The resale deadlines: US, UK and Face Value Exchange
If you can no longer go, the useful question is how much time your particular listing has left. Start with the Ticketmaster site you bought from and the resale scheme named on your event.
| Where you're selling | When the window closes |
|---|---|
| Ticketmaster US: general resale | The cutoff depends on the event. US resale guidance. |
| Ticketmaster UK | Usually when doors open, with event-specific exceptions. UK resale guidance. |
| US Face Value Exchange | One hour after the event starts, under the published Exchange rules. Face Value Exchange guidance. |
Doors opening and the show starting can be different times. For example, if a UK event opens its doors at 6pm and starts at 7.30pm, don't assume the usual doors-time cutoff gives you until 7.30pm to sell. Confirm the actual deadline for that event.
The Face Value Exchange rule is a separate case. Check that your show uses it before counting on that extra hour. Our guide to face-value resale explains the scheme.
When does the sell window open?
There is no fixed number of days from buying a ticket to being able to resell it. Artists, teams and venues decide whether and when resale is enabled, sometimes with restrictions on particular seats or ticket types. Ticketmaster explains who controls eligibility.
That means a date from another fan's concert isn't a useful countdown for yours. If an organiser has announced an opening date, save that notice. Otherwise, check your order rather than assuming resale will appear a week or a month before the show.
How to check the deadline for your tickets
- Open the right order. Sign in, go to My Tickets and select the event. Use Sell to check eligibility. These are the starting steps in Ticketmaster UK's selling instructions.
- Read the event-specific notices. Look for a deadline in the listing details, event information or emails about resale. Note the date, time and time zone if one is given.
- If no cutoff is clear, ask support. Include the event, venue, date and ticket type. Ask: “What is the final date and time I can list these tickets, and when will an unsold listing be removed?”
- Leave yourself time to act. Once you know you can't attend, check your options. Waiting until the final evening leaves less room to sort out an account problem or decide what to do if there's no buyer.
A useful deadline is a confirmed time for your event. “Someone on a forum sold theirs after doors” doesn't give you that.
Why is the Sell button unavailable?
A missing Sell button doesn't tell you, by itself, that the window has closed. Resale may not have been enabled, or your order may be excluded. Ticketmaster UK's examples include transferred tickets, tickets bought through resale and festival tickets on an ongoing payment plan. Check the UK eligibility exclusions.
If the button previously worked, keep a screenshot of the new message and ask support about the change. If it has never worked, ask whether resale is expected to open for your ticket type. Neither situation is a reason to assume it will switch on tomorrow.
What if your tickets haven't sold?
Ticketmaster US says unsold tickets return to your account after the resale deadline so you can use them. Failing to sell does not itself qualify you for a refund. US guidance on unsold tickets.
If you decide to attend, check the listing status first. For UK listings, you can cancel an unsold listing from your upcoming events. To change the price, Ticketmaster says to cancel and relist while sales remain open. You cannot remove it once it has sold. How to edit or remove a UK resale listing.
Before cancelling just to change the price, check how much time remains. You don't want to take down a listing and then discover the relisting deadline has passed.
If you're waiting to buy a resale ticket
The deadline matters to buyers too. A plan to wait for a cheaper seat only works while there is still a way to buy it. Leave enough time to get to the venue and access your ticket, and decide beforehand what you'll do if nothing within your budget appears.
For help weighing that decision, read are last-minute concert tickets cheaper? If you're checking several dates, write down each event's cutoff separately. A rule for one show may be useless for the next.