Olympics tickets - buying, reselling and paying

How can I sell unwanted Olympics tickets?

The only way to sell your unwanted tickets is at face value through the official Olympics website between now and 6pm on 3 February 2012. Following earlier website problems which led to ticket sales being suspended, the site is now live again.

If you want to buy tickets, you'll be able to do so on the same website from April.

What if I purchased tickets using the paper application form?

Ticket resale is only available online. If you want to submit your tickets for resale but you don't have access to the internet, the Olympics authorities suggest using the internet service at your local library or internet cafe. We don't think this is very safe, due to the risk to your personal details, and will be taking the matter up with Locog. If you do want to offer your tickets for resale though, you need to follow these steps:

• If you haven't already, create an online account using the same personal details to those you entered on your paper application form.
• Contact the London 2012 Customer Service team on 0844 847 2012 who will activate your account.
• Sell your tickets

Can I sell unwanted tickets on eBay?

No. The London Olympics’ organising committee chairman Lord Sebastian Coe recently remarked, ‘It is illegal to sell an Olympic ticket and we will enforce this rigorously.’

The maximum fine for selling tickets on the black market has been increased from £5,000 to £20,000.

I can’t afford the tickets I’ve won – what can I do?

The first action you can take is to sell those tickets you cannot afford. See above for details of the resale process.

The ticketing rules stipulated that you should only apply for tickets if you could afford to pay for them. The Olympics authority is not responsible for bank fees and charges incurred. However, there are actions you can take to minimise the interest and charges you pay while you're waiting to see if you can resell your tickets or if you want to keep the tickets you've bought.

If you’re struggling with debt, it’s worth taking independent advice from a debt advice organisation such as the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS). For a full list of contact details, read our How to deal with debt guide.

If you have used your overdraft to pay for tickets, consider switching to a Best Rate current account for authorised overdrafts. If you’re using an unauthorised overdraft, speak to your bank as soon as possible – it may be willing to increase your authorised overdraft facility.

If you’ve paid on your credit card, think about transferring the debt to a Best Rate 0% balance transfer credit card. The best credit cards offer up to 20 months interest-free.

I haven’t won the tickets I want – what can I do?

As explained above, people who have spare tickets will be able to sell them until 3 February 2012. If you're keen to buy tickets, you'll need to check the ticketing website in April when places go back on sale. All tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. You may also still be able to buy tickets as part of a hotel/travel package.

The process for buying and reselling Paralympic Games tickets is the same as for Olympics tickets.

However, any tickets to Olympic Football Tournament and Paralympic Games that were unsold in previous rounds are still on sale now, and are available until 6pm on Monday 6 February 2012.

• Did you win all, some or none of the Olympics tickets you applied for? We'd like to hear your experiences at Which? Conversation.

I think I’ve fallen victim to an Olympics ticket scam – what can I do?

If you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam, notify your bank or credit card company immediately and check your credit file for unexpected entries.

You should also report the scam to the Olympics organisers and Action Fraud. Olympics organisers have published a non-exhaustive list of fake and unauthorised websites.

For more details on spotting and reporting scams, read our Guide to scams.

Paying for goods and withdrawing cash at the Olympic Games in 2012

Visa will be the exclusive payment card at the Games, so if you want to buy goods by card at the London venues, you'll need a Visa-branded debit, credit or prepaid card. Visa plans to install hundreds of point-of-sale acceptance devices at London 2012 venues, as well as an ATM network. Cash will also be accepted in the London 2012 park and venues.

Debit cards

Most UK banks issue Visa debit cards with their current accounts. Very few now use the MasterCard/Maestro network. To get the best current account for you, whether you're usually in credit or overdrawn, read Which? bank account reviews.

Credit cards

If your current account doesn't come with a Visa debit card and you don't want to switch, it's worth getting a Visa credit card. To spread your Olympics spending over a year or more without paying any interest, get a Best Rate 0% purchases credit card. If you prefer to pay off your bill every month, a cashback or reward credit card will pay you for using the card. Make sure you choose a Visa-branded credit card, rather than a MasterCard if you want to use it for Olympics purchases.

Prepaid cards

Prepaid cards can be very useful for budgeting: you preload the card with cash and you can only spend what is on the card. Prepaid cards are also suitable if you want to give money to your children or other relatives to spend, but don't want them to have a credit card or carry large amounts of cash.

Prepaid cards are usually either on the Visa or MasterCard network. As with other cards, you'll need to choose a Visa-branded prepaid card if you want to use it for buying Olympics tickets. However, charges vary enormously between prepaid cards - many card providers impose fees for getting, loading and using the card. Choose a Visa-network prepaid card from Which? prepaid card reviews to get the best deal.