Somewhere in checkout you'll spot a delivery method, and it quietly decides two things: how your tickets reach you, and how you get through the gate. Most tickets are mobile now, but a handful of other types are still out there. Here's what each one means, so nothing catches you off guard on event day.
What are mobile tickets?
By a wide margin, the most common one you'll get. A barcode or QR code lives on your phone — in a wallet app or the venue's app — and staff scan it right off your screen at the gate. Nothing to print, and mobile delivery almost never carries a delivery charge.
What is mobile transfer?
A particular flavor of mobile delivery: instead of handing you a barcode directly, the seller transfers the tickets into your own account or wallet app. You accept the transfer, and they're yours. (Passing them along to the rest of your group works the exact same way — see how to transfer tickets.)
Once tickets are in your account, passing them to a friend is its own small process — how to transfer tickets walks through it step by step.
What are e-tickets (PDF)?
An electronic ticket that comes as a PDF — pull it up on your phone or print it at home, your call. Each PDF carries its own barcode. If your event goes the PDF route, keep the file somewhere easy to find, and printing a paper backup isn't a bad idea in case your battery's running low by showtime.
How does will-call / box-office pickup work?
For some events you pick the tickets up in person at the venue's will-call window, usually with a photo ID and your order details in hand. Build in some extra time here — will-call lines have a way of stacking up right as doors open.
Will-call pickup happens at the venue box office, so it helps to know the building — browse venues for the address and every upcoming event there.
How do shipped (physical) tickets work?
A small — and steadily shrinking — share of tickets are still physical hard stock that ships to your door. Plenty of marketplaces bill shipping separately on these. We don't — no delivery method costs extra here, hard stock included. The price on the listing is the price of your tickets.
Which will I get, and when?
You don't pick the method — the event sets it, and your order shows it. Some mobile tickets land right after you buy; others are held back until closer to the date as an anti-fraud measure. That's completely normal, and either way they're guaranteed to reach you in time. There's more on the timing in how mobile ticket delivery works.