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It’s one thing to listen to your favorite artist on the radio or watch a beloved sports team compete on TV, but it’s entirely different to attend a live event and see athletes and musicians in person. If you enjoy attending concerts and sporting events, you might be surprised to know that certain credit cards offer benefits for presale ticket sales.
For popular concerts and games, having access to presale tickets could mean the difference between actually attending an event or missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Let’s see which card issuers offer presale ticket benefits and how they work.
How to get presale tickets with American Express
The American Express Presales 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.
American Express partners with Ticketmaster to offer presale access to tickets for select shows. To find offerings for Amex Ticketmaster presales, follow these steps:
- Visit the Amex Ticketmaster site. From here you can see all Amex cardmember offers associated with Ticketmaster, which could include theater productions, sporting events, concerts, and more.
- Select “Amex Early Access.” Selecting the Amex Early Access tab brings you to the available and upcoming Amex presale tickets options. These are separated into two categories: events within the U.S. and events in other countries.
- 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 “More Info” will typically provide you with a countdown to the presale, tips for purchasing tickets, a seat map, and information about the different available presales.
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to purchase event tickets through Amex presales until the presale begins. And since the presales happen on Ticketmaster, it’s likely best to have a Ticketmaster account set up with your Amex card information attached. This should help speed up the checkout process so you can get your tickets quickly and easily.
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, and more.
If you want to participate in Citi presale events, you typically need to input a unique code to gain access to the event. In most cases, your presale code would be the first six digits of your Citi credit card or Citibank debit card. You would also need to use a Citi card to purchase your tickets during a Citi presale event.
To find offerings for Citi presale tickets, follow these steps:
- 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. There’s no login required to access this website.
- 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.
- 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 Live Nation or Ticketmaster. To complete your purchase, you might have to enter a passcode, which is typically the first six digits of your Citi credit card or Citibank debit card.
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®.
To find available Chase Experiences, follow these steps:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
Keep in mind that you typically have to purchase Chase Preferred Tickets using a Chase credit or debit card. 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.
To find available Capital One presale opportunities, follow these steps:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
FAQs
How do presale tickets work?
Presale tickets are typically tickets that go on sale before the general public can buy tickets. These types of tickets are often only available to a select group of people that have a specific offer code, password, or other means of entering the presale, such as having a credit card that offers presale ticket benefits.
What types of presale tickets are there?
Most presale ticket sales offer opportunities to buy event tickets before the general sale, but the actual presale tickets typically vary by the organization offering them. For example, you might see a presale from a concert venue, a credit card issuer, a fan club, or an event organizer.
Fan club members could have their own fan club presale code, whereas certain social media followers might have a different presale code. For example, if you’re a member of a fan club and you have a certain credit card, you could have access to multiple presale ticket options.
What are the benefits of presale tickets?
The primary benefit of buying presale tickets is that you get the opportunity to buy event tickets before the general public. For high-demand events, this could mean getting tickets before they’re sold out and avoiding having to go to the box office. Getting tickets early could also give you more time to snag better seats and plan your trip if you’ll be traveling, which might include finding a hotel and arranging transportation.
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.
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 ticket access 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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