We started SeatGeek out of personal frustration. Buying tickets was so consumer-antagonistic that we went to far fewer events than we’d like. Today, millions of fans shop on SeatGeek. We hope that by creating a simple, transparent way to buy tickets we’ve empowered people who would have stayed home to instead get out and see a show or game [1].
Today we’re taking a big, exciting leap towards further democratizing live entertainment: we’re introducing SeatGeek Marketplace, a new way to sell tickets. As a component of Marketplace, we’re also launching peer-to-peer ticket transfer and sales.
Selling on SeatGeek
We set out to create a selling experience as easy as the SeatGeek buying experience. The status quo for mobile ticket selling is a pain; as a result, fans often throw out unused tickets or simply don’t buy them in the first place [2]. For years, we’ve been getting emails from users asking how they can list their tickets on SeatGeek. That feature has been requested more than all other features combined.
Selling on SeatGeek is dead simple – upload your tickets and we take care of the rest. After uploading, we automatically parse the file for all relevant details, such as the event, section, row, etc. We use our valuation engine – the same one that powers Deal Score – to recommend a price that maximizes your expected earnings.
Suppose you bought tickets to see the Raptors play the Clippers this weekend, but your spouse is sick, so the two of you decide to stay home and catch up on Netflix. The money you paid for those tickets is not lost! In 17 seconds you can have them listed on SeatGeek [3].
Sharing & Peer-to-Peer Sales
Rather than selling your Clippers tickets on the Marketplace, suppose you want to give them to a friend. The SeatGeek app now allows you to send tickets to anyone else, right from your phone. Your friend will be able to get into the game with the app – no printing, no meeting in front of the venue.
You also have the option to request money as part of your ticket transfer. In these cases, the recipient won’t be able to access the ticket until they pay you (protection against that friend who keeps telling you she’ll “pay you soon” for a dinner bill from four months ago). Even though money is changing hands, SeatGeek charges no fee for these transfers. You can get the money paid into your bank account or sent to you on Venmo.
Try It Out
Sharing and Peer-to-Peer Sales are available today on our website and iOS app. Marketplace is available on our website today and will be available on iOS & mobile web within the next few days. We are busily working on adding these features to our Android app, and will be rolling out Android support over the next few months.
Get Out There
We believe that experiences – more than physical things – bring happiness to people’s lives; our mission at SeatGeek is to build software that enables that happiness.
We created Marketplace to empower you to have more fun. Getting to a game or show doesn’t have to be a pain, and yet often still is. We hope that by creating a simple, liquid marketplace for tickets, live entertainment becomes a bit more accessible to everyone. We hope you love it.
Notes
[2] By way of analogy, suppose there were no way to resell or give away an iPhone – when you bought a new phone, you simply had to discard the old one. People’s willingness to pay for new iPhones would decrease. I know I’m far more willing to buy products online when it’s free and easy to return whatever I can’t use.
[3] The 17 second datapoint comes from this video, but single digit times should be attainable! Standard marketplace disclaimers apply here: we can’t guarantee your tickets will sell. The ticket resale market is dynamic, so prices may have moved down since your purchase, meaning you only get back a fraction of what you paid (on the other hand, prices may have increased, giving you some extra spending money).