keep the documentation that supports the difference.

Why a marketplace asks for your SSN or TIN

A resale marketplace may ask for your Social Security number or another taxpayer identification number before it pays you. The IRS explains that platforms may request it because if payments pass the threshold they may need to report gross sales on Form 1099-K, and missing or incorrect taxpayer information can trigger backup withholding. Backup withholding means the platform holds back part of your payout and sends it to the IRS.

The request alone is not a red flag. The place you enter it is what matters. Add tax details only after logging in directly on the marketplace’s own site or app, never through a link in an email or text.

Is that 1099-K email real?

Scammers copy tax-form notices because people expect them. Before you click anything:

  1. Do not use the email’s links. Open the marketplace’s app or type its address yourself, then look in your account’s tax or payout settings for the form.
  2. Match it to your activity. If you never sold tickets on that platform, or you sold far less than the form claims, treat the message as suspect.
  3. Check the details. Your name, the last digits of your taxpayer number and the year should be right. Never send your full Social Security number by email reply.
  4. Compare with your own records. A real form should line up with your sale confirmations before fees.

If you cannot verify it inside your account, contact the platform through its published support channel. For a form you believe is wrong, a tax preparer can help you decide whether to request a correction.

When does reselling become a business?

Occasional resale of tickets you could not use is one thing. Buying tickets specifically to flip them is another. The IRS separates a business from a hobby by looking at all facts and circumstances, including businesslike books and records, profit motive, time and effort, dependence on the income, expertise, and profit history. No single factor controls the answer.

Someone who buys presale blocks for dozens of shows each season, tracks prices daily and lists them for profit looks much more like a business than a fan who sells two tickets to a show a friend cancelled. Business income can bring different rules, including self-employment tax, and different forms. If your resale is regular or planned, speak to a CPA or enrolled agent before you file, not after.

Knowing the market helps you judge where you sit. Our guides on how ticket resale markets work and how to track ticket price history for concerts explain how prices move, which is the reason profit on a single sale is never guaranteed.

When does reselling become a business? — overview diagram

Sales tax on concert tickets

This is a separate question from income tax, and it is decided by states, not the IRS. On an original purchase, sales tax or an amusement tax may be added depending on where the event is held. Our piece on all-in ticket pricing explains why tax is often the last line you see at checkout.

On resale, the rule varies. Minnesota, for example, requires ticket resellers who are in the business of buying admission tickets for resale to register and collect sales tax. The wording points to businesses, not a fan selling a spare pair, but it shows why professional resellers cannot assume only income tax applies. We have not verified rules for every state, so check your state department of revenue’s ticket or admission guidance for the state where you sell.

Pro Tip: As a buyer, you do not file anything on tax you paid at checkout. Just keep the receipt, because the full amount you paid becomes your cost if you ever resell.

Are concert tickets tax deductible?

For most fans, no. Tickets to attend a concert for fun are personal spending, and a loss on resale is not deductible either. Business situations, such as an entertainment expense for a company, have their own rules that change, so ask a tax professional about your specific case rather than relying on a general guide.

Our perspective

We publish ticket guides for fans who want to pay fair prices, and we see the same pattern every season: people think of tax only after a platform asks for a Social Security number. By then the purchase confirmation from months earlier is buried.

We think the sensible approach is dull and works. Treat each ticket as a small transaction with a cost and a proceeds line. Save the confirmation email when you buy. Save the payout when you sell. If you only resell what you cannot use, and mostly at or below what you paid, your tax bill is likely zero and your paperwork is a few emails. If you resell regularly for profit, plan on being a taxpayer who tracks it, and talk to a professional.

We also think face value is the best protection against all of this. Understanding what a face value ticket is and how dynamic pricing changes it helps you decide whether to hold, sell or buy. Our recommendations are independent of the sellers and venues.

— The Ticket News

Buying smarter so you have less to resell

The easiest tax is the one you never face. If you want to attend a show without paying inflated prices, our discount ticket guides lay out acts, venues and dates with price context, and our fee guide shows where buyers can save on fees and presales. If you resell, our safe buying checklist helps the next buyer too.

FAQ

Do I have to report ticket sales if I did not get a 1099-K?

Yes, if you had a gain. The IRS says a gain on a personal ticket sale is taxable even if no Form 1099-K is issued. If you sold for less than you paid, there is no deductible loss, so there is nothing to report as a deduction.

Why does a ticket site want my Social Security number?

It may need to report your sales on Form 1099-K if you pass the reporting threshold, and missing taxpayer information can lead to backup withholding. Provide it only on the platform’s own site or app after logging in.

What if I sold tickets for less than I paid?

The loss on a personal ticket is not deductible, and it cannot offset gains from other sales. If a platform reported the payment on a 1099-K, the IRS says to include the gross proceeds on Schedule 1 so the reported amount is accounted for.

Do I pay sales tax when I resell a ticket?

That depends on your state and whether you are in the business of reselling. Minnesota requires businesses that resell admission tickets to register and collect sales tax. Check your state revenue department before you sell regularly.

Is the 1099-K email I received legitimate?

Do not click its links. Log in to the marketplace directly and look for the form in your account. If you never sold there or the amounts do not match your records, treat it as suspicious and contact the platform through its published support page.

Sources

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