The most reliable way to get presale tickets is to sign up early for the presales you qualify for: the artist’s own presale, a free venue or promoter membership, or a card perk. Then be in the queue before the sale opens. Many presales need no code at all, because your signed-in account is your ticket in. Below is how each route works, how to prepare, and how to avoid fake offers.
TL;DR
- An artist presale that requires advance sign-up has no code: your account is recognized when you join the queue.
- Sign-up windows close. Once one does, you can’t join that presale, so register the day a tour is announced.
- Join the waiting room about 15 minutes before the sale, on one device and one browser, and never refresh.
- A presale gives you early access, not a guaranteed ticket. Presale tickets are the same tickets as general sale, just sooner.
- Only trust codes and links from the artist, venue, ticketing company or card issuer. Report scams to the FTC.
Table of Contents
- What a presale is and why it exists
- The main ways to get into a presale
- How to get presale tickets without a code
- Your presale-day checklist
- Does signing up guarantee tickets?
- Presale scams and how to avoid them
- Get ready before the next on-sale
- Presale and general sale compared
- FAQ
- Sources
What a presale is and why it exists
A presale is a window of early ticket access that opens before tickets go on sale to everyone. According to Ticketmaster’s own explanation of presales, the artist and their team choose to start these windows, and the artist decides which types and how many tickets are offered in each one.
That last point explains a lot of fan frustration. There isn’t one presale per tour. There can be several: a fan club window, a venue window, a card holder window, a local promoter window. Each one draws from a slice of the inventory the artist allotted.
The general on-sale usually begins about a day after the last presale ends, and it generally only requires an account with the ticketing company, per the same Ticketmaster post. So the difference between presale and general sale is timing and eligibility, not the ticket itself. Live Nation’s help pages say presale tickets are the same as general sale tickets, just earlier, and Mastercard’s program FAQ says there is no price difference between presale and general sale.
The main ways to get into a presale
There are five common doors. Which one opens depends on the tour, so check all of them each time.
| Route | What you do | Code needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Artist presale | Create or sign in to a ticketing account, then register on the artist’s sign-up page | Usually no, if sign-up is on the ticketing platform |
| Fan club or member presale | Join the artist’s or promoter’s membership | Sometimes a unique member code or a hidden link |
| Venue or promoter presale | Register for the venue or promoter newsletter or account | Often a code emailed to you |
| Card presale | Pay with the eligible card at checkout | Usually the card itself is the access |
| Local or partner presale | Follow the radio, sponsor or partner instructions | Often a code |
Artist presales: sign up once, get in without a code
This is the route most fans should start with. For a Ticketmaster Artist Presale, you sign in to your account and select the presales on the artist’s sign-up page. You are then eligible for only the presales you selected.
Two details matter:
- There is a deadline. Live Nation says you can sign up any time before the sign-up window closes, and Ticketmaster says that after it closes you can’t join that presale.
- A reminder arrives the day before. Live Nation sends an email reminder the day before your presales with a link to access.
We walk through the whole process, including what to do if you forgot to register, in our guide to artist presale tickets and how to sign up.
Fan club and member presales
Some tours run their presale through a membership. Frontier Touring, an Australasian promoter, explains that its member presales require membership, and each member has a unique presale code for most of them. Some shows use a standard codeword or a hidden ticketing link instead.
Live Nation’s “My Live Nation” presale, described on its help page, works differently: it does not need a code. Ticket links appear when the presale starts, and you must be logged in to your account. That page is from Live Nation’s Australian site, so check the equivalent page for your own country’s program and rules.
The lesson: a free membership is often the cheapest key you can get. Register before the tour is announced and you won’t be scrambling.
Venue and promoter presales
Venues and promoters often hold their own windows for people on their mailing lists. Some promoters make it even easier. Metropolis Touring says its presale email contains a link preloaded with the access details, so there is nothing to type. If an email like that reaches your inbox, click it from the email itself on the day.
Card presales
Card programs give cardholders early access. Mastercard’s program FAQ says presales typically open two days before general public sale, and that you must pay with a valid Mastercard credit, debit or prepaid card at checkout. The details differ by country and by program, so read the terms attached to each event.
If you carry an American Express card, our guide to Amex presale tickets and how to use them covers what to have ready.
How to get presale tickets without a code
Code-free access is more common than most fans think. The rule of thumb from Ticketmaster: an Artist Presale that requires advance sign-up has no code, because your account is recognized when you join the queue. Other presales may use codes handed out by the artist, venue or another organizer.
So the no-code playbook looks like this:
- Create and verify your ticketing account now. Don’t wait for an on-sale morning to find out your password is wrong or your card has expired.
- Sign up on the artist’s page for every presale offered. Picking all that apply gives you more chances.
- Join the free memberships of the artists, venues and promoters you follow most.
- Check the “presale code” section of the tour page. Frontier Touring notes some member presales don’t need a codeword for every show, and tells fans to look at the tour page’s presale code section.
- Keep the reminder email. The day-before email carries your access link.
When another company handles ticketing for the show, Ticketmaster’s help page says a code may be required and is sent with a link by email the night before. Read the sign-up confirmation closely, since the ticketing company named there tells you which rules apply. For events ticketed through AXS, see where to find and use an AXS presale code.
Your presale-day checklist
Getting in the door is half the job. The other half is what you do in the 20 minutes around the sale.
