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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: American Express® Green Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card†, Capital One Spark Miles for Business†, Capital One Spark Cash for Business†, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, Citi Rewards+® Card, AT&T Points Plus® Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠, AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
- Many credit card issuers offer access to presale, preferred seating, and VIP ticket offers.
- American Express, Capital One, and Citi each have their own entertainment programs.
- Chase doesn’t offer presale access as widely as other issuers, though it offers entertainment perks.
Introduction to Credit Card Presale Tickets
If you’re swiping a credit card regularly, you probably know its key benefits. But do you know the extra, lesser-known perks that it comes with?
Benefits of Credit Card Presales
Depending on which bank issues your card, there’s a chance you’ve got access to presale or VIP tickets for big concerts and events. It’s an awesome cardmember bonus that anyone who attends hard-to-book events doesn’t want to ignore.
Eligible Credit Cards for Presale Access
Major Credit Cards with Entertainment Benefits
With most American Express cards, you’re eligible to buy presale tickets through the American Express Experiences program. American Express gives cardmembers presale ticket access to popular music festivals like Coachella and premier sporting events like Wimbledon and the US Open Golf Championship.
For certain events, your American Express card can also get you into exclusive meet-and-greets and qualify you for concession offers or dedicated cardmember entrances. And you may be able to take advantage of By Invitation Only events too.
Specific Cards Known for Presale Ticket Access
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Insider’s Rating
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4.4/5
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It indicates a confirmed selection.
Perks
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Pros
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber
Cons
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Bonus categories leave something to be desired
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cards
Product Details
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
- $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
American Express
To book, you can head to American Express Experiences. You can sort experiences by early access, invitation only (which requires either a version of The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Centurion card. Once you find the event you want to attend, you can click “Get tickets” to be redirected to Ticketmaster, AXS, or wherever the reservations exist.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best all-around cards to score event tickets. Not only does it open up invitation-only experiences through American Express Experiences, but you can also ask your Amex Platinum Concierge (a real human being) to book the tickets for you. This can eliminate your need to be in front of the computer at a specific time to get what you need.
Alternately, you can visit the Amex Ticketmaster landing page to see Ticketmaster offerings. You look at presales, American Express Seating, and American Express Preferred Seating. You’ll have to pay with your eligible Amex card to qualify.
Eligible American Express Cards:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership
- American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership
- American Express® Green Card
— 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership and earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases, up to a total of $200 back, made during your first six months of card membership - Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card — 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership
- Hilton Honors American Express Card — 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership (offer ends 4/17/24)
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card — 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months from account opening
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express — $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership
Capital One: Entertainment and Presale Tickets
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Insider’s Rating
A five pointed star
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A five pointed star
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4.55/5
Icon of check mark inside a promo stamp
It indicates a confirmed selection.
Perks
Regular APR
19.99% – 29.99% variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Pros
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.No bonus categories to keep track of
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Includes up to a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Cons
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Other credit cards offer higher rewards in certain categories of spending
Product Details
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase-or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Capital One credit cards offer presale opportunities for a handful of events — most recently a chance to buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour nearly three days before sales are open to the public.
Importantly, you cannot find these opportunities through Capital One Entertainment. You can check out the Capital One presale landing page to see what’s currently on offer.
Capital One
For all your non-presale needs, however, Capital One Entertainment comes with a big upside. It’s got fun and unique experiences, some of which you can exclusively book with credit card rewards — and select cards, such as the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card†
, will give you 8% back on purchases made through Capital One Entertainment.
Eligible Capital One Cards:
Citi Entertainment: Presale Tickets and Event Access
Citi Premier® Card
Insider’s Rating
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
4.1/5
Icon of check mark inside a promo stamp
It indicates a confirmed selection.
Perks
Regular APR
21.24% – 29.24% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Pros
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Strong bonus
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Generous bonus categories
Cons
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Doesn’t offer much in the way of statement credits or other perks
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Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Citi ThankYou Rewards may not be as convenient as other points for US-based travelers
Insider’s Take
If you’re looking for an all-purpose travel credit card with strong rewards, many ways to use your points, and an annual fee under $100, the Citi Premier should be on your shortlist. Beyond the welcome bonus offer, the Citi Premier® Card offers great 3x earning categories that just about anyone can take advantage of — and the rewards it earns are incredibly flexible.
