StubHub vs SeatGeek vs Ticketmaster: how ticket fees really compare

The sticker price on a ticket is rarely what you pay. Service fees, delivery fees, and processing charges can add a meaningful chunk on top — and each platform handles them differently. Here is how to think about fees across the major marketplaces, and how to compare them fairly.

Why the listed price is not the real price

On most resale platforms, the price you first see is the seller's asking price. The platform then adds its own fees at checkout. That is why two listings showing the same number can cost very different amounts once you reach the payment screen. The only reliable way to compare is the all-in price: the total after every fee, shown right before you pay.

How the major platforms approach fees

• StubHub and SeatGeek typically add a buyer service fee calculated as a percentage of the ticket price, plus sometimes a delivery or processing fee. The percentage is usually revealed at or near checkout rather than upfront.
• Ticketmaster charges service and facility fees on primary (face-value) sales, and operates a resale marketplace with its own fee layer. Fees vary widely by venue and event.
• TickPick markets a no-buyer-fee model, meaning the listed price is closer to what you pay. We look at whether that actually works out cheaper in a separate post.
• Vivid Seats, AXS, Gametime, and others each have their own fee schedules, and they shift over time and by event type.

The honest takeaway

There is no single platform that is always cheapest — it depends on the event, the seller, and the fees applied that day. The platform with the lowest listed price often is not the cheapest once fees are added, and a "no-fee" platform is not automatically the best deal if its base prices run higher. The only way to win is to compare the all-in price across platforms for the exact seats you want.

How TixPulse helps

Comparing all-in prices by hand across nine platforms for every event is tedious, which is exactly why most people overpay. TixPulse watches all of them at once and alerts you when the real, all-in price drops to the target you set — so you do not have to refresh nine tabs to catch a good deal.