What is StubHub?
StubHub is an online marketplace for buying and selling event tickets. Users can go on the website and sell their pre-purchased tickets to concerts, sports games, theater performances, and other events to people who couldn't buy their tickets directly from the original ticket vendor.
Is StubHub safe to buy and sell tickets on?
StubHub is safe as long as you know how to tell which tickets are legit. Occasionally, unscrupulous sellers who want to make a quick buck create accounts on StubHub to sell fake tickets. If you avoid these listings, your shopping experience on StubHub will be safe and productive. If you do accidentally purchase a fake ticket, StubHub will either help you find replacement tickets to the event (if any are available) or issue a full refund.
Pros of Using StubHub
StubHub gives you a second chance to buy tickets to a sold-out event. Sometimes, for various reasons, people are unable to buy tickets for an event directly from the official vendor before they sold out. StubHub can be an amazing opportunity to get tickets from someone who doesn't want theirs anymore.
StubHub will replace or refund your order if you have any issues. All StubHub tickets come with a FanProtect Guarantee, which is an assurance that if anything goes wrong with your order, StubHub will either help you find comparable tickets or issue you a full refund. StubHub also promises that you'll receive your tickets in time for you to go to the event and that they will grant you admission.
Cons of Using StubHub
You risk purchasing a fake or duplicate ticket from a scammer. StubHub doesn't vet its sellers, so if you're not careful, you could end up buying a fake ticket or one the seller has also listed on another online marketplace. StubHub punishes sellers who sell fake tickets by charging them for the price of the tickets or for the money StubHub had to spend to make the situation right with the customer (whichever is greater). But that still doesn't protect customers from buying fake tickets in the first place or guarantee that the seller will pay StubHub what they owe.
You may not receive your tickets in time for the event after all. Despite the FanProtect Guarantee, there are cases where customers didn't receive the tickets they bought in time due to a problem with the vendor. StubHub allows sellers to sell tickets without proving that they have them in their possession. All they have to say is when they think they'll have them "in-hand." If they never get them, the purchase still goes through.
StubHub may charge you mandatory fees at the last minute. In July 2024, the attorney general in Washington DC filed a lawsuit against StubHub for hiding mandatory fees from customers until they're almost ready to complete their purchase. StubHub also doesn't provide clear information on what these fees are for or how they're calculated.
Tickets to your event could cost thousands of dollars. Some sellers called scalpers purchase tickets to popular events and then turn around and sell them on marketplaces like StubHub. Then they set the price for several times more than they're worth.
How to Safely Buy Tickets on StubHub
Avoid buying tickets for events that haven't officially started selling admissions. Check the event organizer's official website to find out when they plan on releasing tickets. Once they put them up for sale, start looking at StubHub listings for the event on your desired date, time, and location.
Read the seller listing to ensure it's fully detailed. The seller should describe exactly what event the tickets are for, the date it's taking place, and the section, row, and seat numbers.
Check the seat and row numbers on the tickets to verify they're real. Find pictures or diagrams of the seating in the venue you're planning to attend and make sure the seat and row numbers on your tickets match up. If your tickets don't show seat numbers, that's not necessarily a sign you've been scammed. According to Rich Schefter, the CEO of a ticket brokerage firm, ticket sellers have legitimate reasons for not listing seat numbers. Furthermore, if your ticket is General Admission, there won't be a seat number on it at all.
Verify that the date and time on the tickets match your event. Look for the official website of the event you want to attend and check the tour schedule for a stop at the venue, date, and time for which you bought your tickets. If they don't match, you may have bought the wrong ticket or been scammed. Reach out to StubHub to resolve the matter.
How to Sell Tickets on StubHub
Create a StubHub account, click "Sell," and choose your event. After you find the event, select the date. Take care that you find the exact event, date, and time listed on your tickets to avoid buyer confusion.
Select the type of ticket you want to sell. StubHub allows the sale of mobile as well as paper tickets. It's important to select the right one, as that will determine which delivery method you're supposed to use so the buyer will receive their tickets on time. The ticket types you can sell on StubHub include: Mobile Transfer: These are tickets you purchased from another ticket vendor, such as Ticketmaster, and which you'll need to transfer from your account with that vendor to the buyer's email address. Mobile QR: These are scannable mobile tickets that come with an image of a QR code. Buyers can access these and other mobile or digital ticket files through StubHub once their purchase is complete. Barcode: For this type of ticket, StubHub will require you to provide them with the numbers on the barcode of your ticket. You won't have to send the buyer your original tickets. PDF (eTicket): This is a computer file (also accessible on smartphones) that came with your original ticket purchase. Paper: These are tickets printed by the official ticket vendor, wristbands, or tickets printed at your home. They must be mailed directly to the buyer through FedEx. Pickup: These are original, hard tickets (i.e., paper tickets or wristbands) that buyers will pick up at one of StubHub's Last Minute Services locations. You'll need to send StubHub the ticket, so they can have it ready for the buyer to pick up by the day of the event.
Finish uploading the details about your listing and add a valid credit card. Even if you don't want to get paid through a credit card, StubHub requires one to guarantee the purchase on behalf of their customers. You can choose how you want to receive payment in the last step.
Click "Create Listing" and wait for buyers to show interest. StubHub will email you once your listing is officially live and for any other notifications about your listing. Buyers will not be able to contact you directly.
StubHub vs. Ticketmaster: Which one is better?
Ticketmaster is better for verified tickets and approved resales. Ticketmaster is an official ticket vendor and works directly with event organizers. Only certain event organizers allow their tickets to be resold. If you purchased a ticket to an event whose organizer sells through Ticketmaster and they allow resales, you can put yours up for sale and get some if not all of your money back. Like StubHub, Ticketmaster subjects their buyers and sellers to fees. The fee amount is equal to whatever Ticketmaster, the venue, and the artist or promoter agree on.
StubHub is a better option when official tickets are sold out. Because they're a secondhand marketplace and don't sell tickets directly from event organizers, StubHub can offer buyers a wider selection of events and prices to choose from than Ticketmaster. However, there's also a greater risk of buying fake tickets on StubHub than on Ticketmaster.
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