Checklist before buying a ticket online
Before you pay for a ticket online, a few simple checks are enough to rule out most nasty surprises: an imitated site, fees inflated at the end of the journey, a ticket of uncertain origin or vague delivery. This checklist gathers the checks we apply ourselves to every platform. Run it before you confirm your order, whatever the ticketing service. It doesn't replace reading your event's conditions, but it saves you the most common mistakes.
The checks to make before you pay
- 1
Confirm the site and the seller
Make sure you're on the official domain, not a copy. Check the padlock, the exact spelling of the URL and identify who issues the ticket: an official ticketing service or a resale marketplace.
- 2
Read the final price, fees included
Compare the price shown at the start with the total on the summary screen. Service fees must be visible before payment, not revealed at the last second.
- 3
Check the payment method
Prefer a secure payment on the platform. Never pay a seller by direct transfer or off-platform: you'd lose all protection.
- 4
Check the ticket delivery
Spot the format (e-ticket, app, link) and the availability time shown for the event, rather than assuming a timeframe.
- 5
Read the event conditions
Whether it's named, transferable, and the refund policy in case of cancellation: these conditions are specific to each event and prevail over any assumption.
Why this checklist
Most ticketing disputes don't come from a spectacular fraud but from an overlooked detail: a site that looked official, a total that climbed at the end of the funnel, a ticket that turned out to be named and non-transferable, or delivery later than expected. Checking upstream costs two minutes; fixing a problem after the purchase can cost much more. This page exists to turn these habits into a routine.
The trust signals to spot
- An identifiable seller: accessible legal notices, customer service and terms and conditions.
- A clear distinction between official sale and resale.
- A transparent final price, fees included, shown before payment.
- A secure payment on the official domain.
- A described delivery: ticket format and availability time.
- Readable refund terms in case of cancellation.
The warning signs that should stop you
- A price well below market or, conversely, a total that explodes at the end of the journey.
- Artificial pressure: an aggressive countdown, "last seat" repeated at every visit.
- A seller who pushes you to pay off-platform (transfer, external link, private message).
- A dodgy URL or a page that imitates a known brand.
- A vague delivery or a ticket presented as a simple screenshot forwarded to you.
Keep this checklist to hand
You can use this page as a quick reminder before every purchase. For a step-by-step version applied concretely to a ticketing site, follow our dedicated guide: it sets out these checks as five easy steps you can repeat on any platform.
FAQ
- What should I check first before buying a ticket?
- Three checks above all: confirm you're on the official site and identify the seller, read the final price with fees included, and check the secure payment method. Then check the ticket delivery and the conditions specific to the event.
- How do I know if a ticketing site is official?
- Check the exact spelling of the URL, the presence of the padlock, the legal notices and the customer service. Be wary of pages that imitate a known brand, especially if you arrived via an ad or a received link. When in doubt, go through the organiser's official site.
- What are the warning signs of a scam?
- An abnormally low price, a total that explodes at the end of the journey, artificial pressure (a countdown, "last seat"), a seller who pushes you to pay off-platform, a dodgy URL or a vague delivery. A single one of these signals is enough to justify a pause.
- Does this checklist guarantee a risk-free purchase?
- No method removes all risk, but running these checks rules out most nasty surprises. The official channel remains the reference when in doubt, and your event's conditions always prevail over any assumption.