The day before
- Confirm the reminder email arrived. If it didn’t, check spam and your account’s sign-up page.
- Log in to the ticketing site and confirm your saved payment card and billing address.
- Decide your priorities: how many tickets, your price ceiling, your second-choice section. Our guide to choosing the best seats at concerts helps you rank sections before you’re under pressure.
- Check the time zone of the start time. It is the most common reason fans arrive late.
Fifteen minutes before
Ticketmaster recommends joining the waiting room up to 15 minutes before the sale, using one device and one browser, and not refreshing, closing or leaving the queue page. Live Nation gives the same 15-minute advice: you are placed in line when the sale officially begins.
Joining after the sale starts puts you at the back. Our walkthrough of the Ticketmaster waiting room covers what the screens mean.
When it’s your turn
The queue is a virtual line that uses security measures to detect bots and monitor traffic. When it’s your turn, you can view the seat map and buy, per Ticketmaster’s queue help. Move quickly but calmly:
- Choose the quantity first, then the section.
- Use the saved card rather than typing a new one.
- If a pair you picked is taken, go to your second choice without starting over.
- Finish checkout before you look at anything else.
Does signing up guarantee tickets?
No, and any guide that suggests otherwise is selling you something. Live Nation says signing up for an artist presale only lets you participate and does not guarantee tickets. Ticketmaster says tickets are first-come, first-served, and that your access time isn’t guaranteed either. Live Nation also says it sometimes limits the number of presale tickets so enough remain for general sale.
What preparation does is remove the avoidable failures: a missed sign-up, a late arrival, a wrong password, a declined card. Those are the reasons most fans lose before the queue even starts. If a show sells out, our page on sold out concert tickets and where to find them safely covers the next steps.
Presale scams and how to avoid them
Popular presales attract fake codes, copycat sites and “access” for sale. A few habits protect you.
- Get codes from the source. Artist, venue, promoter, ticketing company or card issuer. A code a stranger sells you is not an official route in.
- Beware lookalike sites. The FTC warns that fraudsters use paid search results or social media to steer people to scam ticket websites. Type the ticketing site’s address yourself or use the link in your official email.
- Be wary of screenshots and paper tickets. The same FTC alert advises that where tickets are delivered digitally, someone selling a screenshot is likely a scammer.
- Never pay for a “guaranteed” presale. Free sign-ups exist for most official routes.
- Report it. If you meet something that looks like a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
No official presale needs your password or your full card details by message.
Our perspective
We started Ticket News Hub because presales are confusing, and confused fans lose out. Most advice online says “find a code.” We think that’s backwards. The better plan is to prepare for access: free memberships, artist sign-ups, card and venue perks, and a clean account.
We are independent of the ticket vendors, so we say plainly what a presale does and doesn’t do. It gets you an earlier place in line. It doesn’t promise a seat. Fans who understand that, and who set things up before the tour is announced, tend to have a calmer and more successful sale day.
That is why our guides are step by step and focused on the questions fans actually ask, with no insider tricks and no hype.
Capital
Get ready before the next on-sale
We cover presale methods, tour and on-sale dates, venue buy guides and promo code updates in one place. Start with the guides that match your next show, set up your accounts, and you’ll know what to do when the sale opens.
Browse the latest tour coverage and presale guides on Ticket News Hub, or go straight to the Ticketmaster waiting room guide if a sale is close.
Presale and general sale compared
| Presale | General sale | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy | People who qualify: sign-ups, members, cardholders | Anyone with an account |
| Timing | Before the public on-sale | Usually about a day after the last presale |
| Ticket price | Same as general sale, per Mastercard’s FAQ | Same |
| Ticket supply | A portion the artist allocates | What remains |
| Guarantee | None | None |
Is a presale worth the effort? For popular shows, yes: you face fewer competing buyers for the same seats, even though demand is still high. For smaller shows, the general sale can be fine, but registering costs nothing.
FAQ
How do I get presale tickets on Ticketmaster?
Sign in to your Ticketmaster account and open the artist’s sign-up page. Select the presales you want before the window closes. On sale day, join the queue about 15 minutes ahead, and your account is recognized with no code in most artist presales.
Can I get presale tickets without a code?
Yes. Artist presales with advance sign-up don’t use a code, and members-only programs like My Live Nation need only a login. Some other presales do use codes, usually emailed by the artist, venue or promoter, so read the confirmation email for which applies.
What is the difference between presale and general sale?
A presale opens earlier to a limited group, while the general sale opens to anyone with an account, usually about a day after presales end. The tickets and their face prices are the same. Presale just gives you a head start.
What if I missed the sign-up window?
Once an artist presale’s window closes, you can’t join that one. Look for other presales on the tour page, such as venue, card or member windows, and prepare your account for the general on-sale.
Sources
- How Ticket Presales Work, Ticketmaster Blog
- How do I sign up and access tickets through an artist’s presale, Ticketmaster Help
- Where do I get a presale or offer code, Ticketmaster Help
- What is the queue and how do I join, Ticketmaster Help
- Artist presale sign-up, Live Nation Help
- My Live Nation presale, Live Nation Australia
- Presale information, Frontier Touring
- Presale FAQs, Metropolis Touring
- Frequently Asked Questions, Mastercard Priceless
- How to make your World Cup experience scam free, FTC
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