Mobile tickets are the better choice for most fans: they arrive on your phone, you skip the box office line, and you can send a seat to a friend in a few taps. Will call is the better choice when you want a backup that does not depend on your battery, your signal or an app login. It also works if your venue still offers it and you can show the right ID. Which one you get usually depends on the event, so the real skill is knowing how each works and what can go wrong with it.
TL;DR
- Mobile means your phone is the ticket. It is fast, but many venues reject screenshots and some release the barcode only a day or a few days before the event.
- Will call means you pick up tickets at the venue box office. Bring government-issued photo ID and the card used to buy, and plan to arrive early.
- Some venues, including Nissan Stadium for Titans games, have gone mobile-only, so check the event page before you count on will call.
- Buying resale? Look at the delivery method on the listing, and know when your tickets will actually arrive.
- Whichever you pick, test it before event day: log in, find the barcode, or confirm the pickup name and hours.
Table of Contents
- What will call means
- What mobile entry means
- Will call vs. mobile at a glance
- How will-call pickup works, step by step
- How mobile entry works, step by step
- Other delivery methods you may see
- Which one fits your situation
- Buying resale: what to check before you pay
- Our perspective: pick the method, then plan for its failure
- Find tickets and see the delivery details
- Quick pre-event checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
What will call means
Will call is a delivery method where your tickets are held for you at the venue and you collect them in person. The term comes from older retail practice of holding goods for the customer to pick up, and it is still common for event admission in the U.S. You do not receive anything in the mail or in an app. Your name goes on a list, and you walk up to a window.
That window is usually near the main entrance, at the box office. Hours vary by venue. DCU Center, for example, holds will-call tickets at its box office before the event, with a shorter lead time for show or radio tickets, and it releases them only to the person named on the order. Bridgestone Arena in Nashville says its box office is open on event days only, starting at 1 p.m., or one hour before doors for a Predators game.
The practical takeaway: will call is tied to a place, a time window and a person. If any of those three does not line up, you are stuck.
What mobile entry means
Mobile entry makes your phone the ticket. You get a barcode inside an app or a wallet pass, and staff scan it at the gate. There is no paper and no pickup line.
Three details trip people up:
- Screenshots often fail. Jacobs Pavilion explains that its mobile barcode changes every 60 seconds, so a screenshot cannot be accepted. The Tennessee Titans say that barcode copies from third-party apps, screenshots and PDF printouts will not be accepted at Nissan Stadium.
- You need the right account. Jacobs Pavilion tells mobile buyers to download its ticketing app, sign in with the email used for the purchase, and transfer the tickets through the app if someone else will use them.
- Timing can be late. Some mobile tickets are not live the day you buy. The Titans note that transfer ability opens 48 hours before the event, so a seat you bought weeks ago may not be movable until then.
If you want a deeper look at moving tickets between phones, our guide to mobile transfer tickets and how to stay safe walks through it.
Will call vs. mobile at a glance
| Will call | Mobile entry | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get in | Collect tickets at the box office, then scan or tear at the gate | Show a live barcode on your phone |
| What you bring | Government-issued photo ID, plus the purchase card or order details the venue asks for | Charged phone, the right app or account, a data or Wi-Fi connection |
| Arrival time | Earlier, to allow for the pickup line | Normal, if the ticket is already in your app |
| Sending to a friend | Hard: the buyer usually has to be there | Easy: transfer by email or phone number, where allowed |
| Biggest risk | Wrong name, missing ID, closed window, long line | Dead phone, no signal, screenshot rejected, barcode not yet released |
| Best for | Solo buyers, gift tickets you will hand over in person, fans who like a printed keepsake | Groups, last-minute buyers, anyone who hates lines |
How will-call pickup works, step by step
- Confirm the ticket is will call. Your order confirmation should say "will call" or "box office pickup." If it does not, do not assume.
- Find the pickup window and hours. Check the venue's website. Pickup often opens about an hour before the event, but some venues open earlier, and the window is not always at the main entrance for every event.
- Bring the right ID. The research from major venue help pages points to government-issued photo ID, and often the credit card used for the purchase. DCU Center says the tickets go only to the person named on the order.
- Arrive early. Will-call lines get long right before doors open, especially for sold-out shows.
- Check the tickets before you leave the window. Look at the date, section, row and seat. It is far easier to fix a mistake while you are standing at the counter.
If a friend is picking up for you, ask the venue first. Many box offices will not release tickets to anyone but the named buyer, and a text with your ID photo will not change that.
How mobile entry works, step by step
- Check that the event uses mobile entry. It is not available for every event, so look at your order details before relying on it.
- Find out when the barcode is released. Some are available immediately. Others, for example with delayed delivery, appear closer to the event. Do not panic when your confirmation arrives but the barcode does not.
- Set up the app or account. Download the app named in your order and sign in with the email you used to buy. Do this days ahead, not in the parking lot.
- Add the ticket to your phone's wallet if offered. A wallet pass can open without the app or a strong signal.
- Charge your phone and turn the brightness up. Bring a small battery pack for a long day, such as a tailgate followed by a game.
- Transfer tickets to your group ahead of time. Each person should have their own barcode so the line moves and nobody has to hand a phone around.
