Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

A new and faster way of buying concert tickets

Kai Ryssdal Jul 22, 2014
HTML EMBED:
COPY

A new and faster way of buying concert tickets

Kai Ryssdal Jul 22, 2014
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Buying concert tickets these days requires a lot of planning and speed.

You have to be on the dot when tickets go on sale, and even if you are, page loading, internet speed and the always-annoying captcha code can slow you down. Marketplace Tech’s Ben Johnson may have a trick up his sleeve to get tickets faster and with less hassle.

Ticketmaster now has an app for buying tickets. Ben says the things that usually make people nervous about ticket buying — like giving out personal information — can be strengths when purchasing through an app.

“It knows your location, it knows your identity and that means you might get tickets faster and score better seats if you use the app,” Johnson says.

Your smartphone can also help you find closer seats even when you’ve already purchased a ticket. iBeacon uses its technology to pinpoint your location using your mobile phone and ticketing apps use this feature to help you move up. Unfortnately if this option doesn’t suit you, there isn’t really an alternative, save for standing in line.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.