Are presale tickets cheaper?

The short answer

No. For most concerts and sporting events, a presale ticket costs the same face value as the same seat in the general sale. The presale does not change the price. It changes who gets to buy first. What you are paying for is access to inventory before the public, which matters for shows that will sell out and matters very little for shows that will not.

What a presale is

A presale is a sales window that opens before the general public sale. The organizer or promoter decides who is invited: fan club members, newsletter subscribers, a venue's mailing list, a credit card's cardholders, or a radio station's listeners. Each group usually gets a code or a login that unlocks the window. The tickets released during a presale come from the same seat map and the same price tiers as the general sale.

A large tour usually runs its presales across one week, with cardholder and artist presales first, a promoter or venue presale a day or two later, and the general sale on Friday. The exact days differ by tour, so read the announcement. Each presale usually has its own limited allotment, so one window can run out while seats remain for later ones.

Why the price is the same

For standard-priced tickets, the organizer sets the price before any window opens, and it does not depend on which code you used. A section that costs one price on presale Tuesday costs the same on general sale Friday, as long as seats in that section are still available.

There are two ways this can look untrue, and both are worth understanding.

• Some organizers use demand-based pricing, where the listed price of some seats changes with demand during the sale. Those seats can cost more on Friday than on Tuesday, but they can also cost more on Tuesday afternoon than on Tuesday morning. That is demand pricing, not a presale discount.
• Some presales bundle extras, such as a merchandise pack or early entry. The bundle costs more than a plain ticket because it includes more. The plain ticket underneath has the same face value.

What you actually get from a presale

Presale value is seat choice, not a lower price. If a show is going to sell out, the presale is where the best seats at each price tier go. By the general sale, the best seats in each price tier are often gone.

For a show that will not sell out, the presale gives you nothing. The same seats will be there on Friday at the same price, and often for weeks after.

A simple test: check whether the artist's last tour sold out the venue in your city. If it did, use the presale. If it did not, the presale is optional.

Do tickets get more expensive after the presale?

For standard-priced tickets, the organizer's price does not rise after the presale. Seats on demand-based pricing can. What people mostly notice rising is the resale price. Once a show sells out, the only tickets available are ones other fans are reselling, and for a high-demand show those list above face value. That is a resale market effect, not a change to the organizer's price.

The opposite also happens. For a show that did not sell out, resale listings often drop below face value in the final days because sellers would rather recover part of the cost than nothing. Buyers who wait can pay less than the presale buyers did.

Are presale tickets ever discounted?

Occasionally. Smaller venues, festivals and independent promoters sometimes run an early-bird tier where the first batch of tickets is cheaper than later batches. That is a pricing tier with a deadline, and it is labeled as such. If the listing does not say early bird or tiered pricing, assume the presale price is the full price.

How to decide

• The show is likely to sell out and you want a specific section: use the presale.
• The show is unlikely to sell out: wait for the general sale, or watch resale listings closer to the date.
• You only see a premium tier during the presale: wait. Standard tiers are often released later in the sale or held back for the general sale.
• You are offered a code for money: refuse. Codes are distributed free by the organizer, promoter, venue or card issuer.

Frequently asked questions

Is a presale ticket the same seat quality as a general sale ticket?

They come from the same seat map. A presale usually releases only part of the venue, so you may see more or fewer sections than in the general sale.

Can I buy in the presale and then find a cheaper seat in the general sale?

For the same standard-priced section, usually not. The organizer's price is the same. You may see a cheaper tier in the general sale if the organizer releases a lower-priced section then.

Do resale tickets cost more than presale tickets?

For a sold-out show, usually yes. For a show with seats left, resale listings are often at or below face value, especially in the last week.

Why did my presale show only expensive seats?

Organizers sometimes release standard tiers in stages or hold some back for the general sale. Check again on the general sale day before paying for a premium tier.