Managing Your Tickets
Flash Seats® is a full-service electronic ticketing solution. It allows you to buy, sell, or transfer tickets to events. See the following sections for more information:
Note: The ability to buy, sell, or transfer tickets varies by each team or organization that participates in the Flash Seats service. These options may also vary by event.
- Bidding on and Buying Tickets
- Viewing Your Tickets
- Transferring and Receiving Tickets
- Selling Your Tickets
- Converting Your Paper Tickets to Flash Seats
- Viewing Your Sale and Purchase History
- Using Your Tickets at Events
Bidding on and Buying Tickets
Flash Seats allows you to buy tickets to events by either bidding on them or purchasing them immediately. These tickets are listed by team season ticket holders or by other account holders who have tickets to the event. Because the Flash Seats marketplace is endorsed by teams and venues, you can relax knowing the tickets you buy are legitimate so you can enjoy the event. For details on bidding and buying tickets, see the following sections:
- Overview of Bidding on or Buying Tickets through Flash Seats
- Bidding on Tickets (instructions)
- Buying Tickets (instructions)
Overview of Bidding on or Buying Tickets through Flash Seats
Before you bid on or buy tickets on the Flash Seats marketplace, you should become familiar with how the marketplace works:
- Bidding vs. Buying Tickets Now
- Bidding in a Marketplace & Differences from Auction
- Placing Multiple Bids on the Same Event
- Anonymity of Buyers and Sellers
- Buying and Bidding with Credit Cards
Bidding vs. Buying Tickets Now
In Flash Seats, you have the option to bid on tickets or buy them now. If you bid on tickets, the seller must accept your bid in order for you to gain ownership of the tickets. Because a seller can accept ANY bid at ANY time, regardless of whether the bid is the highest or lowest, you may decide to simply buy tickets now. This feature allows you to instantly buy tickets, without waiting for the seller to accept your bid, ensuring you'll get tickets to the event of your choice.
Bidding in a Marketplace & Differences from Auction
Flash Seats is a marketplace, not an auction. The most important differences between a marketplace and an auction are:
- A seller can accept ANY BID at ANY TIME up until the bid expires or is retracted (i.e., sellers can “sell now”)
- A buyer can accept ANY OFFER at ANY TIME until the offer expires or is retracted (i.e., buyers can “buy now”)
- A bid might still be ACCEPTED AFTER A HIGHER COMPETITIVE BID is placed (e.g., in the case where the higher bid expires or fails).
When any of these things happens, the transaction is completed instantly, obligating both parties.
Placing Multiple Bids on the Same Event
In Flash Seats, you can place bids on different sets of tickets for the same event. You should keep in mind that because Flash Seats is a marketplace, not an auction, a seller can accept ANY bid at ANY time. In order to be sure you get the tickets you want for a specific event, we recommend using the Buy Now feature. This feature allows you to instantly buy tickets and have them put into your Flash Seats account, ensuring you'll be able to go to the event of your choice.
If you'd still like to bid on tickets instead of buying them now, you should ensure that your BidSafe� option is turned ON. When BidSafe is turned on, you can bid on different sets of tickets for the same event knowing that only one of your bids can be accepted. All your other bids for the event will be automatically retracted when any of your bids is accepted and your payment is processed.
For those rare customers who wish to potentially win multiple bids for an event, BidSafe can be turned off. Simply click Account, click Options, and then deselect the Activate BidSafe checkbox.
Caution! When you deactivate BidSafe and you bid on multiple sets of tickets for an event, your bids may result in multiple ticket purchases for which you are responsible for payment in full.
Anonymity of Buyers and Sellers
In Flash Seats, buyers and sellers are anonymous. This ensures that each account holder's identity is protected. Because buyers and sellers are anonymous, you can't contact any buyer or seller directly.
Buying and Bidding with Credit Cards
In Flash Seats, when you buy tickets or your bid is accepted, the tickets are automatically and instantly sold to you. Because you are immediately obligated to pay the ticket price, you need to enter your credit card information in order to bid on or buy tickets.
Note: You cannot use gift cards issued by banks or credit card companies to purchase seats on the Flash Seats system.
Bidding on Tickets
If you choose to bid on tickets, keep in mind that a bid is a commitment to buy a ticket at the price that you offer. If a seller chooses and accepts your bid, the Flash Seats system will automatically process the sale for the bid you placed with the credit card you specified.
- Finding Events to Bid on
- Placing a Bid
- Viewing Your Bids
- Modifying Bids
- Retracting Bids
Finding Events to Bid On
To find events you want to bid on, you'll go to the Buy page.
To find events to bid on:
- Click Buy at the top of the page. The Teams and Venues page appears.
- Click the team or venue for which you want to find events. The List of Events page appears.
- Find the event for which you want to bid on tickets. If there are more events than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the top and bottom of the page to scroll through the event list.
Note: To change the team or venue at any time, choose one from the Show Tickets For drop-down at the top of the page.
