So, you’ve set your sights on an exciting concert, a once-in-a-lifetime theater performance, or a big sporting event. You’re ready to buy those tickets, but wait—how exactly do you navigate SM Tickets? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here’s a detailed guide on how to buy tickets on SM Tickets.
Whether you’re purchasing online or heading to a physical SM Tickets outlet, this guide will help you glide through the process without a hitch.
How to buy tickets on SM Tickets?
Step 1: Visit the SM Tickets Website
Before anything else, grab your phone, tablet, or laptop, and head to smtickets.com. I highly suggest using a Chrome browser because the website works better there than in the Safari browser.
Step 2: Create an Account
Create an account ahead of the ticket-selling date. It will save some time especially if the concert or event is in demand where tickets sell out in a matter of minutes. Click “Sign Up” on the upper right side, fill in your details (email, password, personal info), and confirm your account via email. Don’t worry, they don’t bombard you with spam, so you’re safe.
Step 3: Search for the Event
Use the search bar to type in the event you’ve been planning to attend. Whether it’s your favorite K-pop concert or a musical you’ve waited years to see, it’s all there. Scroll through the event categories—concerts, theater, sports, you name it.
Found your event? Great! Click on it and take a quick look at the date, venue, and ticket prices before moving forward. I’ve seen people online purchasing the wrong tickets for the events.
TAKE NOTE: If you’re purchasing a ticket through presale, make sure to read the guidelines of the concert organizer. For the Kpop Fun Club Presale and the organizer is Live Nation, you can access the SM Ticket link to purchase the ticket in LiveNation.ph, not directly from the SM Tickets website.
Additional Guide:
- How to Register in Weverse Presale for Higher Chances of Scoring Concert Tickets?
- How to sign up for Live Nation Philippines Presale?
- How to Buy Tickets in Live Nation Unionbank Presale?
Step 4: Choose Your Tickets
Here’s where you’ll pick your ticket category—whether you’re going all out with VIP or keeping it cozy in the general admission section. Choose your date, then decide how many tickets you’re grabbing. Pro tip: don’t wait too long to decide, especially for popular events—tickets can disappear faster! But still try to relax because the puzzle-sliding Captcha can be frustrating.
Some events let you pick your seats while others may assign them automatically. If you’re going to pick your seat, make sure you’re quick to choose because there’s a time limit, I think it’s 10 minutes. Don’t like your options? Click around until you’re happy with your seats.
Step 5: Review Your Order
This step is like checking your grocery cart before heading to the counter. Take a glance to make sure everything’s correct—the date, the number of tickets, your seating section, etc. No one wants to end up at the wrong concert, right? When everything looks good, click Proceed to Payment.
Step 6: Payment Time!
Now comes the moment of truth—how are you paying? SM Tickets is pretty flexible with payment methods, so you’ve got options:
- Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB)
- GCash (a favorite here in the Philippines)
- Maya (You can use QR PH scanners here)
- GrabPay
- Payment at SM Tickets outlets (if you prefer paying in person. Not an option online)
Step 7: Confirm and Receive Your Ticket Voucher
Congratulations—you did it! Once your payment goes through, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your ticket-claiming voucher. You must visit SM Ticket outlets to print your physical ticket(s), so make sure it’s tucked safely in your inbox so you have a soft copy.
Also, check your account for the voucher. If it is not there, better email [email protected] or visit an SM Ticket outlet. Based on other people’s experiences I’ve read online, it’s better to go to their nearest outlet to resolve this. Here’s a list of SM Tikect outlets.
Step 8: Claiming Physical Ticket
SM Tickets still use physical tickets ONLY (unless the organizer opts for digital tickets, but it’s very rare). You can pick up your ticket at any SM Ticket outlet on Mondays to Sundays from 10 AM to 3 PM before the day of the concert.
To claim your ticket, bring your printed ticket voucher, valid ID, and the card you used to purchase the ticket. If you used Gcash or other digital wallets, screenshot the receipt where you can see the transaction number. But sometimes, SM Tickets gives a deadline when you can claim your physical tickets so make sure you follow them on their social media accounts to avoid your ticket being forfeited.
