Tickets go on sale this week, and a Visa card is a must for hopeful punters. By Jill Insley
Applications for Olympic tickets open this week, when the London 2012 website allows customers to select their event and price choices for the first time.
The schedule and ticket prices can be viewed online, and tickets will be available for selection on the website or through official London 2012 sales channels (as part of packages from Thomas Cook, Prestige Ticketing and Jet Set Sports) for residents in the UK and designated European countries from Tuesday. They will remain on offer up to and including 26 April.
Allocation of tickets will take place in May, so rushing online on the first day will make no difference to your chances of getting to see Jessica Ennis & Co. Applications for popular events will be entered into a ballot, and all applicants will be told whether they have been successful during June by email or post.
Ticket prices start at �20 for adults and �16 for seniors, while those 16 and under pay according to their age. So a 10-year-old will pay �10 for a ticket.
Tickets can be bought for cash or by cheque using a paper application form available at Lloyds TSB and Bank of Scotland branches, or local libraries in Northern Ireland. If you want to buy online you must use a Visa credit, debit or pre-paid card. Visa has been a sponsor of the Olympic games since 1986 and the Paralympic games since 2002.
Colin Grannell of Visa Europe says there is just time for those without a Visa credit or debit card to apply for one and get tickets before the 25 April deadline, but those who are nervous about missing out should consider buying a prepaid card. "Although these are subject to checks about the applicant, they take less time than those for a debit or credit card, so the card can be issued more quickly," he says.
Moneysupermarket.com recommends a pay-as-you-go prepaid Visa card from Virgin. This has an application fee of �9.95 and a 2.5% shop and usage fee, but is free to top up via debit card or Post Office branches. Virgin also offers a monthly version, which charges nothing for shopping or internet usage online, but this has a monthly fee of �4.75. Virgin says the card should take between five and 10 days to arrive.
Alternatively, those who leave it too late for a plastic card can apply for a "virtual Visa". These are linked to your bank account so do not require credit or money laundering checks. Raphaels Bank is issuing virtual Visas specifically for Olympic ticket purchase. It will provide you with the necessary details of your "card" account ? the card number, expiry date and security code for a one-off purchase ? but you don't actually receive a plastic card, so this can only be used online and over the phone. This will appear on the 2012 tickets website on Tuesday.
The Olympic organisers have warned repeatedly that prospective ticket purchasers should beware bogus websites and organisations claiming to sell tickets to the games. The London 2012 website emphasises that it will not ask ticket purchasers to provide payment details until applications open on Tuesday, so anyone who has already been asked to make a payment or sign a contract has been dealing with a bogus seller.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/mar/13/2012-olympic-tickets-visa-card
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