- Event: a description of the event such as Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids
- Venue: the name of the Flash Seats-enabled location where the event is being held
- Location: the city and state where the venue is located
- Event Date: the day of the week and calendar date (month, day, and year) on which the event is taking place
- Event Start Time: the hour, including the time zone, when the event will begin
- Gates/Doors Open: the hour, including the time zone, when the gates and doors of the venue will be open for ticket holders
- Tickets for Sale: the number of tickets currently for sale for the event you selected (appears if you're logged in)
- Ask Range: the dollar range of prices that sellers are asking for tickets to the event you selected
- Bid Range: the dollar range of bids that other Flash Seats account holders have offered for tickets to the event
- BidSafe: shows whether you have BidSafe turned on (appears if you're logged in)
- My Bids: shows the number of bids you have on tickets for the event you're viewing (appears if you're logged in)
Note: Sellers have the option to add notes to their listings describing the seats. If you see an icon in the Notes column for a specific listing, you can move your mouse over it to see the seller's description.
Note: Click the map of the venue to see the location of sections.
For details on how to place a bid, see the next section. If you want to buy tickets right away, click the Buy Now button.
Placing a Bid
If an event has tickets available for sale, you will see two buttons in the Action column: Buy Now and Place Bid. Clicking the Buy Now button allows you to buy the tickets immediately. Clicking the Place Bid button allows you to place a bid on the tickets.
When placing a bid, please keep in mind that Flash Seats is a marketplace, not an auction. The most important differences between a marketplace and an auction are:
- A seller can accept ANY BID at ANY TIME up until the bid expires or is retracted (i.e., sellers can “sell now”)
- A buyer can accept ANY OFFER at ANY TIME until the offer expires or is retracted (i.e., buyers can “buy now”)
- A bid might still be ACCEPTED AFTER A HIGHER COMPETITIVE BID is placed (e.g., in the case where the higher bid expires or fails)
When any of these things happens, the transaction is completed instantly, obligating both parties.
To place a bid on tickets:
- Click the Place Bid button.
- Review the event information to be sure you're looking at the event for which you want to bid on tickets.
- Complete the following information for the bid:
- How many tickets would you like? Choose the number of tickets you want to bid on. You may be limited on how many tickets you can choose here because of seller-defined preferences.
- How much would you like to bid per ticket? Enter the dollar amount you want to offer per ticket. The amount you enter must be less than the Ask Price.
Note: If you simply want to purchase the tickets for the Ask Price, click the Back button on your Internet browser, and then click the Buy Now button.
Important! When setting the expiration time for your bid, consider by what day and time you need to know if your bid is accepted. Because sellers can set their listings to expire at any time, even right before the event, and because they can accept any bid they choose, even if it's not the highest, your bid could be accepted at a time that is very close to the start of the event, depending on when you set your bid to expire. Once your bid is accepted by a seller, you are obligated to pay the bid price you agreed to, regardless of when your bid is accepted. To ensure that you are notified in enough time to attend the event, set a bid expiration that makes sense for you. In addition, if you have placed a bid on an event, be sure to check your email frequently because you will be notified via email if your bid is accepted.
Note: You can only use your Account Balance if the total sale price is less than the dollar amount you currently have in your Account Balance. You can't split payments between your Account Balance and a credit card.
Note: You cannot use gift cards issued by banks or credit card companies to purchase seats on the Flash Seats system.
- Price Per Ticket: the U.S. dollar amount you bid per ticket.
- Quantity: the total amount of tickets in your bid.
- SubTotal: the subtotal of your purchase (number of tickets x price per ticket).
- Buyer Connection Fee: you are charged a connection fee, which is a service fee based on the purchase price. You'll pay the connection fee if your bid is accepted by the seller.
- Sales Tax: in some states, you will be charged a sales tax on your purchase or on the fees you're charged. Sales tax is displayed only if applicable to the venue.
- Total: the total amount of the purchase (subtotal + connection fee).
- Pay Using: the payment method you selected (credit card or Flash Seats Account Balance).
- Your bid will expire on: the date and time your bid expires.
- You will be notified of activity via email: indicates if you will be notified by email of new bids. If you chose to not be notified, it says No notification by email.
Viewing Your Bids
The Your Bids page allows you to view the bids that you've placed on tickets and bids placed on tickets you're selling. To access the Bids page, click Bids.
The Show Events for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Bids page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see bid information for the team or venue you selected.
The Show drop-down at the top of the Your Bids page allows you to select which bids you want to view. You can choose one of the following options:
- Bid activity: shows all your bid activity, including bids you’ve made on tickets for sale and bids you’ve received for your listings. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- All active bids: shows all the bids you’ve placed for tickets that are still listed.
- Active bids for listings modified: shows listings you've bid on that have been changed (e.g., ask price or quantity has changed) in the time frame you select. You can choose the time frame from the options provided.
- Active bids that expire: shows your current bids that will expire in the time frame you choose. You can choose the time frame from the options provided.
- Active bids on listings with higher bids: shows events that you have current bids on that another Flash Seats account holder has made a higher bid on.
