Okay, this one isn’t exactly a personal finance blog post. But, it could definitely help military and veterans save some money. I just heard about this and apparently I’ve been missing out on one of the coolest non-profits for military families. Have you heard of Vet Tix?
From the website:
Vet Tix provides tickets to events which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. We support our troops by honoring their service and providing positive family and life experiences, during and after their years of service to our country.
Vet Tix provides tickets to all branches of currently-serving Military and Veterans, including immediate family of troops KIA.
Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation. VetTixers sign up online. We verify their service. VetTixers request tickets to events that interest them, then pay a small delivery fee to receive their free tickets.”
About Vet Tix
Vet Tix is a 501(c)(3) organization and they return over 95% of donations to the program. They have distributed over three million tickets to military members, families, and veterans since 2008. Some of the tickets are distributed to military bases, while others are handled through the online system.
It looks pretty straight forward. You can search for events you are interested in once your account is approved. If tickets are available, they are awarded based on a lottery process so everybody has a fair chance of receiving tickets.
Vet Tix says they’ve given out tickets in every state, to all sorts of events. Based on some reviews I found online, people got tickets to some really major concerts, sporting events, comedy shows, etc. Think Lady Antebellum, the Yankees, and Neil Diamond. You know you want to see Neil Diamond.
You can also donate to Vet Tix, which is great if you know about an event with extra tickets or maybe can’t use some tickets you already have. Or, if you are feeling flush and want to give back, you can donate some money! You can also donate through the Combined Federal Campaign and/or Amazon Smile. The link with more information on donating is here.
I haven’t used VetTix yet, but I’m excited to start!
How Vet Tix Works
There are two phases Vet Tix uses to distribute tickets online. First is the lottery phase. If the lottery phase ends and there are still tickets left, there is a second First Come First Served (FCFS) phase.
The first thing you want to do is search for events that interest you. Once you find something, you will see that it is either in the lottery phase or the FCFS phase.
Lottery phase: If the event you are interested in is in the lottery phase you can enter the lottery by bidding using virtual coins. Each coin is one entry and winners are selected randomly. The more coins you put in for that event, the higher your chances of winning tickets. If you are selected as a winner, you get an email with instructions for picking up your tickets. Also, if you win, every coin you put in is forfeited in exchange for the tickets. All of your coins are returned to you if you don’t win (yesssssss).
There are a bunch of ways to earn coins. You receive two coins each month for doing nothing, but you can also refer friends, submit feedback, fill out surveys, etc. I received 12 coins just for signing up!
First Come First Served phase: Pretty self explanatory. If, after the lottery phase, there are still tickets, then anybody can claim them in the FCFS phase. So don’t give up hope if you don’t win the lottery!
How to sign up
You can check it out at www.vettix.org. If you want to be super nice to me, you can use this link and I’ll earn some extra coins: https://www.VetTix.org/ref/673459.
You absolutely do NOT have to use my referral link to sign up. You can just go straight to the website and sign up yourself. If you do use my referral link, I will get 15 extra coins. Once you sign up, you can also send out a referral link to friends and earn extra coins. While there is no direct monetary benefit to getting extra coins, it can up your chances of winning a ticket lottery.
When you go to the Vet Tix website, there will be a variety of ways to sign up depending on your status (currently serving, veteran, severely wounded, Gold Star, or surviving spouse). Sign up took only a few minutes for me because I used the ID.me program. If you use one of the other methods it can take longer, but you should be good to go within a week or less.
Have you ever used Vet Tix? Tell us about your experience in the comments! Also, if you know anybody who would be interested in this program, please share this post with them. Let us know how it goes if you start getting tickets!
I’ve been a Vet Tix member for three years. The events I’ve attended with family members and other Verteran friends have been many and only because of Vet Tix. Most I wouldn’t have been able to attend. We’ve made and shared some great memories. Thanks to Vet Tix.
I recently met the team behind them – so glad I was able to shake their hands and give them thanks in person. What a program!
It’s been an amazing organization and I appreciate all they do. I have been a member for 3 years and have had the opportunity to spend quality time with my family and friends thru the program.