Seats & tickets · Ticket resale glossary
Ticket Transfer
Also known as: Transfer tickets, Send tickets
A ticket transfer moves a ticket from one person's account to another's within the ticketing system, so the new holder gets their own valid ticket in their app.
Transfer is how most mobile tickets change hands, both between friends and after a sale on the secondary ticket market. Some events restrict or disable transfers, or only allow them through official fan-to-fan resale.
Where tickets are named, a transfer or a name change is the only legitimate way to pass a ticket on.
How a ticket transfer works step by step
The sender selects the tickets in their account and enters the recipient's email address or phone number. The recipient accepts and the tickets move to their account; on systems with rotating barcodes, the original barcode is cancelled and a new one is issued. Until the recipient accepts, the sender can usually cancel the transfer.
- Initiate: choose the tickets and the recipient in the app or account.
- Accept: the recipient logs in, or creates an account, and claims the tickets.
- Reissue: the system invalidates the old barcode and issues a new one to the new holder.
- Confirm: both sides see the change in their order history, which serves as proof of delivery.
Transfer rules on different ticketing platforms
Every ticketing system handles transfers differently, and organisers can tighten the rules event by event. Ticketmaster and AXS allow in-app transfers on many events, sometimes only from a set date. DICE locks tickets to the buyer's phone and handles most returns through its own waiting list. On Eventim and See Tickets the options vary by event and country.
Before listing tickets for resale, check whether transfers are enabled, whether they are limited in number, and whether delayed delivery means they only open close to the date.
Example: delivering tickets after a resale
A broker sells two tickets on a resale marketplace for a show where transfers open two weeks before the date. When the window opens, the broker transfers the pair to the email address the marketplace provides for the buyer. The buyer accepts, new barcodes appear in their own app, and the marketplace marks the order as delivered. The payout follows once the event has taken place.
Had the transfer gone to a mistyped address and never been accepted, the broker could cancel and resend it — which is why careful sellers check the transfer status rather than assume delivery.
Transfers, named tickets and official resale
When tickets are named, a plain transfer is often not enough: the ticket has to be re-registered to the new holder, usually for a fee, or resold through the official fan-to-fan resale channel, which reissues it. Where transfers are disabled entirely, official resale becomes the only legitimate way to pass a ticket on, often at a capped price.
What transfer rules say about a resale market
Events with open transfers tend to have active, liquid resale markets with many listings and quick sales velocity. Restricted transfers keep resale volume low and concentrate it on official platforms. On Eventory, the resale tab of an event page shows total tickets sold, sales in the last 24 hours and available tickets, which gives a quick read of how freely tickets for a show are changing hands.
Track it with Eventory
Eventory tracks resale activity per event, which shows you how freely tickets for a show are actually changing hands.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer tickets on Ticketmaster?
Open the order in your Ticketmaster account or app, choose Transfer, select the tickets and enter the recipient's email address or phone number. Once the recipient accepts, the tickets appear in their account with new barcodes. Transfers may be disabled until close to the event.
Can a ticket transfer be cancelled?
Usually yes, as long as the recipient hasn't accepted it yet. Once accepted, the tickets belong to the new account and only the recipient can transfer them on.
Is transferring a ticket the same as reselling it?
No. A transfer only moves the ticket between accounts; any payment happens separately. Selling through a marketplace usually ends with a transfer to the buyer, but organisers can allow free transfers between friends while restricting paid resale.
Why is my ticket not transferable?
The organiser may have disabled transfers to curb resale, the transfer window may not be open yet, or the ticket may be named. In those cases the official resale platform is usually the only way to pass it on.