Billie Eilish takes a stand against scalpers with no transfer tickets for upcoming tour

Billie Eilish fans are entering the no transfer zone.

Tickets for Eilish's “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour, which comes to the Prudential Center in Newark on Wednesday, Oct. 9, go on sale to the general public at noon Friday, May 3. The tickets, which range from $99 to $499 in Newark, are “restricted from transfer” and will be only be in mobile format, according to Ticketmaster.

“The artist wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value,” says Ticketmaster on its Eilish ticket pages. “To help achieve this, the tour will be using Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange where, if needed, you can resell your ticket to other fans at the original price paid.”

Fans need “a valid bank account or debit card within the country of your event” to sell on the Face Value Exchange.

Several states, including New York, Illinois, Colorado, Virginia, Utah and Connecticut, have laws requiring unlimited ticket resale options for fans, so tickets purchased for concerts in those states will not be applicable to the no transfer status.

The Eilish presales, which began on April 30, were limited to fans who had purchased tickets for previous Eilish concerts or were holders of American Express credit cards.

“Billie Eilish choosing not to use Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan, turning off the transfer button, ensuring fans who attended the tour got codes, and using on Face Value Ticket Exchange is the best thing an artist can do to enhance the fan experience and put scalpers to an end,” opined the Taylor Swift-themed @erastourticks X account.

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Many Eilish fans were bemoaning the lack of a concert in Florida and Texas, and also asking for the presale code on social media. A few noted the no transfer stipulation.

“Billie has made it impossible to scalpers to sell tickets at a higher price then purchased, which means people are gonna sell them and then ask for you to Paypal or e-transfer them instead,” said a fan on the “billieeilish” sub-Reddit. “Don't do it. It's not worth the risk.”

A rep for Ticketmaster sent out a news release with tips for Eilish fans looking to purchase tickets:

Do's

Always buy tickets from official ticketing sites to ensure tickets are authentic and secure. This includes double-checking the URL before making a purchase.

Don'ts

Avoid or exercise extreme caution when buying tickets on unofficial sites, via social media, or from people you found online.

If you do purchase on third-party sites or unofficial platforms: do not use unprotected payments or give your credit card information over the phone; do review your selection carefully and make sure the ticket matches the venue information, including mobile or printed ticket options.

Never purchase tickets before the tour has gone on sale. Speculative ticketing [blog.ticketmaster.com] is a rampant practice where sellers post listings without actually having the tickets.

TICKET Act bill

Eilish, 22, was recently one of more than 250 musicians who called for ticket sale transparency and fan protections in a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce in support of the TICKET Act bill.

“Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit,” states the letter. “They use illegal bots, speculative ticket listings and deceitful advertising, which cause real harm.”

Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, the Pixies, Steve Forbert, Graham Nash and Becky G also signed the letter.

A handful of other artists have used non-transferable tickets for their tours, including Pearl Jam, who have non-transferable tickets for their upcoming Dark Matter World Tour.

Eilish's hits include "Bad Guy," "Therefore I Am," "No Time to Die," "My Future" and "What Was I Made For" from the "Barbie" soundtrack.

The “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour also comes to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday, Oct. 5, and Madison Square Garden in New York City Oct. 16, 17 and 18.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Billie Eilish fights scalpers with no transfer tickets for tour