Sometimes it is allowed to be picked up at the venue on event day, but I highly recommend doing this early especially if the venue is in PH Arena or PH Sports Stadium, it’s because the internet signal there is very slow. You might encounter a problem. There are some past incidents too where people experienced their ticket vouchers disappearing from their SM Ticket accounts.
Extra Tips on How to Secure Tickets
- Use more than one device to line up for the online queue, use a browser in incognito mode too. They don’t drop all the tickets immediately, they do it throughout the day. So if you didn’t find anything available when you entered SM Tickets, just keep refreshing. If you are kicked out of the site because they only allow you to stay for 15 minutes, at least you have other queueing numbers. (Update January 2025: Last November 2024 before the Seventeen “17 Right Here” Tour ticket selling, SM Tickets announced that they will implement the rule 1 account, 1 queueing number. But a lot of people are still able to queue several times. They just didn’t log in while in the queue. They only do it when it’s already their turn.)
- Make sure your presale code (if there is one needed) is on a window you can easily open to copy and paste for faster checkout.
- Same with your card details, if you’re using one. Put it in a window or notes where you can easily copy and paste your details. Or better save your card details on your browser.
- Speaking of browsers, whether you are using a PC, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, SM Tickets works better on the Chrome browser than the Safari browser.
Payment Unsuccessful on iPay88 & Ghost Tickets
This was my first attempt at securing SEVENTEEN “17 Right Here” Concert Tickets during the Carat PresaleOne of the most annoying things I encountered during a ticket sale in SM Tickets was the unsuccessful payment through iPay88. To prevent this from happening I learned that I shouldn’t copy and paste my card number in the iPay88 form, I should type the numbers one by one. The logo of Mastercard or Visa (whichever card you are using) should appear in the card details section.
In the case of a ghost ticket, meaning your card or digital wallet was charged and received a payment email confirmation from iPay88 but there was no ticket claiming voucher at your SM Tickets account, then you should contact SM Tickets and iPay88 customer services ASAP.
- You may contact iPay88 because they will give you the transaction details that SM Tickets will need. Their email is [email protected]
- SM Tickets contact:
- EMAIL: [email protected]
- HOTLINE: 8470-2222
- GLOBE: 0917-8702222
- SMART: 0918-8702222 / 0925-8702222
A friend experienced this ghost ticket once, she was able to receive her physical tickets after communicating with SM Tickets and iPay88. It was for the Stray Kids Maniac Tour in Manila and she still got a good queue number. This happened to me as well once but in the Vista Mall Cinema inline booking. I just showed the manager the iPay88 payment confirmation. I still got the exact seats I reserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use another person’s Card/Gcash/Maya for payment?
A: SM Tickets customer service has different answers for this. Some said it was okay, just bring the person with their valid ID and the card, or screenshot of the payment when you claim your ticket. Some said that the payment account and SM Ticket account names should be the same. But I do know people who used their parent’s credit card and are still able to claim the tickets.
Q: Can another person redeem my ticket?
A: Strictly no, even if they are a family member.
Q: Can I buy 2 tickets from different sections or tiers in one transaction?
A: No, you can’t. It should be the same section or tier, even if you do 2 different transactions. Unless there are Day 1 and Day 2 concerts like with SEVENTEEN and Jhope. You can buy, for example, a Lower Box ticket on Day 1 and a VIP ticket on Day 2, which is allowed. But you can’t buy a Day 1 Lower Box and VIP ticket on the same day/transaction. Hope this explanation is clear.
ADDITIONAL PHILIPPINE CONCERT GUIDE:
- List of Hotels Near SM Mall of Asia Arena
- Hotels Near the Philippine Arena You Can Book When You Attend a Concert
- Shuttle Services to the PH Arena and PH Stadium
- Concert Essentials: What to bring to a Kpop Concert?
- How to Save Money for Concerts?
Buying tickets from SM Tickets doesn’t have to feel like war (but sometimes it does). With just a few clicks, you can secure your spot at some of the biggest events happening in the country. Whether you’re watching your favorite K-pop group, a big sports match, or the hottest musical in town, the experience starts with the ticket.