Most "can I have a refund" emails are really "I can't come, but my friend can". A ticket transfer answers that without a refund, without a forwarded PDF, and without two people turning up with the same QR. This guide explains how transfers work on tickts, what the buyer and the new holder each see, when you might switch them off, and how they fit with resale.
What a transfer is
A buyer moves one ticket from their order to someone else's email address. The recipient gets the ticket in their own tickts account with a brand new QR code, and the original code is voided the moment the transfer completes. One ticket, one valid code, one person through the door. It is on by default on every plan, and it costs nobody anything.
How the buyer does it
- They open the ticket, from the View Your Tickets button in their confirmation email or from My tickets in their account, and press Transfer this ticket.
- They enter the new holder's name and email and confirm. They need a verified email themselves and cannot transfer to their own address.
- The ticket immediately shows as pending transfer. Its QR is hidden and the wallet buttons disappear, so the old ticket cannot be scanned while it is in limbo.
- The recipient gets an email with an accept link. They log in, or create a free account with that same email, and press Accept or Decline. Pending transfers also sit under Account and then Transfers.
- On accept, a new code and QR are minted for the recipient and the old code is dead. On decline, the ticket returns to the original buyer, valid again. The buyer can also recall a transfer before it is claimed.
What you see
The order's detail page shows the transfer history per ticket: who originally bought it, who it went to, when, and whether it was claimed or recalled. The door list shows the current holder's name, which is the one that matters at the gate. Your sales figures do not change; a transfer moves a ticket, it does not create or refund one.
Why it is safer than forwarding a PDF
| Forwarded PDF | Transfer |
|---|---|
| Both people hold the same QR; first to the door wins, the other is turned away | The old code is voided; only the new holder's scans |
| The door list still shows the original buyer | The door list shows the new holder |
| Venue or time changes reach the original buyer only | The new holder gets the emails and the live wallet updates |
| Nothing on record if there is a dispute | Every step is logged on the order |
When to switch transfers off
Go to Events, edit the event, and in the Fees and Delivery section untick Allow Ticket Transfers. Reasons to do it:
- Events with identity checks at the door, where the name on the ticket must match a document.
- Fixed allocations, such as an away allocation that must stay with the club's members.
- Anything where you have promised a sponsor or a venue that tickets will not change hands.
For everything else, leave it on. A ticket that can move is a ticket that gets used, and an empty seat helps no one.
Transfers versus resale
A transfer is a gift or a private arrangement between two people; no money moves through tickts. Resale is for a sold-out ticket type: the seller lists at face value or below, a new buyer pays, the original ticket is voided and a fresh one is issued, and the seller is paid out after the event. Resale only opens for a type once your own stock of it has sold out, so it never competes with your sales, and it is capped at face value so nobody profits from your demand. Turn it on in the same Fees and Delivery section with Allow Ticket Resale; it is off by default and free to enable.
"You can pass your ticket to a friend yourself: open the ticket from your confirmation email, press Transfer this ticket, and enter their name and email. They get a new ticket and yours is cancelled, so there's no mix-up at the door."
Multi-ticket orders
Transfers work per ticket, so a buyer with four tickets can hand one to a friend and keep three. Each transferred ticket gets its own new code, and the order's history shows exactly which ones moved and to whom.