- Active bids on listings with new bids: shows events that you have current bids on that another Flash Seats account holder has made a newer bid on.
- All closed bids: shows events that you have bid on in the past that have either been sold to someone else or retracted by the seller. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Bids where payment failed: shows bids that couldn't be processed because the payment failed. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Bids on listings sold out: shows bids where all the tickets for the listing sold out. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Bids on listings expired or retracted: shows any bids you placed that have expired or you've retracted. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Bids that are no longer valid: shows bids that aren't valid because of a change to the original listing. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
Once you’ve selected which bids you want to view, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the seats:
- Event Information: the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place (the day, the date, and the time), and the section and row for the seats. For more details on the event, click the name of the event.
- Bid Status: the current status of the bid. The possible statuses are Expired (the bid expired based on the expiration date you set), Retracted (you removed the bid), Bought (you purchased the tickets through your bid), Failed (the credit card you bid with failed to process), and Active (the bid is still valid). If your bid has a status of Active, it shows when your bid will expire.
- Bid Qty: the number of tickets you bid on.
- Ask Price: the price the seller is asking for the tickets. If your bid is Active, this column also includes a Buy Now button, which you can click if you want to buy the tickets now at the listed Ask Price.
- Bid Price: the price you offered for the tickets. Below the price, it shows you how many bids are higher and lower than yours for the same tickets.
- Listing Expires In: shows you when the listing for the tickets expires. You have until that time to modify your bid.
- Action: this column allows you to modify your bid or retract your bid.
If you have more bids than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Modifying Bids
If you’ve already bid on tickets, you can modify your bid at any time as long as the seller is still listing the tickets for sale. You may want to change your bid for a variety of reasons--for example, you want to place a higher bid to beat another person’s bid (although the seller does not have to accept the highest bid) or you may want to change the number of tickets you’re bidding on.
To modify your bid:
- Click Bids.
- On the Your Bids page, find the bid you want to modify.
- In the Action column, click the Modify Bid button. A page appears showing the details of the event and your bid.
- Make changes to any of the following information:
- How many tickets would you like?
- How much would you like to bid per seat? (Note: at the bottom of the page, you can view Current Bids to see what other people have bid on the same tickets).
- How long is your bid good?
- Would you like to be notified of bid activity via email?
- How would you like to pay for your tickets?
- When you’ve made all your changes, click the Preview Bid button. A page appears, showing you the details of the event and your bid.
- To confirm the changes to your bid, click the Confirm Bid button. A page appears, notifying you that your bid was successfully changed.
Retracting Bids
The Your Bids page allows you to remove a bid you’ve placed for tickets.
To retract a bid:
- Click Bids.
- Find the bid you want to retract.
- In the Action column, click the Retract Bid button. A page appears showing the details of the event.
- Click the Yes, retract now button. Your bid is no longer active for those tickets.
Buying Tickets
Buying tickets through Flash Seats is the surest way to know you're getting the best tickets available. Since season ticket holders sell their tickets on Flash Seats, you know that you're getting legitimate, great seats. See the following sections for more details on buying tickets:
- Fees for Buying Tickets
- Buying Tickets After You've Placed a Bid on Them
- Buying Tickets with No Bid on Them
- Canceling or Refunding a Ticket Purchase
Fees for Buying Tickets
Fees to buy event tickets on Flash Seats vary by each team or venue and by event.
Buying Tickets After You've Placed a Bid on Them
If you've already placed a bid on tickets but decide you don't want to wait for the seller to accept your bid, you can buy them now. When you purchase the tickets, your bid is cancelled, and the bidding process ends.
To buy tickets now:
- Click Bids.
- Find the tickets you want to buy on the Your Bids page.
- In the Ask Price column, click the Buy Now button. A page appears showing the details of the event. It also shows the price per ticket (based on the seller's Ask Price) you'll pay to purchase the tickets. The price you'll pay is whatever the seller's Ask Price is.
Note: The Ask Price doesn't include the connection fee, which is a service fee that is charged based on the purchase price. Before you confirm payment, you'll have a chance to review the connection fee.
Buying Tickets With No Bid on Them
You don't have to place a bid on tickets in order to buy them; you can choose to buy them immediately.
To buy tickets now:
- Click Buy at the top of the page. The Teams and Venues page appears.
- Click the team or venue for which you want to find events. The List of Events appears.
- Find the tickets you want to purchase.
- In the Action column, click the Buy Now button. A page appears showing details of the event. It also shows the price per ticket you'll pay to purchase the tickets. The price you'll pay is whatever the seller's Ask Price is.
Note: The Ask Price doesn't include the connection fee, which is a service fee charged based on the purchase price. Before you confirm payment, you'll have a chance to review the connection fee.
Note: When available, Flash Seats provides you with an alternative choice of tickets available for purchase within the same section. These tickets are typically priced higher and located in rows ahead of your original selection. Click the would you like to move ahead? link to view the alternative tickets choices.
