How to Purchase a Badge for San Diego Comic Con 2019

So you beat the spinning blue circle, made it out of the Expo Logic waiting room and into the registration session – now what? Since you only have 15 minutes to complete your entire registration session and purchase, here is everything you need to know about purchasing a badge for San Diego Comic Con 2019.

The first page you will see, if chosen for a registration session, will be the Member ID validation page. You will need to enter your eligible Comic-Con Member ID and last name. You will not be validated if your Member ID is being used by someone else, or if your ID is currently being used by someone else to purchase a badge on your behalf. If you are in a buying group, coordination at this phase is essential.

If you are in a group you can purchase badges for two other people in addition to yourself, meaning three badges total. You will need all the eligible Member IDs and last names of the people you are purchasing badges for, so I strongly recommend you have this information ready to go beforehand. Once a Member ID is used in a registration session, it is locked for 15 minutes or until the session is closed.

Now we get to the good stuff: badge selection. When you reach this page, all available inventory will be shown. If your desired badge type is unavailable, select another type or close your registration session to allow others to purchase. The badge prices vary by day and by your age and affiliation.

Kids (12 and under) are free with a paying adult. Juniors (age 13 -17) pay junior prices. Seniors (age 60 years and older) pay the Military/Senior reduced price. Active-duty military with ID pay the Military/Senior price. This deal does not extend to military dependents.

All purchases are subject to a one-time handling fee of $7.50 per member. I repeat: this is a one-time fee. For example, if you purchased a badge during Returning Registration, you will not be charged a handling fee if you purchase a badge during Open Registration.

The schedule for San Diego Comic-Con will not be live until a couple weeks before the convention, so the days you choose to purchase passes will be a gamble. Saturday is usually the first to sell out since it consistently has the best guests and panels. Camping out all day in Hall H on Saturday is essential for any Marvel and Warner Brothers property fan who wants exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming movies.

Preview Night is not a stand-alone purchase option. The Preview Night badge option may only be purchased if you buy a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday badge OR if you have already purchased a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday badge during Returning Registration. Preview Night gives you the chance to walk through the floor while it’s the emptiest it’s going to be for the rest of the convention. This is extremely helpful if it’s your first time at the convention so you can get acclimated to the layout.

Fear not, if you do not wind up with any passes; there will be plenty of off-site activities in Downtown San Diego that you can enjoy for free without a Comic-Con badge!