German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has reshuffled its ticketing system for the sale of single match tickets.
The football club has worked alongside fan representatives to improve the sale process of day tickets.
Sales of day tickets for home games will still take place exclusively online for the 2022-23 season, with tickets only available in digital form as mobile tickets or print at home.
Single tickets will no longer be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, but by enquiry and subsequent lottery. The time of the request will not have an effect on a fan’s chance of securing tickets, so long as it is in the allocated application window.
The application period for the seven first-round home games began yesterday (Thursday) and all BVB fans can make a request for tickets, though members will continue to be prioritised.
Fans can request up to two tickets for top games and four for other matches, and will need to specify a category. They will be asked to choose a second and third category to increase the chances of securing a ticket, which the club has highly recommended for fans trying to grab a seat in the highly-requested southern grandstand at Signal Iduna Park.
A request constitutes a binding purchase if the fan is successful in the ticket raffle. However, until the application window comes to a close, fans are able to delete a request in their account.
Raffles for home games are set to take place roughly two to three weeks before the match date, and successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.
In a follow-up article, the club justified its move to the new system. BVB said: “After ongoing criticism of the ticket hotline, which was criticised above all for its lack of time flexibility and fairness, there was a plan to change the day ticket system some time ago.
“During the partial spectator games, the online shop was therefore introduced as the only sales channel. Since criticism of the “first come, first served” principle, i.e. the attachment to a certain pre-sale start, was also expressed here, the raffle tool was developed in coordination with fan representatives, which should focus on fairness and transparency.”
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