Note: You can only use your Account Balance if the total sale price is less than the dollar amount in your Account Balance. You cannot split payments between your Account Balance and your credit card.
Note: You cannot use gift cards issued by banks or credit card companies to purchase seats on the Flash Seats system.
Canceling or Refunding a Ticket Purchase
You cannot cancel any transaction once it has been completed. There are no refunds unless an event is canceled and not rescheduled. In the case of a weather-related cancellation, face value, which may not be the actual amount paid for the seats, will be refunded to the owner of the seat (the person who currently has possession of the seats).
Viewing Your Tickets
The Your Tickets page shows you the tickets you currently have in your Flash Seats account. To access the Tickets page, click Tickets.
Note: At the top of the Your Tickets page, you have the option to Convert Paper Tickets to Flash Seats. For details, go to Converting Your Paper Tickets to Flash Seats. To see which venues support paper ticket conversion, click the list of venues link.
The Show Events for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Tickets page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see ticket information for the team or venue you selected.
The Show drop-down at the top of the page allow you to select which tickets you want to view. You can choose one of the following options:
- Tickets to upcoming events: shows tickets you have for upcoming events. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Tickets to past events: shows tickets you had, including tickets you used and ones you didn't use, for events in the past. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Used tickets for past events: shows tickets you�ve used for past events. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Unused tickets for past events: shows tickets you had for events that you didn�t use. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
Once you�ve selected which tickets you want to view, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the tickets:
- Event Information: lists the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place--the day, the date, and the time.
- Qty: the number of tickets you have for the event.
- Tickets: details where your seats are located in the venue, including the Section, Row, and Seat Numbers. If you are viewing an upcoming event, the Action column shows you the options you have for your tickets�you can list them for sale or transfer them to another person.
If you have more tickets than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Note: At any time, you can view your event information as a buyer. For more information on this feature, go to Viewing Your Listings as a Buyer.
Transferring and Receiving Tickets
Flash Seats allows you to electronically transfer tickets to other account holders. You can also receive tickets from another account holder in a transfer. See the following sections for details:
- Overview of Transfer Process
- Transferring Tickets
- Receiving Transfers
- Canceling Transfers
- Viewing Transfers
Overview of Transfer Process
To transfer tickets to other people, such as family, friends, or colleagues, you just need their email address. To receive a transfer, you don't need to do anything once you've set up your Flash Seats account, as long as the tickets are sent to the email address associated with your Flash Seats account--the tickets are automatically placed into your account.
Transfer Fees
Fees for transfers to and from other account holders vary by each team or venue and by event.
Transfer Notification
Because Flash Seats is an entirely electronic ticketing system, you'll receive any notification of transfers from or to you via email. Because of this, you should make sure the email address associated with your Flash Seats account is one that you check on a regular basis. When you have a transfer pending, make sure to check your email frequently.
Transferring Tickets
You have the option to transfer tickets to anyone with an email address—they don’t need to be a current Flash Seats account holder for you to transfer them tickets. To take possession of the tickets, they need to register as a Flash Seats account holder. Once you’ve transferred tickets to another person, you no longer have access or any rights to the tickets. See the following sections for details on transferring.
- Transferring Tickets for One Event
- Transferring Tickets for Multiple Events
- Transferring Tickets to People without Computers or IDs
- Transferring Parking
Transferring Tickets for One Event
The process to transfer tickets for one event is simple.
To transfer tickets for one event:
- Click Tickets.
- On the Your Tickets page, find the tickets you want to transfer.
- In the Action column, click the Transfer button. A page appears showing the details of the event.
- In the Which tickets do you want to transfer section, click each of the tickets you want to transfer. If you want to transfer all your tickets, click the select all link.
- If you have parking for the event for which you're transferring tickets, you can transfer parking along with your tickets. In the Would you like to transfer parking for this event section, choose which parking rights you want to transfer. You can choose multiple parking rights if you have them available.
- In the To whom do you want to transfer these tickets section, enter the following information for the person you want to send the tickets to: Note: If you've transferred tickets in the past, a drop-down appears with the names of people you have transferred tickets to. To transfer to someone in the list again, choose the person. The form is automatically completed with the person's information.
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email
- Re-enter Email
- Message to Recipient: If you'd like to include a message in the email that is sent to the person you're transferring tickets to, enter it here.
- Recipient's Phone Number: You can enter a phone number where Flash Seats can reach the person to whom you're transferring tickets. Flash Seats may contact the person if he or she doesn't claim the tickets you sent.
- After you enter the necessary information, click the Preview ‘Flash Transfer’ button. A page appears, summarizing the details of the event and to whom you’re transferring the tickets.
- Click the Confirm Transfer button. A page appears, telling you the tickets have been transferred. From this page, you can view the status of the transfer or view the invoice (details of the transaction) for the transfer. You’ll also receive an email confirming the transfer as will the person who the tickets are transferred to.
For details on how the person you transferred tickets to can pick them up, see the Receiving Transfers section.
