Selling tickets on StubHub takes about five minutes once you have an account. You’ll create a listing with your event, seat details, and asking price, then deliver the tickets to the buyer after they sell. The process varies slightly depending on whether your tickets are mobile transfers, PDFs, or physical copies, but StubHub walks you through each format. Here’s everything you need to know to list, deliver, and get paid.
Setting Up Your Listing
Start by logging into your StubHub account (or creating one for free). From there, select “Sell” and search for the event. You’ll enter your section, row, seat numbers, and the number of tickets you’re selling. Then you’ll choose your ticket type: mobile transfer, e-ticket (PDF), barcode, or physical. Getting this right matters because it determines how you’ll deliver the tickets later.
Next, set your price per ticket. This is the amount the buyer will see before StubHub adds its buyer fees. You can adjust your price at any time before the tickets sell. StubHub shows you comparable listings so you can gauge where your seats fit in the market. Pricing competitively matters, especially for popular events where dozens of sellers are listing similar seats.
You’ll also set an “in-hand date,” which tells StubHub when you’ll have the tickets ready to deliver. If that date changes after your tickets sell, you need to notify StubHub immediately or the order may be canceled and you could be charged a fee. Don’t list tickets you don’t actually have. StubHub explicitly prohibits speculative listings, meaning tickets you don’t own yet or that haven’t been allocated to you. Violating this rule can result in account suspension and financial penalties.
How to Deliver Sold Tickets
Once your tickets sell, StubHub notifies you with delivery instructions. The method depends on your ticket format.
Mobile Transfer Tickets
These are the most common format for major venues and ticketing platforms. You’ll log into the original ticketing provider’s website or app (Ticketmaster, AXS, SeatGeek, or the venue’s portal) and transfer the tickets to the buyer using the email address, phone number, or both that StubHub provides.
You can also pre-upload mobile transfer tickets before they sell, which converts your listing to “Instant Download” and makes it more attractive to buyers. To do this, go to your active listing, select “Upload Tickets,” and copy the email address StubHub provides. Then go to your ticketing provider and transfer the tickets to that email. Return to StubHub and refresh the page. Your seats will appear automatically as StubHub receives them. Make sure the seats are ordered from lowest to highest, dragging them to rearrange if needed. You’ll get a confirmation email once all tickets are received.
E-Tickets (PDFs)
If your tickets are PDF files, you’ll upload the original file directly through your listing or sale details on StubHub. Don’t use the mobile transfer email address for PDFs, as that address only works for mobile transfer tickets. If you initially listed your tickets as the wrong type, you can change the ticket type on an unsold listing through your account settings.
Barcode Tickets
Barcode tickets use numeric or alphanumeric codes. You’ll share the barcode through your listing or sale details, and StubHub converts those barcodes into a new ticket for the buyer.
Physical Tickets
Hard copy tickets, wristbands, season cards, or anything that needs to be physically presented at the door must be shipped. StubHub provides a prepaid shipping label, and you mail the tickets via courier. Ship promptly, because late delivery can trigger cancellation and fees.
Fees and How You Get Paid
StubHub deducts a seller fee from your payout. The exact percentage varies and is displayed when you create your listing, so you can see your estimated earnings before you publish. Factor this into your asking price if you’re trying to hit a specific take-home number.
Payouts are processed within 8 business days after the event takes place, not after the sale. This waiting period lets StubHub confirm there were no issues with your tickets. The timeline doesn’t account for local bank holidays, so expect slight delays around holiday weekends. You’ll receive payment via the method you set up in your account, typically direct deposit to a bank account or PayPal.
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong
StubHub holds sellers to strict delivery and accuracy standards. If you fail to deliver tickets on time, send invalid tickets, or provide seats that don’t match your listing, you may not get paid. Beyond forfeiting payment, you could be charged fees to cover the cost of finding replacement tickets for the buyer or issuing them a refund, plus a fixed administrative fee.
The simplest way to avoid problems: list only tickets you physically have (or have confirmed access to in your ticketing account), double-check your section and seat numbers before publishing, and deliver promptly when the sale goes through. Pre-uploading mobile transfer tickets eliminates most delivery risk since StubHub already holds the tickets before a buyer purchases them.
Tax Reporting for Sellers
If you sell enough tickets, StubHub is required to report your earnings to the IRS on a Form 1099-K. Under current rules, this reporting kicks in when your gross sales exceed $20,000 and you have more than 200 transactions in a calendar year. If you fall below both thresholds, you won’t receive a 1099-K from StubHub, though you’re still technically responsible for reporting taxable income on your return. For most people selling a handful of tickets to events they can’t attend, the 1099-K threshold won’t apply.
Tips for Selling Faster
Price your tickets based on what comparable seats are currently listed for, not what you originally paid. The market shifts constantly, especially as an event date approaches. Tickets for sold-out shows tend to rise in value, while tickets for events with plenty of availability often need to be priced below face value to move.
Pre-uploading your tickets so the listing shows as “Instant Download” gives buyers immediate access after purchase, which makes your listing more appealing compared to sellers who still need to manually transfer. List your tickets as early as possible to maximize exposure, and revisit your price periodically if they haven’t sold. StubHub lets you adjust pricing at any time before a sale goes through.