Short answer: In Canada you usually can't remove Ticketmaster's fees entirely if you buy through Ticketmaster's checkout — the service and facility charges are set by the venue and built into the price. But you can avoid most of them by changing where you buy: at the box office, through official face-value resale, or fan-to-fan from someone who isn't charging fees at all. Here's how each option actually works.
First, know what you're paying
When you buy on Ticketmaster.ca, the total is usually made up of:
- Face value — set by the team, artist, or venue.
- Service fee — largely set and kept by the venue, not pure Ticketmaster profit.
- Facility / venue charge — set by the venue.
- Order processing fee — charged per order; often avoidable by buying in person.
- Delivery fee — usually avoidable by choosing mobile / e-tickets.
- Taxes — GST/HST/PST depending on the province.
Canada also uses all-in pricing on many events, so you see the full fee-loaded total up front. That's more transparent — but it doesn't make the fees smaller. Across major resale platforms, service and order-processing fees commonly total roughly 20–30% on top of the listed ticket price, depending on the event and price level.
The realistic ways to avoid or reduce fees
1. Buy at the venue box office (in person)
Buying directly at the box office typically lets you skip the online order processing and delivery fees. You may still pay a venue service/facility charge, but it's usually the lowest total available for a primary-market ticket. Check the venue's site for box-office hours — some open only on event days.
2. Use mobile tickets, and watch presales & promo codes
If you must buy online, choose mobile / e-ticket delivery to avoid delivery fees, and keep an eye out for artist, fan-club, or credit-card presales and occasional "no service fee" promotions.
3. Compare the final checkout total, not the sticker price
"No fee" doesn't always mean cheapest. Some platforms advertise no added buyer fees (the cost is baked into the listed price). Always compare the final total including all fees and taxes across a couple of options before you buy.
4. Buy fan-to-fan from a verified season seat holder
The most reliable way to pay zero added fees is to buy directly from another fan who isn't charging any. That's exactly what Tickets 4 Fans does for Toronto sports:
- Zero buyer fees, zero seller commissions, zero processing fees — the listed price is the final price, in CAD.
- Every seller is a verified Toronto season seat holder (Raptors, Blue Jays, Toronto FC, and Toronto Tempo) — not an anonymous reseller or bot.
- You contact the seller directly via WhatsApp, pay by Interac e-Transfer, and receive your tickets through the official transfer system (e.g. Ticketmaster or the team app).
Because the tickets still come through the official platform, you get the same valid, transferable ticket — just without the extra 20–30% in fees layered on top. Tickets 4 Fans isn't an escrow service and never holds your money, so it's worth following a few safe-buying steps: confirm the seat details, accept only an official transfer into your own account, and never treat a screenshot as the ticket.
Quick checklist for Canadian buyers
- Check the venue box office price in person if you can.
- If buying online, use mobile tickets and look for presales / promo codes.
- Compare the final checkout total (fees + tax) across two or three options.
- For Toronto Raptors, Blue Jays, Toronto FC, or Tempo games, check Tickets 4 Fans — verified season seat holders, no added fees, the price you see is the price you pay.
Bottom line: You can't usually delete Ticketmaster's fees at its own checkout, but you can route around most of them. For Toronto sports specifically, buying fan-to-fan from a verified season seat holder is the one option that adds nothing on top of the ticket price at all.