Transferring Tickets for Multiple Events
If you have tickets to multiple events and want to transfer them to the same person, you can do this through the Tickets page.
To transfer tickets for multiple events:
- Click Tickets.
- On the Your Tickets page, find the tickets you want to transfer.
- In the Action column, click the Transfer button. A page appears showing the details of the event. At the bottom of the Which tickets do you want to transfer section, the following note appears: If you would like to transfer these seats to the same person for multiple events with a Multi-Transfer button next to it.
- In the note, click the Multi-Transfer button. A page appears, listing all of the events and seats you currently have in your account.
- In the Which tickets do you want to transfer section, click each of the seats you want to transfer.
- In the To whom do you want to transfer these tickets section, enter the following information for the person you want to send the seats to: Note: If you've transferred tickets in the past, a drop-down appears with the names of people you have transferred tickets to. To transfer to someone in the list again, choose the person. The form is automatically completed with the person's information.
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email
- Re-enter Email
- Message to Recipient: If you'd like to include a message in the email that is sent to the person you're transferring tickets to, enter it here.
- Recipient's Phone Number: You can enter a phone number where Flash Seats can reach the person to whom you're transferring tickets. Flash Seats may contact the person if he or she doesn't claim the tickets you sent.
- After you enter the necessary information, click the Preview ‘Flash Transfer’ button. A page appears, summarizing the details of the event and to whom you’re transferring the seats.
- Click the Confirm Transfer button. A page appears, telling you the tickets have been transferred. From this page, you can view the status of the transfer or view the invoice (details of the transaction) for the transfer. You’ll also receive an email confirming the transfer as will the person who received the transfer.
For details on how the person you transferred tickets to can pick them up, see the Receiving Transfers section.
Transferring Tickets to People without Computers or Valid IDs
To transfer seats to someone who does not have an email address or ID, contact Flash Seats Customer Service at customerservice@flashseats.com to see if that option is available.
Transferring Parking
Receiving Transfers
If you've been transferred tickets and you already have a Flash Seats account set up, the tickets are automatically placed into your account, as long as they are transferred to your Flash Seats account email address, with no action required from you. If you don't have an account, you'll be notified that tickets have been transferred to you. In order to pick them up, you'll need to register with Flash Seats, and then the tickets will be placed into your account.
Canceling Transfers
The ability to cancel a transfer depends on whether the people you're transferring to already have a Flash Seats account. If they already have an account, the seats are transferred instantaneously to their account, so you cannot cancel a transfer once you've initiated it. If the people you're transferring to do not have a Flash Seats account and do not pick up the tickets you've transferred, you can cancel a transfer.
To cancel a transfer:
- Click Transfers.
- Find the transfer you initiated and want to cancel.
- In the Transfer Status column, click the Recall button. The Event Information page appears.
- Click the Yes, recall tickets now button. The tickets are now recalled and back in your Flash Seats account.
Viewing Transfers
You can view transfers you've initiated and transfers you've received on the Your Transfers page. To access the Transfers page, click FlashBoard, and then click Transfers.
The Show Events for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Transfers page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see transfer information for the team or venue you selected.
The Show drop-down at the top of the Your Transfers page allows you to select which of your transfers you want to view. You can choose one of the following options:
- All transfers: all transfers you’ve initiated and received.
- Transfers completed: tickets you have successfully transferred to another person. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Transfers from you: tickets you have transferred to another person. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Waiting for pickup: transfers you've initiated that are not yet complete because the person you've transferred tickets to has not yet set up a Flash Seats account.
- Transfers to you: tickets that have been transferred to your account. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Transfers you recalled: tickets that you transferred to another person but later recalled. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
Once you’ve selected which transfers you want to view, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the seats:
- Event Information: lists the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place (the day, the date, and the time), and the section and row for the seats.
- Qty: the number of tickets you sent or received in the transfer.
- Seats: the seat numbers for the tickets you sent or received.
- Transfer To/From: the name and email address of the person you sent tickets to or received tickets from.
- Transfer Fee: any fees charged to you for the transfer.
- Transfer Status: the status and date of the transfer.
If you have more transfers than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Selling Your Tickets
Flash Seats allows you to sell any tickets you can't use on its marketplace. It's the best spot to sell your tickets because it's endorsed by the team or venue, and fans know it's the place to find great seats. See the following sections for details:
- Overview of Selling Process
- Listing Tickets for Sale
- Viewing Listings and Bids on Listings
- Accepting a Bid
- Modifying Listings
- Retracting Tickets for Sale
Overview of Selling Process
Before listing your seats for sale on Flash Seats, you should become familiar with how selling works in the Flash Seats system:
- Bidding Process and Selling Tickets Now
- Bidding in Marketplace & Differences from Auction
- Anonymity of Buyers and Sellers
- Bidding with Credit Cards
- Selling Fees
Bidding Process and Selling Tickets Now
In Flash Seats, when you list tickets for sale, buyers have the option to bid on them or buy the tickets immediately. If buyers are placing bids, you'll need to monitor them and accept a bid by selling tickets now. Flash Seats is not an auction site, so your tickets don't automatically go to the highest bidder; you have to accept a bid in order to sell your tickets. As soon as you accept a bid, the transaction is completed and the buyer is charged. Any money from a ticket sale is placed into your Flash Seats account account balance.
