Citi cardholders get early access to Beyoncé’s tour tickets

Cardholders with a Citi debit or credit card can get one early access of tickets through Citi Presale, operated by Verified Fan. Tickets will be available to Citi Verified Fans in three waves, depending on the tour date you are interested in purchasing tickets for. Citi’s presale starts on Feb. 7 for Group A, Feb. 14 for Group B, and Feb. 21 for Group C, all at 10 am local time. Tour stops include:

• Group A: Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, East Rutherford, NJ, Houston, TX, Inglewood, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Washington, DC
• Group B: Boston, MA, Dallas, TX, Miami, FL, Minneapolis, MN, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, Tampa, FL
• Group C: Charlotte, NC, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, St. St. Louis, MO

To become a Verified Fan, you must complete a Ticketmaster registration form to verify that you are a person and not a bot or ticket seller. Once you have completed your registration, Verified Fans will be entered into a lottery and receive a unique access code to purchase tickets, or be placed on a waitlist.

Presale tickets are set to go on sale on February 7, at 10:00 a.m. for Group A, February 14 for Group B, and February 21, for Group C. The presale registration deadline has passed for in Group A, but Registration for Group B is open until Thursday, February 9 at 11:59 pm ET and Group C until February 16 at 11:59 pm EST.

What if you don’t have a Citi card?

If you’re not a Citi cardholder, it’s not too late to become one.

You can apply for Citi Custom Cash Card online and get easy access of your temporary card information once you are approved. What’s more, Citi Custom Cash cardholders can earn 5% cash back on purchases in their highest eligible spending category every billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent and 1% cash back after all other purchases.

Eligible spending categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select travel, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.

Here are other Citi cards that offer instant access:

• Citi Rewards+® Card: This card offers 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations on the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.
• Citi Simplicity® Card: This card does not offer any rewards, but it does offer a 0% introductory period for balance transfers up to 21 months (transfers must be completed in the first 4 months), then balance transfers of APR is 18.24%–28.99% change after that. Note that there is an initial balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) for transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening, then up to 5% ($5 minimum).
• Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card: This card also offers no rewards but has an attractive 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from the date of first transfer and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 17.24%–27.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.

The benefits of having credit cards that offer a strong rewards program

Carrying a credit card that rewards for spending on entertainment and live events can be a great way to reduce costs or get other related benefits if you are a regular concertgoer.

Several major issuers in addition to Citibank offer early access to concert tickets, VIP tickets, exclusive meet-and-greets, discounts on purchases made at concession stands, and others.

For example, American Express has its own platform, the American Express Experiences Program, where cardholders can buy tickets. Cardholders can purchase tickets for upcoming concerts, music festivals, sporting events, and more. The Platinum Card® from American Express offers its members the ability to access invitation-only events and premium seats for selected cultural and sporting events.

This type of card can also help you save on digital entertainment costs. You can get $20 in statement credits every month when you use your Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases on Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times if you buy directly from one or more of the providers. (Registration required.)

And other issuers, such as Capital One and Bank of America, offer a similar rewards structure.

“Choose a card that gives you cash back on your entertainment purchases,” says Andrea Woroch, Consumer and money saving expert. “You can use the cash back you earn to pay the service costs each month.”

the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, offers unlimited 3% cash back on entertainment and popular streaming services and 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. And for those who want to venture out into more arenas, Bank of America offers cardholders free general admission to more than 225 cultural institutions in cities across the United States for the first full weekend of each month. .

The takeaway

If there’s an upcoming concert, festival, or sporting event you want to attend, your credit card can help you score tickets and access other freebies. It also helps you save money by avoiding paying a premium for tickets after presales or resale websites.