What exactly is an e-ticket?
A e-ticket (or electronic ticket) is a dematerialized access ticket. It most often takes the form of a PDF or a ticket displayed in an application, with a unique 'T2' barcode or QR code 'T3' which will be scanned upon entry. Some events use a particular format, the 'T4' secure rotating code ticket 'T5': the QR code changes regularly in the official application, which makes the screenshot unusable for entry. Before the concert, always check on the event page what type of ticket it is, as this changes the way you receive and transmit it.
Receive and prepare your e-ticket
- 1
Check the confirmation email
After payment, a confirmation email usually arrives quickly. The ticket is sometimes attached directly, sometimes accessible via a link or from your ticketing account. Remember to check the spam folder if nothing happens.
- 2
Download or add to your phone
Save the PDF to your phone, or add the ticket to your Wallet if the option is offered. The objective: to be able to open it even without connection on the evening of the concert.
- 3
Check the information
Check the name of the event, date, time, venue, seat category and, if applicable, the name on the ticket. An error spotted in advance is resolved much more easily than at the entrance.
- 4
Prepare a backup
Low battery, saturated network in front of the room, phone crashing: a printed copy or a capture (when the format allows it) can help. For rotating QR tickets, especially keep your phone charged, as capture will not work.
Transfer an e-ticket to a loved one
Have you purchased several tickets and everyone enters separately? The transfer is made for that. Many ticket offices offer a function of sending the ticket to another person, by e-mail or via the application: each guest then receives their own access ticket, with a valid code in their name. This is the recommended method, because it prevents the same QR code from being presented twice.
In the absence of a transfer function, you can sometimes just send the PDF. Please note, however: the same ticket can only be scanned once. The first one presented at the entrance passes, the following ones will be refused. Agree in advance who holds which ticket.
Mistakes to avoid with an e-ticket
- Buy a screenshot from a stranger: a QR code screenshot may already have been scanned, or be invalidated for a rotating code ticket.
- Count on the network upon arrival: in front of a large room, thousands of phones saturate the connection. Download the ticket in advance.
- Leave the ticket on a single device without backup, especially if your phone is old or the battery capricious.
- Ignore the name on the ticket when the event is personal: you risk refusal at the identity check.
- Forget the brightness: a screen that is too dark or a scratched glass slows down the scan. Turn the brightness up to maximum at the entrance.
Entrance control, step by step
On the evening of the concert, access control is quick when you are ready. Open your 'T0' ticket before 'T1' arriving at the gate, adjust the brightness of the screen to maximum and present the QR code flat under the reader. The code is scanned, a signal validates the entry, and it's done. If you have multiple posts on the same phone, scroll through them one by one. Also keep your ID accessible if the event is nominative. If you have a scanning problem, the staff generally has a way to check your order: remain courteous, have your confirmation email to hand.