You have the option, though, to set up your listings to automatically sell tickets if you receive a bid at a specific price that you define. This Auto-Sell feature is available in the several days leading up to an event. When an Auto-Sell transaction occurs, both the buyer and seller is notified via email, and all other bids on the tickets that sold are closed. For more information on setting up Auto-Sell, go to Listings Tickets for Sale.
Bidding in Marketplace & Differences from Auction
Flash Seats is a market, not an auction. The most important differences between a market and an auction are:
- A seller can accept ANY BID at ANY TIME up until the bid expires or is retracted (i.e., sellers can “sell now”)
- A buyer can accept ANY OFFER at ANY TIME until the offer expires or is retracted (i.e., buyers can “buy now”)
- A bid might still be ACCEPTED AFTER A HIGHER COMPETITIVE BID is placed (e.g., in the case where the higher bid expires or fails to process).
When any of these things happens, the transaction is completed instantly, obligating both parties.
Anonymity of Buyers and Sellers
In Flash Seats, buyers and sellers are anonymous. This ensures that each account holder's identity is protected. Because buyers and sellers are anonymous, you can't contact any buyer or seller directly.
Bidding with Credit Cards
In Flash Seats, when buyers purchase tickets or you accept a bid on your tickets, the tickets are automatically and instantly sold to the buyer. Keep in mind, though, that just because you accept a bid doesn't mean the transaction will automatically go through. Flash Seats will process the transaction, but it's possible that a buyer's credit card could be denied; if this happens, you can accept another bid to sell your tickets. While a sale is pending, be sure to check your email often because you'll be notified if a sale doesn't go through.
Selling Fees
Fees to sell event tickets on Flash Seats vary by each team or venue and by event.
Listing Tickets for Sale
When you list tickets for sale, you make selections about which tickets you want to sell, the asking price for each seat, whether you’re willing to split up the tickets during the sale, when you want your listing to expire, and whether you want to be notified when bids are made on your tickets. Once you list your tickets, you can also promote your ticket listings through social media or view your listing as a buyer.
When determining whether you're going to sell tickets or not, consider the following factors:
- What are the current and recent market prices for similar tickets?
- What was the original face value of the tickets?
- How many other tickets are available in the marketplace?
- What is the minimum amount that you're willing to accept for the tickets?
- How quickly do you want to sell them?
- How many days until the event?
- Is the popularity of the event increasing or decreasing?
Remember that if you place tickets for sale and they are purchased, the sale is final and you may not change your mind. If you place tickets for sale and change your mind before your tickets have been purchased, you may retract your offer to sell.
To list tickets for sale:
- Click Tickets.
- Find the event for which you want to sell your tickets.
- Click the Sell button. The Event Information page appears, showing you the following information about the event:
- Event: a description of the event such as Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz
- Venue: the name of the Flash Seats-enabled location where the event is being held
- Location: the city and state where the venue is located
- Event Date: the day of the week and calendar date (month, day, and year) on which the event is taking place
- Event Start Time: the hour, including the time zone, when the event begins
- Gates/Doors Open: the hour, including the time zone, when the gates and doors of the venue are open for ticket holders
- Section: the section where your seat is located
- Row: the row where your seat is located
- Seat Numbers: the numbers of your seats
- Number of Seats Available: the number of seats you can sell
- Make the following choices for the tickets:
- Which seats do you want to sell? Click the seat number for each seat you want to sell. The seat numbers you select must be consecutive. To sell all your seats, click the select all link.
- What is your asking price per ticket? Enter the U.S. dollar amount you want to ask for each ticket. This price is what a buyer will have to pay to use the Buy Now feature.
Note: To get the most value for your tickets, teams or venues may set a parameter that allows you to only list your tickets for a certain percentage of the face value. If this parameter is enabled, you will have to list your tickets for a certain minimum or maximum. If you try to list your tickets for sale outside the allowable range, you will receive an error message and have to fix the listing price before you can list your tickets for sale. You still have the option to accept any bid you want for your tickets.
Note: A seller connection fee may be charged to you when your offer to sell your ticket(s) is accepted. You may also be charged a ticket conversion fee, if you've converted your tickets from paper tickets to Flash Seats tickets. This fee may be charged when you sell your converted tickets.
- Sell any number of tickets. (Choose this option when listing a single ticket.) The buyer can purchase as few as one of the seats you have for sale, all of them, or any combination of seats.
- Sell all tickets together. Do not split the group. The buyer can only purchase the entire group of seats you have for sale.
- Sell only even number of seats. (i.e., 2, 4, 6, etc.) The buyer can only purchase seats in groups of even numbers.