Other delivery methods you may see
Will call and mobile are the two you will hear about most, but they are not the only choices. Depending on the event, you may also see print-at-home PDFs, tickets sent by mail or courier, and transfers from another buyer. Print-at-home tickets are worth a look if you like having a paper backup, though some venues now refuse printed barcodes, as the Titans policy above shows. Mailed tickets need the longest lead time, so they rarely suit a purchase made within a couple of weeks of the event.
What is offered is always set by the event and the venue, not by you. That is why the delivery line on a listing deserves a close read before you check out.
Which one fits your situation
Buying a few days before the event
Go mobile. Will call is possible only if the seller can set it up in time, and mobile gets the ticket to you without a trip to the box office. If the barcode is not released yet, find out the release time rather than guessing.
Going to a game at a mobile-only stadium
There is no choice here. Nissan Stadium, for example, uses mobile-only ticketing for Titans games, so plan around your phone and your account. If you are buying for a football crowd, check our NFL tickets listings and read the delivery details on the one you pick.
Buying a gift
Will call can be awkward, because the named person must show up. Mobile transfer is usually cleaner: you send the ticket directly to the recipient's account when you are ready.
Going to a big concert with a group
Mobile with individual transfers lets everyone enter on their own and meet inside. Will call forces the buyer to collect everything first, which can mean an early arrival for one person and a late start for the rest.
Worried about a dead phone or poor reception
This is where will call earns its place. Paper in hand needs no battery. Stadium and arena crowds can strain cell networks, so a wallet pass saved ahead of time, plus a battery pack, closes most of that gap.
Traveling in from out of town
Will call needs the right ID and the right hours, and a missed flight or late bus can make you miss the window. Mobile travels with you. If you pick will call, find the box office location before you arrive, and note that it may differ by event.
Buying resale: what to check before you pay
Resale adds one wrinkle. Tickets come from a third-party seller, so delivery depends on how that seller transfers the seat. Before you check out:
- Read the delivery method on the listing. It may say mobile transfer, print-at-home, or another option.
- Check when you will get the tickets. Resale tickets often reach you closer to the event than a primary purchase would, because the seller may transfer them once the venue's system allows it.
- Match the name and email to the app. For mobile, the transfer goes to the email or phone number you give. A typo means a missing ticket.
- Keep your order number. If you are told to use will call, you will need it, along with ID.
- Know the guarantee. Our 100% money-back guarantee covers tickets that do not arrive before the event or are not valid for entry.
For a wider look at how to buy safely from any marketplace, see our guide to the most reliable ticket sites.
Our perspective: pick the method, then plan for its failure
We run a resale marketplace, so we see the same stories repeat. A fan buys seats for a show that sold out in minutes, and the question that comes next is almost never "is this ticket real?" It is "how do I get it in my hand, and when?" That is why we built our promise around two things: tickets that arrive before the event, and tickets that are valid for entry.
Our view is that neither method is better in the abstract. Mobile is the future for most venues, and some have already dropped paper entirely. But every method has a failure point. For mobile, it is a dead battery or a login you forgot. For will call, it is an expired ID or a closed window. So we tell buyers to pick the method the event allows, then spend five minutes on the failure point the day before: open the app, find the barcode, or look up the pickup hours.
If something does go wrong, contact us before the event rather than at the gate. That is when a problem can still be fixed.
— Capital
Find tickets and see the delivery details
We list concert tickets, sports tickets and theater tickets for local and national events, including country, pop and rock shows, UFC cards and NBA games. Every purchase is backed by our 100% money-back guarantee that tickets arrive before the event and are valid for entry.
If you are looking for a show that sold out at the box office, start with our country music tickets or browse the full marketplace. Check the delivery line on the listing, and pick the seat that fits your plan.
Quick pre-event checklist
If you chose mobile
- Sign in to the app a few days ahead.
- Confirm the barcode is released, and note when it will be if it is not.
- Save a wallet pass if the venue allows it.
- Charge your phone and pack a battery.
- Transfer tickets to each person in your group.
If you chose will call
- Confirm the pickup location and hours on the venue website.
- Bring government-issued photo ID that matches the name on the order.
- Bring the card used to buy and your order number.
- Arrive early enough to stand in line and still make doors.
- Check seat details at the window.
FAQ
What is will call?
Will call is a delivery option where tickets are held at the venue box office for you to pick up in person. You usually need government-issued photo ID, and often the card used to buy. Some venues release tickets only to the named buyer.
Can I screenshot a mobile ticket?
Often not. Jacobs Pavilion says its barcode changes every 60 seconds, and the Titans say screenshots will not be accepted at Nissan Stadium. Use the app or the wallet pass the venue names, and ask the venue if you are unsure.
Is will call or mobile faster at the gate?
Mobile, as a rule, because you skip the pickup line. Will call adds a stop at the box office before you reach the gate, so arrive earlier. The exception is a mobile ticket that is not yet released or an app that will not load.
Can someone else pick up my will-call tickets?
That depends on the venue. Some, like DCU Center, release tickets only to the person named on the order. Contact the box office before event day, and do not count on a friend with a photo of your ID.
What if my mobile ticket has not arrived yet?
Check the event details for the release time first, since some barcodes appear only a day or a few days beforehand. If the time has passed and nothing is there, contact the seller right away. With us, the 100% money-back guarantee applies if tickets do not arrive before the event.
Sources
- Will call (Wikipedia)
- Box Office and Will Call, DCU Center
- Box Office Info, Bridgestone Arena
- Tickets, Jacobs Pavilion
- Tennessee Titans ticket policies