HOUSTON – As concert venues and events open back up, many people are ready to get back out. But when you buy tickets online, those service fees can really jack up the cost of your seats. Our KPRC 2 consumer team is looking into ways to save money on tickets.
You can probably relate to buying tickets to something and then paying way more when you finally get to the checkout. For example, tickets to a comedy show start at $35 each but once you pay for the $13 service fee and taxes the final bill is over $100! There are a few things you can do to make your bill shrink:
1. Join cash-back rewards program for tickets
Did you know Vivid Seats has a cash-back rewards program? You can get up to 9% cashback when you buy your tickets through the free program. Vivid Seats says you can redeem your cash through the app at any time. You don’t have to wait for it to accrue to a certain amount.
2. Search for other deals
Search for cash-back website deals. The deals site Rakuten can help you earn another 2% back on your entertainment ticket purchase. Rakuten actually automatically gives you money back at over 2,500 stores online. It’s similar to the Ibotta app or browser extension that will also give you cashback on your purchases. With Ibotta, it’s harder to find deals on entertainment tickets. You can stack deals from Rakuten with the Vivid Seats Cashback rewards program. If you sign up for Rakuten using this referral code, you’ll earn $30 and I will too te first time you use the site.
3. Look for no-fee tickets
You can find places that sell tickets with no fees included. The website Tick Pick is a no-fee ticket site that is dedicated to selling tickets without fees. You can also search for coupon codes to take off the fees on popular ticket selling sites. Websites like megaseats.com and seat geek.com help you find active coupon codes to enter during checkout. We also found websites like Fee-free ticket and Tickets for Less both promise no fees.
4. Use credit cards with rewards
Certain reward cards like Capital One’s Savor Rewards offer cashback on entertainment purchases, so make sure you use the card for the best perks for your purchases. American Express has a Blue Cash Preferred card that has entertainment purchase deals.
Of course, you can always save money on those ticket fees by going to the box office in person to buy your tickets instead of purchasing them online. Let us know if you have any other tips for getting deals on entertainment tickets.
