Having a gentile buy something for you on Shabbos

Question:

I would like to purchase tickets to a certain event, although the tickets will only be sold within a three hour window on Shabbos. May I ask a gentile colleague of mine to buy the tickets for me?

Answer:

It depends on the arrangement of how this is done. To ask a gentile to buy tickets on Shabbos on your behalf is forbidden, whether you give him the money to do so, or he uses his own money, due to the prohibition of Amira Lenachri which prohibits a gentile from acting as one’s agent to do any matter that is forbidden on Shabbos, even Rabbinical. However you may ask a gentile to make the purchase using his own money on his own behalf [not for you], and tell him that after Shabbos you will buy the tickets from him. Alternatively, you can lend the gentile the money to buy the tickets and instruct him to buy the tickets on behalf of himself [and not on your behalf], telling him that after Shabbos you will then buy the tickets from him using the loan money that he owes you. You may even promise to buy the ticket from him after Shabbos and may even offer the gentile a profit for his endeavors [i.e., lending him $100 for a 80 dollar tickets, and have him sell you the tickets in exchange for the entire $100 loan, hence having gained $20]. [It is understood from the above that the option of allowance only applies if the ticket does not require your name to be printed on it, however if the name of the individual must be written on the ticket, then there is no way to arrange it, as in no way may he make the purchase of your behalf and have your name written on the ticket.]

Sources: Admur 307:9-10; Michaber 307:3; Rosh Bava Metzia 7:6 in name of Rasag; Rabbeinu Yerucham Nesiv 12:12; Hagahos Mordechai Shabbos Remez 452; Hagahos Maimanis 6:2; Tehila Ledavid 307:3; Ashel Avraham 307:3; Orchos Chaim 307:5; Divrei Tzevi p. 32; Kaf Hachaim 307:22-24; M”B 307:13; Piskeiy Teshuvos 307:9