Can I resell a concert or event ticket above face value?
For now, yes for most events — but a ban is on the way, and football is already off-limits. As of June 2026, reselling a ticket above face value is generally lawful, but selling through an online secondary ticketing site triggers disclosure duties under section 90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015: you must state the seat or standing location, the face value, and any restrictions, and whether you're connected to the event or platform. Using bots to buy more tickets than the per-person limit is already a criminal offence with an unlimited fine. Reselling tickets for designated football matches without authorisation is already illegal regardless of price. Importantly, on 19 November 2025 the Government announced it will make above-cost resale illegal (face value plus unavoidable fees) and cap platform fees — but that is not yet in force. In short: legal for now with disclosure, except football, and changing soon.
📋 The rules
- Above-face-value resale is currently legal (football excepted)
- Online resale must disclose seat, face value, restrictions
- Using bots to beat limits is a criminal offence
- Football tickets can't be resold without authorisation
- A government ban was announced in Nov 2025, not yet law
🔓 Exceptions
- Private, casual face-value resale sits outside the platform rules
- Football resale is already criminal regardless of price
- The announced ban is policy, not yet enacted at June 2026
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Breaching the section 90/91 disclosure rules on a secondary site can bring a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per breach (section 93), and since 6 April 2025 the CMA is an enforcement authority alongside Trading Standards. Using bots to bypass purchase limits carries an unlimited fine. Reselling football tickets without authorisation is criminal under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Under the announced ban, resale businesses could face CMA fines up to 10% of global turnover; the Government estimates a price cap would cut average resale prices by about £37 and save fans roughly £112m a year. Beware a myth: "it's already illegal to resell above face value" is false (football aside) — the ban was only announced in November 2025 and is still being legislated. To resell safely now: use a reputable platform and disclose the seat and face value.
📎 Official sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, s.93 →
- GOV.UK — government bans ticket touting →
- Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018 →
❓ Frequently asked
Is it legal to resell a ticket for more than I paid?
As of June 2026, yes for most events, with one big exception: football tickets can't be resold without authorisation, regardless of price. If you resell through a secondary ticketing website, you must disclose details like the seat or standing area and the original face value. A government ban on above-cost resale has been announced but isn't yet law.
What do I have to tell buyers when reselling?
If you sell through an online secondary ticketing platform, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires you to disclose the ticket's seat or standing location, its face value, any restrictions on using it, and whether you're connected to the event organiser or the platform. Failing to give this information can lead to a financial penalty.
Is reselling football tickets allowed?
No. Reselling tickets for designated football matches without the organiser's authorisation is a criminal offence under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, regardless of whether you sell at, below or above face value. This long-standing rule is separate from the wider resale changes being introduced for other events.
Is the ticket resale ban in force yet?
Not at June 2026. The Government announced on 19 November 2025 that it would make above-cost resale illegal and cap platform fees, but this still has to be legislated. Until those laws come into force, above-face-value resale remains lawful for most events, subject to the existing disclosure rules and the football exception.
Are ticket bots illegal?
Yes. Using automated software, or 'bots', to buy more tickets than the per-person limit set by the event is already a criminal offence under the Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018, punishable by an unlimited fine. This applies regardless of the wider changes to resale rules being introduced.
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What people search to land here:
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