In today’s fast-paced world, ticket scalping has become a significant issue for many event organizers. Scalpers use sophisticated techniques to grab tickets in bulk, leaving genuine fans empty-handed. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can implement to help ensure your event’s tickets end up in the hands of true enthusiasts rather than opportunistic scalpers.
1. Implement a Verified Fan System
One of the most effective tools in combating scalping is a verified fan system. This can simply be done by reaching out to your email list of purchasers and getting them to complete this step in the process. This approach helps identify and prioritize genuine fans while filtering out scalpers. Fans who are selected in the lottery can then purchase tickets, reducing the chances that they’ll end up on resale sites.
2. Use Unique Access Codes
Another method to thwart scalpers is by distributing unique access codes. Each ticket buyer receives a personalized code that must be used during the purchase process. This code can be tied to the buyer’s identity, making it harder for scalpers to automate bulk purchases.
3. Introduce Ticket Limits
Setting strict ticket limits is a straightforward but effective way to minimize scalping. By capping the number of tickets one person or account can purchase, you make it more challenging for scalpers to acquire large quantities. Ensure that these limits are clearly communicated during the purchase process and enforce them rigorously. This can actually help prevent both ticket scalpers and scammers. Scammers that are using a stolen credit card will not want to waste a purchase by only getting 1-2 tickets but instead they will try to purchase 5-10 tickets all at once.
4. Utilize Secure Payment Systems
Incorporate secure payment systems that include anti-fraud measures. Requiring payment methods that link to the buyer’s identity, such as credit card verification, can help reduce the chance of scalpers using fake or stolen information. Additionally, consider implementing CAPTCHA tests to prevent automated bots from making bulk purchases.
If you are ticketing with us (Afton Tickets) you may either be on your own payment gateway or on ours. We already have the best settings in place to weed out potential scammers and possible scalpers both on our payment gateway and our internal Fraud alerts.
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6. Monitor and Analyze Sales Data
Proactively monitoring sales data can help you identify and address potential scalping issues in real-time. Track patterns such as rapid purchase rates or suspiciously high quantities of tickets bought by a single account. Immediate action, such as canceling orders or implementing additional security measures, can help curb scalping activities. We have found that a lot of scalpers will have multiple transactions in a row buying for the same event. So you can simply look at the purchases tab in your Afton Tickets account and are usually able to see purchases by the same customer.
7. Educate Your Audience
Educate your audience about the risks of buying from resale sites. Inform them about the potential for counterfeit tickets and the importance of purchasing from authorized sellers. Providing clear guidelines on where and how to buy legitimate tickets can help direct genuine fans to the right channels and reduce the demand for scalped tickets.
Our client Livingston Rodeo is a great example of a client that goes above and beyond to help ensure customers don’t buy on another website.
8. Engage with Law Enforcement
In severe cases, collaborating with law enforcement can help tackle ticket scalping. Report suspicious activities and work with authorities to investigate and address illegal scalping operations. While this might not be a solution for every event, it can be a necessary step for large-scale or high-profile events.
What You Can Do
As mentioned in the above ‘Monitor and Analyze Sales Data’ section this is one of the best things you can do because as the event organizer when you catch something that looks suspicious you can make the decision whether you want to: Refund the tickets, block the user, or simply take no action and wait to see if the customer buys more. Where as if Afton sees it we usually will need to reach out to the event organizer to find out how they want to handle the situation.
Another one of the above steps that we wanted to expand on is the ‘Introduce Ticket Limits’ section. This is a very easy step to take right from your event. You can set the purchase limit for the entire event or if you are only worried about higher priced tickets (maybe VIP tickets) then you can only set a purchase limit for that ticket class. We have found that lowering the limit of tickets greatly reduces scammers from purchasing the ticket because often times they do not think it is worth their time to use a stolen credit card for 1-2 tickets.
What Afton Does
As mentioned earlier if you are on Afton’s payment gateway we already have settings in place that are recommend to deny purchases that raise too many flags. However, we also are not so strict that someone that makes a simple mistake when entering in their purchase information will get denied. We have seen a big drop in scammers with the current settings that we have.
We also worked very closely with our DEV team to come up with some custom ‘Fraud Alert Emails’ that are sent straight to our team so we can look into purchases that look suspicious to us. We can then decide if we want to block that customers account from making future purchases or fully black list the customer by locking them out of their account.
Ticket Scalpers – What To Look For
Ticket scalping can be a frustrating challenge for event organizers, but with the right strategies, it’s possible to mitigate its impact. By implementing verified fan systems, using unique access codes, and employing secure payment methods, you can better ensure that your tickets go to genuine fans. Additionally, educating your audience and collaborating with law enforcement when needed can further help in maintaining the integrity of your event’s ticketing process. With these measures in place, you can enhance the overall experience for your true supporters and reduce the grip of scalpers on your event.
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