- Sell at least x tickets at a time until there are less than that number remaining. Then sell remaining tickets. Choose the number of tickets you to sell together. The buyer can only buy tickets in groups of the number you choose, unless there are less than that number available.
For details on how to accept a bid and sell your tickets, see the Accepting a Bid section. For details on promoting your listings, see the next section. For details on viewing your listings as a buyer, see the Viewing Your Listings as a Buyer section.
Promoting Your Listings with Social Media Links
Flash Seats gives you the ability to create links to your listings that you can share online with friends, family, and colleagues through sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Creating Links
The instructions below are general steps required to post links to your ticket listings. The specific steps you need to take may vary based on the site to which you are posting the link.
To create links:
On the Tickets Now Listed for Sale confirmation page, click the icon of the site on which you'd like to share a link to your ticket listing. The Flash Seats site opens a new browser page where you can define the text you want to include with your link.
Note: In order to share a link on a site, you must be a member of the site, and you must log into the site in order to actually post the link.
Important! Do not change the URL associated with your listings.
Emailing Links
Flash Seats also gives you the ability to email a link to your ticket listing page directly to an email recipient.
To create email links:
- On the Tickets Now Listed for Sale confirmation page, click More and then click Email.
- Complete the form, including your email address, the recipient's email address, and the text of the email.
- Click Send. The email is sent to the recipient with the link to your ticket listings included.
Preferred Seller page
When you create promotional links to your ticket listings and people click on the link, Flash Seats redirects people to your preferred Flash Seats seller page. This page shows all your tickets listings at the top and listings from other Flash Seats sellers for the same event. For more information, go to Promoting Your Listings with Social Media Links.
Viewing Your Listings as a Buyer
When selling tickets, you may want to view your event details as a buyer will see them.
- Click Listings and find the listing that you want to view as a buyer.
- In the Event Information column, click the linked event name. The Event Information page appears.
- Next to the Event Information text at the top of the table, click the Switch to Buyer View link. The page now appears with the information buyers see when they find your listing.
Note: To switch back to the seller view, click the Switch to Seller View link next to the Event Information text at the top of the table.
Viewing Listings and Bids on Listings
The Your Listings page allows you to view tickets you currently have for sale. To access the Listings page, click Listings.
The Show Listings for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Listings page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see listing information for the team or venue you selected.
The Show drop-down at the top of the Your Listings page allows you to select which of your listings you want to view. You can choose one of the following options:
- Listings activity: all listings associated with your account. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- All active listings: your listings for events in the future that have not expired yet.
- Active listings with no bids: your listings for events in the future that currently have no bids.
- Active listings with new bids: your listings for events in the future that have had new bids placed in the time frame you choose. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Listings that expire: listings that will expire in one of the following time frames, which you choose from the drop-down: within the next day or within the next week.
- Closed listings: listings that were closed because you sold the tickets (some or all of them), the listing expired, or you retracted the listing. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Listings closed with tickets remaining: listings that were closed because you sold tickets, the listing expired, or you retracted the listing. While you sold some number of tickets, some tickets still remain. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Listings where tickets sold out: listings where you sold all the tickets to the event. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
- Listings expired with tickets remaining: listings that expired before all the tickets were sold. You can choose the time frame you want to view from the options provided.
Once you’ve selected which listings you want to view, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the seats:
- Event Information: the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place (the day, the date, and the time), and the section and row for the seats. For more details on the event, click the name of the event.
- Listing Status: the status of the listing. If your listing has a status of Active, it shows when your listing will expire. You have until that time to modify your listing or accept bids.
- Qty: the number of tickets still available for sale and how many have been sold.
- Ask Price: the price you’re asking for the tickets.
If the listing is still active and has bids, you also see the following information:
- Highest Bid Price: the highest price that has been bid per seat. Below the price, there is a Sell Now button, which allows you to sell your tickets to the highest bidder now.
- Next Bid Expires in: shows when the bid expires.
- Action: this column allows you to modify or retract your listing.
If you have more tickets than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Accepting a Bid (Selling Tickets Now)
If you’ve placed tickets for sale and want to sell them to a bidder, you can do this on the Listings page. When you sell the tickets, you will no longer have any rights to the tickets; they will then belong to the buyer.
To sell tickets now:
- Click Listings.
- On the Your Listings page, find the tickets you want to sell.
- In the Highest Bid Price column, click the Sell Now button. A page appears showing the details of the event. It also shows you the Date of Bid, the Bid Expiration, and the Quantity you’re selling.
- To proceed with the sale, click the Confirm Sell Now button. A page appears, confirming your sale.
Note: Just because you accept a bid, it doesn't mean the sale will automatically go through. Flash Seats will process the transaction, but it's possible that a buyer's credit card could be denied; if this happens, you can accept another bid to sell your tickets. While a sale is pending, be sure to check your email often because you'll be notified if a sale doesn't go through.
Modifying Listings
You can modify a listing at any time as long as it is still active. You may want to change your listing for a variety of reasons--for example, to change your ask price or when your listing expires.
