How to Get Presale Tickets with Your Credit Card

Many credit card issuers offer access to presale tickets, preferred seating, and VIP ticket offers as a perk for their cardholders. This access to presale tickets can mean the difference between actually attending an event or missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see your favorite artist or team.

If you're planning to use your credit card's presale access, it's important to plan ahead and understand how to take advantage of it. Let's take a look at how to get presale tickets with your credit card, specifically with American Express, Citi, Chase, and Capital One.

What are ticket presales?

A ticket presale gives certain shoppers access to event tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Presales give you the chance to buy tickets to an event you're excited about before they sell out. And in some cases, you may have access to lower ticket prices, especially for events that have dynamic pricing.

While there are a variety of ways to get presale access, one way is through your credit card. There are several different card issuers and cards that offer this perk, and the process for taking advantage of it works a bit differently from one issuer to the next.

How to get presale tickets with American Express

The American Express Experiences program makes it easy for American Express cardholders to find opportunities to find presale offers for eligible events. This perk is available to all Amex cardmembers and typically requires paying for tickets with your Amex card.

Steps to get presale tickets with American Express

1. Visit the American Express Experiences site. From here, you can see all Amex cardmember offers associated with Amex Presale Tickets, which could include theater productions, sporting events, concerts, culinary events, and more. You can view all upcoming events or filter them by event type or location.
2. Choose an event for more information. The list of events will give you general information about each event, including the name of the event, the date, the venue, and when the presale begins. Clicking on "Find tickets" will typically provide you with a countdown to the presale, tips for purchasing tickets, a seat map, and information about the different ‌available presales.
3. Buy your tickets: When you select the date and venue you want to buy tickets for, you'll be redirected to a third-party site, such as Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Eventbrite, etc. From there, you'll be able to purchase your tickets using the Amex card and access code (the 10-digit customer service number on the back of your card).

For Amex card options, check out our guide on American Express credit cards.

How to get presale tickets with Citi

Citi provides all Citi credit card and Citibank debit card customers access to Citi Entertainment benefits. Citi Entertainment is an entertainment access program provided by Citi that offers opportunities for cardmembers to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including dining experiences, sporting events, concerts, and more.

Steps to get presale tickets with Citi

1. Visit the Citi Entertainment site. Here you can find full listings of all available Citi Entertainment events. Use the search bar at the top to search for specific artists or events. You can also use dropdown menus to filter the list by type of event, location, and date. You won't need to log in to access this website.
2. Look for presale events. Most events should have an option to "Buy Now" or "Buy Presale Tickets." For presale tickets, find an event that has the "Buy Presale Tickets" option and select it.
3. Buy your tickets. On the event page, choose your desired dates and venue. Continuing with the purchasing option should bring you to a third-party site such as the Ticketmaster or Live Nation presale page. To complete your purchase, you might have to enter a presale password or passcode, which is typically the first six digits of your Citi credit card or Citibank debit card. You'll have to use your Citi card to purchase your tickets during a Citi presale event.

For Citi card options, check out our guide on Citi credit cards.

How to get presale tickets with Chase

Chase doesn't specifically advertise access to ticket presales using Chase credit cards, but certain cards could get you preferred ticket access. This means you might be able to use Chase benefits to score some of the best seats at certain events, though not necessarily during a presale event.

Chase preferred tickets are typically limited to certain venues, including Madison Square Garden, Chase Center, and Chase Field. You also might be able to access certain Sapphire Experiences if you have an eligible Chase Sapphire credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Steps to get presale tickets with Chase

1. Visit the Chase Experiences site. Here you can find different venues and events where having a Chase card could come in handy. This could include specific benefits at the U.S. Open, Sundance Film Festival, and certain sporting events.
2. Select an option. Clicking on one of the available options will give you more information about your selection. Let's say you choose "Madison Square Garden." This will give you information about the Chase Lounge at Madison Square Garden (MSG), Chase Preferred Seating at MSG, and more.
3. Buy tickets. Selecting this option at a specific venue will bring you to the venue's website, where you can browse different events and buy tickets. Choosing to buy tickets could bring you to a third-party site such as Ticketmaster, where you should have the option to filter your ticket options by "Chase Cardholder Preferred Seating."

For Chase card options, check out our guide on Chase credit cards.

How to get presale tickets with Capital One

Capital One offers special access to events with Capital One Entertainment. However, you typically won't find presale tickets through the Capital One Entertainment portal. For special presale access, which could include early access to tickets for events such as music, dining, theater, dance, and more, check out Capital One's dedicated presale page.

Capital One premier access benefits are available to eligible Capital One cardholders. This doesn't typically include certain retail credit cards, though it could include specific Capital One debit cards.

If you have a popular Capital One travel or cashback card, such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, you likely have access to these benefits.

Steps to get presale tickets with Capital One

1. Visit the Capital One Entertainment site. Here you can find a list of upcoming events with special benefits for eligible Capital One cardholders. There's also a link to the dedicated presale page.
2. Select an event. You can buy tickets through the Capital One Entertainment portal or by selecting an event on the presale page. Events on the presale page could bring you to another site, such as Ticketmaster.
3. Buy tickets. If you're ready to purchase tickets, you can select this option after being directed to the applicable third-party website or going through the booking process on Capital One Entertainment. If prompted for a passcode, you might have to enter your Capital One card's first six digits.

For Capital One card options, check out our guide on Capital One credit cards.

Credit card presale ticket considerations and best practices

Using your credit card to land presale tickets to big events is a major perk, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, having presale access through your credit card doesn't mean you'll have presale access to every single event. Don't expect to get first dibs on tickets for the most popular shows of the year. Additionally, the events you have presale access to may vary depending on your credit card.

If you're opening a credit card for the sole purpose of presale ticket access, make sure to time your application accordingly. While some credit card applications are approved right away, that's not always the case. Don't wait until a day or two before presale tickets go on sale to apply for the card.

Other ways to get presale tickets

Just because you don't have a credit card that offers presale tickets (or one that doesn't have presale tickets for a particular event) doesn't mean you're out of luck. First, you may be eligible for presale tickets and other exclusive events through your credit card network. World Elite Mastercard and Visa Infinite both have key perks, including concierge services and the ability to book tickets for exclusive events, including presale tickets.

There are also a wide variety of other ways you can get presale codes. Here are just a few examples:

• Ticketmaster presale
• Live Nation presale
• Album pre-order presale
• Cash App Cash Card presale
• Fan club presale
• Radio presale
• Social media presale
• Spotify presale
• Team presale
• T-Mobile offers
• Venue presale
• Verizon Access offers

FAQs

Bottom line

If you compare credit cards, it's typically easy to find a credit card that offers benefits for presale tickets. This includes cards from major credit card companies, such as American Express, Chase, Citi, Capital One, and Barclays.

While some cards that offer presale access may charge annual fees, that's not the case across the board, so you'll have some flexibility in choosing the card that's best for your lifestyle.

If you're traveling to attend a special event, consider different ways to help save money on your expenses. Certain credit cards could help you get presale game, event, and concert tickets, and they might also offer rewards and benefits to help offset your travel costs. For more information, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.

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