How to Use your Credit Card to Get Exclusive Access to Concerts

Through Visa, Mastercard and American Express you can have first choice of tickets to concerts and other events. Discover these unique perks here.

If you’ve ever lined up at a ticket venue or frantically refreshed your web browser while waiting for bookings to open, you’ll know how frustrating it is to discover the gig you wanted to attend is already sold out. But you may be able to avoid this by using your credit card to get access to exclusive reserve or pre-sale tickets and VIP experiences.

American Express Invites, Mastercard Priceless Cities and Visa Entertainment feature exclusive offers including first choice ticketing. Here, we look at which gigs these programs have partnered with in the past, ongoing offers and other exclusive perks you can get access to with your credit card.

How can I use my credit card to get exclusive access to concerts?

The following programs are open to all respective debit and credit card holders:

American Express Invites

American Express Invites gives you the opportunity to buy pre-sale tickets at selected concerts and events. It also runs competitions that could see you get VIP access to selected events.

Previous American Express Invites offers have included pre-sale tickets to Taylor Swift and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the chance to win 1 of 10 Early Entry double passes to see Coldplay's electrifying A Head Full Of Dreams Tour. You can see what exclusive offers are available by visiting the American Express website.

If you have an American Express credit card (including one issued by a bank), you can follow these steps to purchase tickets through American Express Invites:

1. Go to the American Express Australia Facebook page.
2. Select “Entertainment offers” in the left-hand column.
3. Browse the offers available and click on the one you want to book.
4. Read through the information, check ticket prices and click “Buy now”.
5. Follow the prompts to complete your purchase.

You can also use your Membership Rewards points to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster. Note that there’s a limit of up to 10 tickets per cardholder and tickets are allocated first in, best dressed.

Mastercard Priceless Cities

Mastercard Priceless Cities provides customers with exclusive offers on a selection of handpicked experiences in the world’s capital cities, including tours, hotels and restaurants. Concerts and live events make up a small selection of the Mastercard Priceless Cities list of experiences in Australia, but they do include exclusive access to music, theatre and kids shows.

You’ll also get access to similar offers in major cities around the world, including London, New York, Paris and Rome. To purchase tickets through Mastercard Priceless Cities, just follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Mastercard Priceless Cities website.
2. Click on “Explore Priceless Cities” and find your city.
3. Browse the Mastercard experiences and select the one you want.
4. Purchase your ticket/s online or download a voucher to redeem if you’re making a purchase in person.
5. Follow the prompts to complete your purchase.

Visa Entertainment

Available to both Visa credit and debit cardholders, Visa Entertainment gives you first pick of tickets for selected concerts, movies and events. Visa Entertainment also hosts competitions and giveaways.

Visa Entertainment program partners include Disney, Ticketek and Event Cinemas. Previous concert offers have included tickets to the Elvis The Wonder of You Tour, pre-sale tickets to Coldplay, pre-sale tickets to Laneway Music Festival and a VIP Elton John experience.

You can sign up to the Visa Entertainment mailing list to find out when new offers are added. Otherwise, follow the steps below:

1. Go to visaentertainment.com.au to purchase pre-sale concert tickets.
2. Create a Visa Entertainment profile and confirm your account. You don’t need to enter your credit card details to complete this step.
3. Search for concerts by using the filter buttons towards the top of the browser window.
4. When you’ve found your concert, click “Get tickets”. You will be redirected to the Visa Ticketek website.
5. Join My Ticketek if you don’t already have an account.
6. Complete the purchase using your Visa credit or debit card.

Pre-sale tickets generally go on sale a couple of days before the regular release to the general public. You can purchase tickets until the pre-sale allocation has been sold out.

How I bought tickets to a sellout Coldplay Concert using Visa Entertainment

Other exclusive credit card perks

Preferential ticketing is just one of the exclusive perks you can get with your credit card. Other offers include:

• Concierge services. A feature of platinum and black credit cards, a concierge service helps with travel bookings, dinner reservations, car hire and recommendations wherever you are in the world. In some cases, it may even be worth asking if the concierge can help you get tickets to an event you really want to attend.

• Priority Pass membership. Frequent flyer credit cards often offer complimentary airport lounge access and Priority Pass operates airport lounges in major international airports. Compare frequent flyer credit cards and look for complimentary passes and memberships for Priority Pass, Qantas and Velocity lounges in Australia and overseas.

• Citibank Dining Program. If you’re a Citi cardholder, you’re eligible for a free bottle of award-winning wine when you dine at a Citibank Dining partner restaurant and pay with your Citi credit card. Citibank Dining events include VIP treatment at the Sydney Night Noodle Markets and giveaways like an overseas culinary adventure.

• VIP Shopping Nights. American Express has been known to throw parties for its customers. The Vogue American Express Fashion’s Night Out transformed Sydney’s Elizabeth Street David Jones store for a week. American Express has also held shopping nights at select David Jones stores, as well as sales where you can earn extra points.

Factors to consider

Make sure you read the fine print before signing up for any cards or offers, and look out for the following details:

• Ticket prices. You’ll need to use your credit or debit card to complete the online purchase for a pre-sale ticket. The cost of the transaction plus booking fees will be debited from your account immediately.

• Limited dates. Pre-sale tickets usually go on sale a couple of days before the general release. You can find out when tickets will go on sale by visiting the concert page on the program website.

• Limited tickets. There are a limited number of pre-sale tickets available for each concert. Tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis.

• Booking fees. Purchasing tickets online using your credit card usually incurs a surcharge or booking fee. This fee will be disclosed at the time of purchase.

• Interest charges. Pay the amount of the purchase back by your credit card statement due date or the cost of the concert ticket will accrue interest at the purchase rate for your card.

If you want exclusive access to concerts, events and entertainment in your city, sign up to the mailing list and find out what your credit card has on offer today.