Chelsea Football Club can today confirm important changes to our general admission ticketing policy for men’s matches next season, including the introduction of ID verification for ticket purchases.
The switch to digital ticketing this season has enabled the club to clamp down on ticket touting and misuse. Together with enhanced resources, these changes have made a material difference to the club’s ability to tackle ticket touting this season – the results of which can be found here.
Building on this work, the club is introducing further changes that will be implemented ahead of the 2026/27 season, to make the ticketing process fairer for fans as well as improving security checks within our system.
Extensive consultation over many months with the Fan Advisory Board, specific meetings with the Fans’ and Access Forums, as well as other supporter groups have helped to shape the following updates to our ticketing policy for men’s matches to ensure the system is fairer and more secure for fans.
Over the coming weeks and months the club will be providing step-by-step guides, hosting a supporter townhall, drop-in sessions, and sharing online tools to support fans through these changes.
– Click here to read FAQs on updates to our ticketing policies
Key updates ID verification What?
Following this season’s successful implementation of anti-touting measures, the club is taking further steps to ensure that all ticket holders are verified individuals.
In the interests of security and to help tackle ticket fraud, before accessing or purchasing tickets, supporters over the age of 16 will need to complete an online ID verification.
More information on how the club will be completing these checks will be confirmed with supporters in due course.
Why?
The club’s anti-touting measures have been successful but existing checks carried out by the club are currently implemented post-purchase. This change is designed to prevent those using false details from accessing tickets in the first place, so that as many tickets as possible remain available for genuine Chelsea supporters.
Ticket application window: Home ticket sales What?
Tickets for our home matches next season will be sold via an application process for Chelsea FC members.
For each match, eligible members will have a designated window to submit an application for tickets. Supporters will be able to enter at any time during the window providing greater flexibility, with no impact on their chance of success for that game.
Once the application window has closed, tickets will be allocated through an automated process run by a third-party to ensure complete fairness.
Select fixtures will require a minimum number of loyalty points to enter.
Why?
Following feedback on the current process and issues previously experienced by supporters, the club wants to streamline the ticket purchase journey, make it more flexible for fans, improve reliability at peak times and reduce the risk of bot and tout activity.
By moving to an application window, supporters will no longer need to join an online queue at a specific time for home tickets. This approach is intended to provide a fairer, more consistent experience for eligible members whilst enhancing the club’s ability to monitor and prevent automated purchasing behaviour.
Loyalty points What?
Loyalty points will now only be awarded for attendance at men’s first-team home matches and no longer accrued for purchasing tickets.
Points will be added to eligible accounts following each game, provided the ticket has been scanned at the turnstile.
This means that supporters purchasing tickets on the ticket exchange, or receiving tickets via ticket forwarding, will now receive loyalty points for attending matches.
Loyalty points will continue to be awarded for purchasing away tickets.
Why?
This change aims to reward supporters who attend matches. The club has been made aware of instances where supporters have purchased tickets solely to obtain loyalty points, with no intention of attending the match. This prevents others from being able to attend matches and results in empty seats. This is a fairer way of rewarding loyalty and incentivises attendance which will enhance matchday atmosphere.
Season ticket utilisation What?
From next season, season ticket holders will be required to utilise their ticket for a minimum of 13 Premier League home games.
Your season ticket will be considered as ‘utilised’ if you do any of the following:
Attend the match and scan your ticket at the turnstile to enter the stadium
Forward your ticket to an eligible member in your network, who scans the ticket to enter the stadium
List your ticket on the club’s official ticket exchange (there is no requirement for the ticket to sell)
The club will continually review attendance data throughout the season. Where a supporter’s seat has not been utilised for a number of matches, the club will endeavour to contact that supporter to make wellbeing checks and offer advice on utilisation methods. Please note that ticket forwarding and ticket exchange will now be available up to three hours before kick-off, to provide as much flexibility as possible for supporters when they are unable to attend a match.
If a supporter continually leaves their seat un-utilised without explanation, they may lose the opportunity to renew for the following season. This requirement will not apply to supporters with accessible tickets.
Why?
With such high demand for our tickets, it is important to us that as many seats as possible are made available to members. We are therefore encouraging season ticket holders to make use of the options available to them if they are unable to attend a match.
Home ticket sales: Ticket exchange What?
In addition to season ticket holders, True Blue and CFC Blue members will now have the option to list tickets on the ticket exchange if they are unable to attend a home match.
The ticket exchange window will be extended to close three hours before kick-off in line with ticket forwarding. Previously, the window closed at 3pm on the last working day before a match.
Why?
We understand that there may be unforeseen circumstances which prevent supporters attending matches at short notice. Extending the ticket exchange is intended to give supporters increased opportunity to ensure their ticket is used with more time to do so.
Automatic Cup Scheme What?
Season ticket holders will be given the option at the start of the season to ‘opt-in’ to purchase their seat for all home cup fixtures.
Those who opt in for the Automatic Cup Scheme will be prompted to submit their card details at the start of the season. The card will then be automatically charged on a match-by-match basis.
Why?
The Automatic Cup Scheme will guarantee season ticket holders access to their seat for all cup fixtures, subject to their seat being available. Payments will be automatically taken ahead of the specific match reducing the administrative burden for supporters.
Away ticket transfer and exchangeWhat?
In the interests of security and fairness, the club is introducing limitations on who away tickets can be transferred to.
From next season, away ticket holders will only be able to pass on their ticket to an existing eligible member.
When doing so, they will be required to provide the name and membership number of the member who is using the ticket to the club via an online form, details of which will be provided in due course.
Away ticket holders will be able to transfer their ticket up to six times per season. Digital and in-person spot checks will be carried out to ensure the correct information has been provided to the club. The individual receiving the ticket must be ID verified and will be re-verified where necessary. Additional Ticket Collection Points will also be put in place.
Where a ticket has been passed on without the club’s knowledge, incorrect information has been provided, or an away ticket has been passed to an ineligible member, the ticket holder could be subject to sanctions consistent with our conditions of issue. This could include having their membership suspended or tickets revoked.
In addition to this, the club will also be introducing a new away ticket exchange where supporters who do not wish to transfer their ticket or attend the match themselves can list their tickets.
Why?
For security purposes, it is important that Chelsea FC and the opposition club know who is attending matches. We are aware that away tickets are regularly illegally sold via social media, third-party platforms or are purchased by those with no intention of attending simply to accrue loyalty points.
We want to ensure that only genuine Chelsea supporters attend away matches.
Family Stand What?
The sales restriction rules in the East Lower South will be removed from next season.
As a result, adult and youth tickets in this section can now be purchased without needing to be bought alongside a junior or senior ticket. Concession rates for juniors and seniors will continue to be available within the East Lower.
Why?
Over the course of the season, through our anti-touting efforts the club has gathered compelling evidence that concession tickets are being purchased fraudulently in this area. Almost half of suspended accounts this season involved misuse of tickets purchased within the Family Stand.
A sizeable portion of our match-by-match seats are positioned within the East Lower stand. With such high demand from within our membership, removing these restrictions will increase the number of tickets available to adult and youth fans.
The East Lower North will remain a dedicated family area, with greater support in place to help ensure a family-friendly atmosphere for all supporters.
We would like to thank all supporters for their continued support and patience as we continue to improve our ticketing system to ensure a fairer, more secure process for all.