NRSPro/Shutterstock

If you’ve taken a screenshot of your tickets for a concert or other event, only to have the ticket scanner inform you that they aren’t valid, you may understandably be frustrated. Digital ticketing apps from leading companies like Ticketmaster can be a nightmare to navigate, and who wants another useless app on their phone? It’s much easier to save a screenshot that can easily be found on your phone’s camera roll. Moreover, you need an internet connection to access tickets on an app or website, and there’s no guarantee you’ll have one at some venues.

Unfortunately, screenshotting your tickets is no longer an effective way of ensuring easy access to a show. You can blame it all on scammers, who figured out that they could sell the same screenshot of a ticket to multiple victims. Screenshot swindles are shockingly easy, since the victims won’t know they’ve been conned until it’s too late. The first person to arrive at the show gets lucky and gains entry, leaving the other victims of the scam to be turned away at the door for trying to reuse the same ticket. It’s a scam which many have fallen victim to, and there are few things as soul-crushing as calling a ride home while your friends enjoy a show without you.

To prevent ticket fraud, outlets such as Ticketmaster and AXS have introduced encrypted barcodes and QR codes. Your ticket is now tied to your account or device. Take a screenshot, and unless you use it within a few seconds, it won’t work. Here’s what’s going on, and how you can tell whether it’s safe to screenshot your tickets.

Ticketmaster

Screenshots of tickets work because a QR code or barcode is generally a static image. You can print it out on paper, or even tattoo it on your forehead, and it will still scan. However, to keep tickets safe from screenshot scammers, popular ticket outlets now use refreshing QR codes or barcodes. That means your tickets are stored in your online account or smartphone, rather than being connected to a single machine-readable label. When you open the ticket in-app, a new code is generated every few seconds. Ticketmaster calls the feature SafeTix, while its alternatives use their own terminology.

Dynamic ticket codes prevent screenshot scams because, by the time you’ve taken a screenshot of the QR code and sent it to someone, it’s already invalid. However, scammers are hacking this highly touted Ticketmaster feature as well. But it’s still a marked improvement to a system that was previously far too vulnerable to abuse. However, there are two annoying downsides. The first is that you may be forced to install an app on your phone, adding a layer of friction to the simple task of presenting your tickets at the door. The second is that, should you decide to resell your tickets, you’ll need to transfer them through the ticket seller’s proprietary resale system, rather than handling the transaction privately with your buyer. You may also worry about what happens if you don’t have an internet connection at the venue, but thankfully, there are workarounds.

The major downside to dynamic QR codes or barcodes is that you’ll need an internet connection to access your concert or event tickets. Even in our 5G-connected world, that’s not a sure bet. Some venues, like the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, are in remote areas that lack consistent coverage. And when a large number of people are all using their phones, it can make things even worse by overloading the towers in that area. Thankfully, it seems like the largest companies to have implemented dynamic ticketing systems have solutions in place.

It’s recommended that you add Ticketmaster tickets to Apple Wallet if you have an iPhone, or to Google Wallet on Android phones. Depending on which platform you use, you’ll see a button to save the tickets to your wallet app when you sign into the Ticketmaster app and open your tickets from the My Tickets section.

For tickets purchased with AXS, they should continue to work offline as long as you’re signed into the app. However, in our experience, it’s best to sign in before you leave home. The AXS app tends to log users out unexpectedly. If you do not have an internet connection when it’s time to scan your ticket, a button will appear in the app to enable offline access. Like Ticketmaster, you can also add your tickets to Google Wallet or Apple Wallet for peace of mind. Tap on the Tickets tab within the AXS app, tap on your event to see your ticket, then tap the Add To Wallet button.