Citi Premier Card
review
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If you have a Citi credit card or debit card, you can access exclusive ticket offers through the Citi Entertainment program. Citi will occasionally give you access to purchase tickets before anyone else.
Citi says its presale tickets generally go on sale two to three days before tickets are available to the public, but it’s sometimes more.
By heading to the Citi Entertainment site, you can easily see which events are up for presale. You can also view Preferred tickets (which are tickets set aside exclusively for Citi cardholders), Preferred Price tickets, and Complimentary tickets (which can be claimed once every six months).
Citi
Once you select an offer, you may be transferred to Ticketmaster.com or wherever the tickets are being sold. You’ll have to enter the first six digits of your Citi credit or debit card to unlock the offer.
Eligible Citi Cards:
- Citi Premier® Card
— 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening - Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
— $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening - Citi® Double Cash Card
— $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening - Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi — N/A
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
— 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $7,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening - Citi Rewards+® Card
— 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first three months of account opening - AT&T Points Plus® Card
— $100 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening
Notable Mention: Chase
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Insider’s Rating
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
A five pointed star
4.4/5
Icon of check mark inside a promo stamp
It indicates a confirmed selection.
Perks
Regular APR
21.49% – 28.49% Variable
Pros
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.High intro bonus offer starts you off with lots of points
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Check mark icon
A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.Strong travel coverage
Cons
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con icon
Two crossed lines that form an ‘X’.Doesn’t offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Product Details
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
Your Chase credit card isn’t the best for presale tickets — though you can sometimes score presale tickets for events at the Chase Center (in other words, this isn’t valuable at tons of locations worldwide).
Even so, Chase credit and debit card members are eligible to take advantage of Chase Preferred Seating at events. And, for select events, Chase may invite everyone who’s purchased a Chase Preferred Seat to enjoy a pre-event reception at a Chase Lounge.
Chase Preferred Seating and Chase Lounges are available at some impressive venues, including Madison Square Garden and Radio Music Hall in New York City, the Chicago Theater, and The Forum in Los Angeles.
To buy the tickets, you’ll just need to use one of your Chase cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, at checkout.
Oh, and once you’re at the event, your Chase card may qualify you for arena benefits like discounts on merchandise and food and beverage.
Eligible Chase Cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
— $200 cash bonus (received as 20,000 bonus points) after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening - Chase Freedom Unlimited® — additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card — $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card — $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
- United℠ Explorer Card — 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open
Considerations and Best Practices
Reading the Fine Print on Ticket Offers
Having access to presale tickets doesn’t guarantee that you’ll always be able to purchase admission to super-popular events. But it can help in a dramatic way.
If there’s an upcoming event for which you want presale access, you’ll need your card number to qualify. Don’t wait until a day or two before presale to open a credit card that’ll give you this access, as you won’t receive it in time.
If you find yourself in this situation now, be aware that select few cards offer you an instant card number upon approval. This could possibly give you immediate presale access — though it’s not surefire.
Managing Your Expectations
Don’t have a credit card from one of the issuers listed above that offers presale or preferred tickets? Your cards could still offer their own set of entertainment benefits.
For instance, all Mastercard cardholders can buy tickets to various exclusive events from around the world via the Priceless Cities program. So if you have a card like the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
, you can take advantage of this program.
No matter which credit card you’re currently using, there’s a good chance that it may offer some entertainment perks.
Check with your card issuer to find out what type of benefits you’re entitled to. And the next time you plan to attend an event, don’t forget to take advantage of them.
FAQs
Many major credit card companies, including American Express, Citi, and Chase, offer presale ticket benefits for various events through partnerships with ticket vendors.
Cardholders can sign up for email notifications from their credit card company or the ticket vendor, and regularly check the credit card’s benefits page for upcoming presales.
Yes, most presale offers have purchase limits to ensure broader access to tickets. These limits are usually specified in the presale details.
Presale tickets can be available for a wide range of events, including concerts, sports, theater productions, and exclusive shows.
Presale access is typically limited to specific credit cards with which the event organizer or ticket vendor has a partnership. It’s essential to use the correct card associated with the presale offer.
Joseph Hostetler, CEPF
Credit cards reporter
