The short answer: open the ticket in the seller’s app or confirmation email before you leave home, and tap Add to Apple Wallet or Add to Google Wallet if you see the button (Apple, Google). At the gate, open the ticket and hold your phone up to the scanner. Don’t rely on a screenshot. Many tickets, including Ticketmaster’s, use a barcode that refreshes every 15 seconds, so a screenshot won’t get you in (Ticketmaster).
Step 1: Find your tickets
- Look for the confirmation email from the place you bought them (search your inbox for the event name or the seller’s name).
- If you bought through an app such as Ticketmaster, open the app, find your order in My Tickets and tap View Barcode (Ticketmaster).
- Do this a day or two before the event, not in line at the gate.
Step 2: Save them to your phone’s wallet
iPhone (Apple Wallet)
- In the email, website or app, tap Add to Apple Wallet.
- Follow the prompts on screen. The ticket is then saved in the Wallet app (Apple).
- At the event, the ticket may pop up on its own as a notification. Or double-click the side button and choose the ticket (Apple).
If there’s no Apple Wallet button, the seller doesn’t offer it. Ask the event or seller how to get in (Apple).
Android (Google Wallet)
- Tap Add to Google Wallet in the email, website or app (Google).
- At the gate, hold your phone near the reader until you see a blue check mark. Or open Google Wallet, find the ticket and show the code (Google).
Step 3: Get through the gate
- Charge your phone before you go, and turn the screen brightness up so the scanner can read the code.
- Cell signal at a crowded venue can be weak. Ticketmaster says to view your tickets before you arrive, and that adding them to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet lets you get in even without an internet connection (Ticketmaster).
- If you’re going with family, ask the seller how to transfer a ticket to each person’s phone. Ticketmaster has a Ticket Transfer feature in its app (Ticketmaster).
Avoid ticket scams
The FTC warns that scammers set up copycat ticket websites that show up in search ads and on social media, and sell the same seat to many people. The FTC says that “someone selling paper tickets or a screenshot is likely a scammer” (FTC).
- Buy from the venue, the official seller, or a reseller that offers a guarantee (FTC).
- Pay with a credit card, not gift cards, wire transfers or payment apps.
- Since May 12, 2025, sellers of live-event tickets must show the total price, including required fees, upfront (FTC).
- Report ticket scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
More on staying safe: How to stay safe when shopping online and How to scan a QR code safely.
