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App Review: Ticketmaster For iPhone Makes Buying Easy, Has Few Shortcomings

A clean interface with an arsenal of convenient features, the latest release of Ticketmaster for iPhone delivers an impressive product. During my time with the app, I discovered and purchased tickets to local events with ease. I purchased and offered for resale two tickets to this Saturday's AS Roma-Inter Milan friendly at Lincoln Financial Field. I tested the ticket sell/transfer functionality and successfully added mobile tickets to my iPhone Passbook. While I did have a few moments of hesitation -- entering my bank account number, posting my tickets for sale -- I liked the experience and would use it again. Ticketmaster for iPhone was developed in-house by Ticketmaster and released on June 9. This review was conducted on an iPhone 5 version 7.1.2, with AT&T LTE service.

VIP PASSES: Finding local events is made simple with GPS enabled on the iPhone, and a deep set of filters provides even more convenience. After an event is selected, the app offers users the ability to purchase tickets directly from the venue or from the resale market in a single location. A swipe-to-buy feature allows users to bypass the event detail page for a quicker path to purchase. To buy tickets, users must create an account with Ticketmaster, but the app does not require credit card information to be entered until the final steps in a transaction. Ticketing methods differ by event, but the app supports the sale and transfer of tickets, mobile ticketing and Passbook. Listing a ticket for sale or transfer is quick and easy. The app also does a nice job of housing a user-focused message center that contains order confirmations and promotional information on favorited events and artists.

CHEAP SEATS: Aside from a few unexpected crashes, there is nothing in this app that is outright broken. Still, there are many features that could be improved. Most prominently, tickets should be searchable by feature -- transfer, sell, mobile, print at home -- to provide peace of mind to users that want some flexibility after purchase. When selling or transferring tickets, the app should make the path to selling multiple tickets more obvious. For added convenience, the app's Favorites function pulls in the user's music library, but that information gets mingled with selected favorites and makes it hard to navigate. In event discovery, distance from location would be a nice filter. In delivery options, a pick-up at Ticketmaster is offered, but there is no information about those locations within the app. Finally, some reassurance on the security of bank account information would be a worthwhile addition, as would the option to require a password to purchase. Without some sort of barrier, the idea of a teenager with access to this app and a saved credit card is unsettling. 

BOTTOM LINE: The most common complaints about this app on iTunes were frequent crashes and a poorly functioning Favorites section. Ticketmaster for iPhone has a user rating of 1.5 stars on iTunes, but I'll give it 4 stars. Ticketmaster for iPhone answers the call to convenience, offering many options for purchasing, transferring and reselling event tickets quickly and securely. While it has some features that could be even more convenient, there is nothing about the app that is truly awful. Many users feel strongly about the lack of control over the Favorites section, and I would have to agree that this is a pain point, but in my opinion, this app is a solid upgrade by Ticketmaster.

Amie Sheridan (amie.sheridan31@gmail.com) is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.

See Sheridan's previous App Review submissions for THE DAILY:

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