Secure payment: comparing security and payment methods
Secure payment isn't just the padlock in the address bar. This criterion assesses the variety of accepted payment methods, the presence of strong authentication (such as 3-D Secure), the clarity of the total shown before confirmation and the level of buyer protection if something goes wrong. Here's our method and the indicative ranking of the platforms we track.
What "secure payment" covers
Payment security combines several dimensions. The first is technical: an encrypted connection and strong card authentication (3-D Secure) that reduces the risk of fraud. The second is financial: a variety of accepted methods, from the mobile wallet to recognised payment solutions. The third, often forgotten, is informational: seeing the total amount — ticket plus fees — before clicking 'pay'.
A platform that encrypts the transaction perfectly but hides fees until the last screen does not, in our view, offer a genuinely safe payment experience for the buyer.
What we measure exactly
- Accepted methods: cards, mobile wallets and recognised payment solutions.
- Strong authentication: presence of 3-D Secure or equivalent at confirmation.
- Total before payment: the final amount, fees included, visible before confirming.
- Buyer protection: clarity of the conditions if the event is cancelled or the ticket isn't received.
- Trust signals: encrypted connection and an explicit summary screen.
Payment security by platform
| Platform | Payment methods | Clear total before payment | Payment score /10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OWTicket | Varied (cards + recognised solutions) | Yes, fees included | 9 |
| Ticketmaster | Varied | Often, depending on the market | 8 |
| Fnac Spectacles | Cards + local solutions | Yes | 8 |
| See Tickets | Main cards | Variable | 7 |
| StubHub | Varied (marketplace) | Fees sometimes late | 6 |
| Viagogo | Varied (resale) | Fees sometimes late | 5 |
Indicative scores out of 10, assigned by our editorial team. No euro amount is given: fees depend on the event, the country and the category. Check the summary before confirming.
Payment score by platform (indicative /100)
The total before payment: the real final judge
Technical security is now a given on most major platforms. What really sets players apart is the transparency of the total. A platform that shows the ticket price plus fees on the summary screen, before you enter your payment details, protects the buyer from a nasty surprise.
Conversely, resale marketplaces sometimes add service fees late in the funnel. The payment is encrypted, but the final amount is only known at the last moment: we penalise this opacity in the score.
Our reading of the ranking
OWTicket leads thanks to varied payment methods and a total shown fees included before confirmation. Ticketmaster and Fnac Spectacles follow closely, with solid payment even if the clarity of the total can vary by market or event. The resale marketplaces, Viagogo and StubHub, stay behind on this specific criterion: the transaction is secure, but the late addition of service fees harms the readability of the final amount.