TL;DR. The message means Ticketmaster has seen activity it thinks is unusual and has paused your access for a while. Its help pages say this is usually temporary. Stop refreshing, then work through the steps below in order: cookies, network, VPN and extensions, one tab on one device. If none of that works, contact Ticketmaster UK or Ireland support. Every step below comes from Ticketmaster's own help pages unless we say otherwise.
What the message means
What it actually means: Ticketmaster pauses activity when it detects behaviour that looks unusual, to protect fans' accounts and tickets. Ticketmaster Ireland's help page gives repeated refreshes or clicks in a short time as an example, and Ticketmaster UK's help page says refreshing too often can cause a temporary block. A shared connection, such as an office, school or public wifi, can also trigger a pause, and Ticketmaster says in that case you have done nothing wrong.
What to do first: follow any instructions on the screen and stop refreshing. Ticketmaster says sometimes you have to wait a short period before you can get back in. If you were part way through buying, check your orders in your Ticketmaster account before you try again, so you do not buy twice.
The steps, in order
1. Allow cookies
Cookies must be on for Ticketmaster to work. Ticketmaster says to allow cookies (on Safari, make sure "Block all cookies" is off). If you are still blocked, it says to clear your history and cookies, sign out of all browsers and devices, then sign back in.
2. Switch network
If you are on office, school or public wifi, switch to your own connection, such as mobile data. Ticketmaster suggests mobile data and waiting a few minutes when the pause is caused by a busy shared network.
3. Turn off VPN, iCloud Private Relay and extensions
Ticketmaster's help pages say a VPN, Apple's iCloud Private Relay or another proxy can stop a purchase or make you look like several connections at once. Turn them off. They also suggest turning off browser extensions, plug-ins and any automated tools, and making sure JavaScript is on. Trying a private window, such as Chrome Incognito, is another of their suggestions. Ticketmaster Ireland's page says that if you are still blocked after a VPN message, try another network or device and wait five minutes.
4. One tab, one device
Ticketmaster's UK help page is direct about this: using several devices, browsers or tabs at the same time can look like a bot and get you blocked. Close the extra tabs. If you were signed in on more than one device, sign out everywhere, clear history and cookies, and sign back in on the one device you will buy on.
5. Contact Ticketmaster support
If you are still stuck, contact Ticketmaster for the country of the show. Tell them the message you saw, the time, the event and whether you were mid-purchase.
- If you can sign in: open the order in My Tickets and use the chat. Ticketmaster says chat is faster.
- If you cannot sign in, or have no tickets yet: use the email form on the help centre.
UK shows: Ticketmaster UK, How to Contact Us. Irish shows: Ticketmaster Ireland, How to Contact us. Neither page lists a phone number.
Avoiding it next time
Before a sale, sign in on the device you will buy on, with cookies on, VPN and Private Relay off, and one tab open. Do not refresh over and over, and do not share links. For resale, the urge to refresh is the problem.
That checking is the part Alertix does for you. We watch official resale channels around the clock from our own systems, never with your account, and push an alert to your phone linked straight to the listing. You open it and buy it yourself, signed in as you. Find your show on the events page. If a ticket had gone by the time you got there, read when to check again.
Questions people actually ask
What does "Your browsing activity has been paused" mean on Ticketmaster?
Ticketmaster has seen activity it thinks is unusual, such as repeated refreshes or clicks in a short time, and has paused your access for a while. Ticketmaster's help pages say it is usually temporary.
How long does a Ticketmaster pause last?
Ticketmaster does not give a set time. Its help pages say it is usually temporary and that sometimes you have to wait a short period. Ticketmaster Ireland's page suggests waiting five minutes before trying again if you are still blocked after turning off a VPN.
Will I be blocked for using two tabs or two devices?
It can happen. Ticketmaster's UK help pages say using several devices, browsers or tabs at the same time can look like a bot and get you blocked. They advise one browser window on one device.
Can I phone Ticketmaster about it?
Ticketmaster's UK and Ireland contact pages do not list a phone number. If you can sign in, use the chat from your order in My Tickets. If you cannot sign in, use the email form on the help centre.