To modify a listing:
- Click Listings.
- On the Your Listings page, find the listing you want to modify.
- In the Action column, click the Modify button. A page appears showing the details of the event and your sale listing.
- Make changes to any of the following information:
- Asking price
- How this group of tickets can be split for sale
- When you want your listing to expire
- How you would like to be notified on bid activity
- When you’ve made all your changes, click the Preview Offer button. A page appears, showing you the details of the event and your offer.
- To confirm the changes to your listing, click the Confirm Offer button. A page appears, confirming your tickets are listed for sale.
Retracting Tickets for Sale
If you’ve listed tickets for sale, and you want to remove the listing from the Flash Seats site, you need to retract the tickets.
To retract tickets for sale:
- Click Listings.
- Find the listing you want to retract.
- In the Action column, click the Retract button. A page appears showing the details of the event.
- Click the Yes, Retract Now button. A message appears confirming the removal of your tickets.
Converting Your Paper Tickets to Flash Seats
You have the option to convert your paper tickets to Flash Seats tickets, if the venue allows it. Once you convert your paper tickets to Flash Seats, you can take advantage of all the benefits of the Flash Seats system by managing your tickets online through Flash Seats. Before performing a conversion, you should be sure you want to convert your paper tickets because you cannot undo the conversion. You should also be aware of the following before you convert:
- Once you convert your paper tickets, you paper tickets are void and no longer usable.
- The tickets you convert will only be available in Flash Seats.
- Any stored cash value associated with paper tickets is carried over to Flash Seats.
- Your Flash Seats tickets are associated with a registered electronic ID, which will get you into your event. Be sure to add a registered ID to make sure you can enter your events with no problems.
- Be sure you have your paper tickets with you. You will need to enter information from them to convert them to Flash Seats tickets.
- Log into Flash Seats, and click Tickets.
Note: To see which venues support paper ticket conversion, click the list of venues link.
- Venue: choose the venue.
- Barcode#: enter the barcode from the paper ticket you're converting.
- Section: if you chose Assigned Seats, enter the section for the paper ticket you're converting.
- Row: if you chose Assigned Seats, enter the row for the paper ticket you're converting.
- If ticket is valid for conversion, a green check mark and a green i icon appear next to the ticket details. Mouse-over the green icon for venue information.
- If the ticket is not valid for conversion, a red X appears next to the ticket details. Mouse-over the X icon to see why your ticket isn't eligible for conversion.
Once your tickets are converted, you can do the following from the Conversion Confirmation page:
- Click the green i icon next to any of the seats you converted to view information about the event.
- Click the Manage Your ID button page to go to the Identification Information page to register an electronic ID, which you'll use to enter events with your Flash Seats digital tickets.
- Click the Manage Your Tickets button to go to the Your Tickets page. Your recently converted tickets are listed on this page.
Viewing Your Sale and Purchase History
You can view all the sales and purchases you've made on the Flash Seats site.
Viewing Purchase History
The Your Purchases page details all tickets that you've bought from other Flash Seats account holders. To access the Purchases page, click Purchases.
The Show Purchases for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Purchases page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see purchase information for the team or venue you selected.
The Time frame drop-down at the top of the page allows you to choose the time frame for which you want to see purchases:
- Since your current login
- Since your last login
- In last week
- In last 2 weeks
- In last month
- In last 3 months
- In last year
- In last 2 years
Once you�ve selected the time frame, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the tickets you purchased. You�ll see the following information:
- Event Information: the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place (the day, the date, and the time), and the section and row for the seats.
- Qty: the number of tickets you purchased.
- Seats: the seat numbers for the tickets you purchased.
- Purchase Date: the date you purchased the tickets.
- Purchase Total: the total amount of the purchase.
If you have more purchases than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Viewing Sale History
The Your Sales page details all tickets you've sold to other Flash Seats account holders. To access the Sales page, click Sales.
The Show Sales for drop-down allows you to filter the information on the Your Sales page by team or venue. If you choose a team or venue from the drop-down, you will only see sales information for the team or venue you selected.
The Time frame drop-down at the top of the page allows you to choose the time frame for which you want to see your sales:
- Since your current login
- Since your last login
- In last week
- In last 2 weeks
- In last month
- In last 3 months
- In last year
- In last 2 years
Once you�ve selected the time frame, a table appears showing you the details of the event and the tickets you sold. You�ll see the following information:
- Event Information: the name of the event and the venue. It also lists when the event will take place (the day, the date, and the time), and the section and row for the seats.
- Qty: the number of tickets you sold.
- Seats: the seat numbers for the tickets you sold.
- Sale Date: the date you sold the tickets.
- Net Sale Amount: the amount of money you received for your tickets.
If you have more sales than will appear on one page, you can use the arrows on the upper and lower right side to navigate to other pages.
Using Your Tickets at Events
After you've added a valid ID to your Flash Seats account, you're all set to use it to enter the next event for which you have tickets. For more information on using your tickets on event day, go to Entering the Venue.
Related Topics
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