If you’re ready to take your concert experience to the next level, an entertainment credit card can offer exclusive access to tickets, events and perks. Whether you’re hunting for sought-after seats, seeking VIP treatment or just wanting to earn a little cash back on your entertainment spending, the right credit card can get you there.
Here are our picks for the best credit cards for concert tickets and events, and tips to choose the right card for your entertainment purchases.
What Concert Benefits Do Credit Cards Offer?
A credit card with entertainment benefits comes with perks that can amplify a live performance. Cards for entertainment spending might offer:
— Ticket presales
— Preferred seats
— VIP experiences, such as pop-up lounges or exclusive concerts
— Bonus rewards on entertainment purchases
— Exclusive events, such as meet-and-greets and sound checks
— Rewards redemptions for previous purchases, including entertainment
“One of the most valuable credit card concert benefits you can get now is access to presales,” says Travis Cormier, CEO of 10xTravel, a blog that focuses on points and miles.
He points out that Capital One was the credit card partner for Taylor Swift’s wildly popular Eras Tour. Cardholders had the chance to access a batch of tickets before they went on sale to the public. For Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Tour, the superstar partnered with Citi to give cardholders early access to tickets before they went on sale to the public. And Wells Fargo often offers exclusive events for its cardholders, hosting artists like Fall Out Boy, The Killers and Alanis Morissette.
But Cormier says presales and other perks, such as preferred seating, depend on the concert and the tour’s credit card partner. If you’re coming up empty-handed on tickets, a credit card concierge service could give you personal assistance with the task.
For cards with bonuses on entertainment purchases, look at your buying behaviors and potential rewards.
“Not many cards offer elevated cash back on entertainment and concerts,” says Sameer Gupta, founder of Uthrive, an app that lets you track your credit card rewards, and former director of product innovation and growth at American Express. “But you can easily couple an entertainment card with your other spending habits. For example, if you spend a lot on groceries but want at only at select venues — so you might have a harder time finding deals if you don’t live near a venue they serve.
American Express
Best for Luxury Cardholders: American Express Platinum Card®
Why we chose it: The most exclusive of the personal American Express cards, the Platinum Card allows you access to the Premium Events Collection. These are curated experiences in dining, entertainment, fashion and sports. Premium events can include a weekend of luxury hospitality watching golf at the U.S. Open championship, an exclusive wine country experience in Sonoma, California, and more.
Cardholders also get access to a concierge service for help booking tickets, along with the preferred seating program, allowing you special seating at certain events. And while you won’t earn bonus points for entertainment purchases, you can earn five points per dollar on eligible flights and prepaid hotels if you travel for shows. Just remember this card comes with a steep annual fee of $895. See Rates & Fees
Best for Foodies: American Express® Gold Card
Why we chose it: If you still want access to AmEx Experiences but don’t want to pay as high an annual fee, the American Express® Gold Card is another option. It also offers preferred seating, plus you’ll pay a lower annual fee of $325. See Rates & Fees You can hit a restaurant before or after a concert and earn four points per dollar. You’re also privy to a multitude of credits, including up to $84 at Dunkin’, up to $100 with Resy and up to $120 with eligible dining establishments. Just remember to enroll.
Traveling to concerts on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel earns three points per dollar. And if you Uber to and from shows, you can take advantage of up to $10 in Uber Cash each month.
Capital One
Best for Earning Cash Back: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why we chose it: One of the best credit cards for earning rewards on concert and event tickets, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Capital One Entertainment offers exclusive events and experiences cardholders can purchase, like Broadway shows and the 79th annual Tony Awards official watch party in New York City.
The Savor also earns an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, making traveling for experiences a little easier on the wallet.
Citi
Best for Easy Rewards-Earning: Citi Double Cash® Card
Why we chose it: Citi cardholders can take advantage of Citi Entertainment®, which gives them access to presale tickets and exclusive experiences, all while not needing to pay an annual fee. You’ll earn an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, including concert and event tickets. Get 1% cash back when you make the purchase and 1% cash back as you pay it off. See Rates & Fees
Best for Live Nation Loyalists:Citi Strata Elite? CardWhy we chose it: With the Citi Strata Elite? Card, you can earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases (which means concert/festival tickets), but that’s not the main reason it’s a good option. Cardholders also receive up to $200 in Splurge statement credits every calendar year, which includes Live Nation. It has an annual fee of $595, but the offered credits help to offset the cost. See Rates & Fees
[Read: Rewards Credit Cards]
Chase
Best for Exclusive Events and Experiences: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Why we chose it: Chase offers Chase Experiences to all cardholders. They include access to a variety of events through partners such as Madison Square Garden and the U.S. Open tennis tournament. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can attend private dinners hosted by award-winning chefs and gain VIP access to popular events, like the PGA Championship. Just keep that $795 annual fee in mind.
While the Chase Sapphire Reserve® doesn’t earn bonus points on concert tickets or entertainment purchases, the Sapphire Reserve is best used as the travel card that gets you to your concert or festival, as it earns eight points per dollar on all purchases made through Chase Travel?. You can also earn four points per dollar on flights and hotels when booked directly. You are also given an annual $300 statement credit to StubHub. And you’ll receive a $300 annual travel credit and up to a $120 Lyft credit for those rides to and from the venue.
[Read: Credit Cards With No Annual Fee]
How to Choose the Best Credit Card for Concert Tickets
Choosing a credit card as your concert companion depends on what suits your lifestyle. You should weigh factors such as rewards, costs, access to tickets and VIP experiences, and other perks.
While a few issuers allow cardholders to buy tickets before they go on sale to the public, access to presales never guarantees tickets. If you frequently purchase tickets for sought-after shows, you might want cards with multiple issuers — perhaps no-annual-fee cards — to get in the door.
For the VIP opportunities that come with cards such as Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the American Express Platinum Card®, prepare to pay hefty annual fees. But if you just want eligibility for presales or rewards for booking tickets, a low- or no-annual-fee card might be enough to connect you with the entertainment you seek.
Aim to pick a good overall card unless you go to dozens of performances yearly and plan to take advantage of cash back from concert tickets, Cormier says.
“Trying to maximize concerts will leave a lot on the table versus a card that can help you with everyday expenses,” he says.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, See Rates & Fees For rates and fees of American Express Platinum Card®, See Rates & Fees
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Best Credit Cards for Concert Tickets and Events originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/19/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
