You may only know booking fees as that annoying extra cost right at the end of the booking process, but what exactly is it? Here’s everything you need to know.
You’re at the front of the Ticketmaster queue, the tickets are in your basket and you’ve got your card out ready to enter your details when BAM! You’re slapped with a booking fee and transaction fee that takes your total just a little bit further than you wanted it to go.
We’ve all been there. While booking fees are only a small charge compared to the face value of the ticket, they’re often just inconvenient enough to make you question whether you really need that ticket.
But here at RadioTimes.com, we’re all about giving you tips to help you be able to do the things you love for less. And luckily for us all, there are plenty of ways to reduce booking fees, making ever-rising ticket prices that bit more bearable.
From breaking down the costs of booking fees on different ticketing platforms to giving you our top tips on how to avoid them altogether, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to booking fees. Happy shopping!
What are booking fees?
When a ticket is sold, the face value is split between a range of people who have worked on the show, including the artist, promoter, crew and venue.
A booking fee is an extra charge that’s applied to the cost of your ticket by a ticketing company. The charge is agreed in advance with the event organiser or promoter and covers the administrative costs of processing ticket transactions and reserving spaces.
According to Ticketmaster, the booking fee also goes towards covering things like security technology, website and apps, staffing costs, ticket scanners, box office equipment, officers running cost, customer service and more.
How do booking fees work?
When it comes to booking fees, they’re nice and straightforward to use. Once you select your ticket, the booking fee will be added to the total cost of your order.
Booking fees can take the form of a flat fee, but they can also be calculated as a percentage of your order, or even a combination of both.
Once the customer pays the total amount, including the booking fee, the fee will be distributed to various parties depending on the third party ticketing platform.
How much are booking fees for tickets in the UK?
Booking fees will vary depending on the ticketing platform you decide to use. If your booking fee is calculated as a percentage rather than a flat fee, this will also influence the cost of your booking fee.
Booking fees tend to be agreed upon with the client, usually a venue or event organiser, in advance, which leaves some wiggle room for cost. The charge may also differ depending on the show, due to the varying costs of putting on a show.
Ticketmaster booking fee
Digital Writers Joanna and Laura are very excited to cry their eyes out when seeing Mitski later this year. When they bought their tickets, Ticketmaster charged a total of £7.25 in fees per ticket, which can be broken down into a £2 facility charge and a £5.25 service charge.
Meanwhile, Digital Writer Olivia is heading off to see Busted with a friend. Their tickets were £99, with a £11.90 booking fee and a £2.75 order processing fee.
Check out concerts and events at Ticketmaster
Live Nation booking fee
Say She She concert tickets are now available on Live Nation, with the chance to see the the soulful female trio in either London or Manchester. Tickets are £36.10 all together, which includes a service fee of £2.85, a facility charge of £2 and an order processing fee of £2.75.
Check out concerts and events at Live Nation
See Tickets booking fee
At See Tickets, the booking fee depends on both the popularity of the show and the price of the ticket.
Currently you can purchase tickets for Arthur Miller’s Play A View From The Bridge starring The Crown’s Dominic West from just £27, with a booking fee of £9 included in the price, as well as a £2.75 transaction fee on top.
You can also check out smaller indie bands on See Tickets, like Digital Writer Laura who went to see Spanish group Hinds. Her ticket cost £16 with an additional £2 booking fee and £1 transaction fee.
Check out concerts and events at See Tickets
ATG Tickets booking fee
Theatre shows aren’t immune to booking fees earlier. This RadioTimes.com writer recently bought tickets to see An Enemy of the People starring Matt Smith as well as The Hills of California on ATG Tickets, and was charged a £3.80 booking fee each time.
Check out shows at ATG Tickets
Tips to avoid booking fees
Buy at sites with lower booking fees
Oftentimes, tickets for concerts are available on multiple retailers. As we’ve seen, booking fees can vary greatly from site to site, so if you’ve got the time and aren’t worried that tickets are going to sell out, check out a number of sites to see where you can save on your booking fee.
Visit the physical box office
At this point in time, visiting a physical box office may seem like something out of a movie, but trust us when we say that this is an excellent way to save cash.
If you can get to a physical venue, you’ll have the chance to cut out extra charges like booking fees and service charges.
Opt for e-tickets
E-tickets tend to be the norm when it comes to concert tickets nowadays, but if you still prefer a physical ticket, it’s worth noting that you can save on the booking fee by going digital.
Some ticketing platforms offer a reduced fee for e-tickets compared to physical tickets as there are no mailing costs involved.
Check for promotional codes
Before you hit that all-important purchase button, it’s worth having a look to see if you can find any promo codes, as some platforms will offer these to waive or reduce booking fees.
Social media, email newsletters or discount-sharing websites are some of the top places to find these.
Want some more tips on how to save on you favourite activities? Check out our guides to how to get cheap concert tickets and how to get cheap theatre tickets for all of our best advice.