The name on the ticket is not yoursso what does the gate actually check?

It is the first question every customer asks, and it deserves a straight answer. Four things explain it:

• Where the ticket comes from

  We work on the secondary market, and the tickets come from authorised agents and suppliers. It is the ticket the club issued, not a copy of it.

• Why it is not always in your name

  At many clubs the ticket is issued in the name of whoever held it, and the club decides whether it can be transferred. That is their decision, not ours.

• It does not affect validity

  The barcode is the one the club issued, and it scans at the gate like any other. Both our FAQ and our terms say that the printed name does not affect the ticket’s validity.

• What does matter

  The organiser’s rules. Some clubs restrict ticket transfers in their own rules, so what counts is knowing in advance what your match requires - and those entry instructions arrive with the tickets.

This is what settles the question: when names are needed we ask for them at the request stage, not on the evening of the match. In Italy that means the tickets are allocated in your names; elsewhere the names are needed for registration or identification, as the organiser requires.

1. 1When it happensIn Italy, where tickets have to be allocated to the spectator’s name, and in any other case where the organiser requires names or ID details for a particular match.
2. 2What we ask forThe full name exactly as it appears in the passport, for every spectator on the order. Sometimes further ID details, as the organiser requires.
3. 3Why it has to be exactThe name on the ticket is what is compared against the passport at the gate, so any difference holds you up.
4. 4What it means for youThis is not a problem you have to solve at the gate. We know in advance what the match requires, ask for what is needed, and send entry instructions with the tickets.

There are three possible checks, and not all of them happen everywhere:

• The ticket scan

  The check that always happens. The barcode is scanned and the gate opens.

• The name check

  A further check where the ticket carries a name: the name is compared against an ID.

• The security search

  Bag checks, sometimes in several rings around the ground. This is what makes the queue long.

What decides which checks apply is the host club that evening, not only the ground. San Siro is home to both Milan and Inter, and the Olimpico in Rome to both Roma and Lazio - and two clubs in the same stadium can work to different rules. So we tell you what your own match requires, rather than a generalisation.

In Italy this is the rule rather than the exception, and our own Italian club pages say so:

• Tickets are personal

  The ticket carries the spectator’s name, and at the gates that name is compared against an ID.

• Bring a passport

  For every spectator on the order, not only whoever booked. That is the document shown at the gate.

• Arrive early

  Entry checks take time, and some Italian grounds have several rings of them. About an hour and a half before kick-off is not excessive.

• What it means for the order

  For a match in Italy we ask for every traveller’s name at the request stage, and the tickets are allocated in your names.

This is what surprises visitors most, and it cannot be sorted out on the night:

• It is an entry requirement, not a ticket

  In Turkey every spectator needs a personal fan card in their own name, on top of the match ticket. Without one there is no entry.

• It applies to children too

  The requirement covers every spectator aged seven and over - the children travelling with you included.

• Registration takes days

  A visitor registers with a passport, and there is an annual fee for using the ticketing system. It is not something you can arrange on the evening of the match.

• What we do about it

  For a match in Turkey we ask for every traveller’s details at the request stage - the fan card is personal - and help you get it all in place before the flight.

A short list, and it is almost always enough:

1. 1A passport eachEven when it may not be asked for. It is the document that answers every question at the gate.
2. 2The ticket loaded in advanceIf it is a digital ticket, open it and load it into the wallet before leaving the hotel. Do not rely on a signal at the gate.
3. 3BatteryA phone that dies in the queue is the most common way to miss kick-off.
4. 4TimeThe gates open well before the match, and a full house takes time to get in. Go in early and wait inside.

Four things cause almost every problem at the gate:

• Do not screenshot the barcode

  Some digital tickets refresh their barcode, and a screenshot will not scan. Always open the ticket itself.

• Do not move a ticket between phones on your own

  If a ticket has to go to someone else in the group, ask us first. Transferring ownership depends on the club’s policy, and the rules are on the cancellation policy page (Hebrew).

• Do not resell it yourself

  If you cannot make it, talk to us. Selling it on can break the organiser’s rules and put your own entry at risk.

• Do not argue at the gate

  If something does not work, call us. We are available on matchday itself.

Changing a name on a ticket and transferring ownership depend entirely on the club’s policy, so they are not restated here - it is all in one place on the cancellation policy page (Hebrew).