We’re all well aware of the numerous advantages of having a credit card from a major bank. In addition to using the rewards points for traveling and the insurance coverage for purchases and travel-related incidents, there’s another often overlooked benefit. Major banks have partnerships with entertainment venues, providing cardholders with early access to tickets for major events. Whether you’re interested in sports events or concerts, having a credit card can give you a significant advantage in obtaining the best tickets available.
Having the right credit card gave us the opportunity to see the last show of Billy Joel’s residency at Madison Square Garden.
Citi Presale Access
We learned that Citi partners with Live Nation and Ticketmaster to provide cardholders with early access to major events, including Billy Joel’s concerts at Madison Square Garden. Once it was announced that the record-breaking residency would be ending, we decided to try to get tickets to the last show.
Through the Citi Entertainment portal, you can link your Citi card to the Ticketmaster website. This allows cardholders to have early access to presale tickets. You can either link your accounts in advance or during the presale. If you’re looking for tickets for a popular event, I suggest linking accounts in advance.
On the morning when tickets to the Billy Joel concert went on sale, my wife Sharon and I both tried to get tickets. We ended up getting two tickets to the show for the list price.
After Ticketmaster fees, our tickets cost $180 each. In the week before the show, we could have sold them for $500+. But after all this effort, we were going to see the show in New York City.
Billy Joel’s Last MSG Residency Show
We’ve seen Billy Joel at MSG before and knew that seats behind the stage are the best value. Here’s my view of the show when Jimmy Fallon came out to present Billy with a banner celebrating his 150th performance.
And when Axl Rose was the surprise guest for the show.
Final Thought
We used points and miles to pay for the trip, but thanks to our Citi cards, we were able to get tickets to the show. That’s a perk of having credit cards that’s not often talked about. Whether you’re looking for concerts, theater tickets, or sporting events, major banks are often sponsors and can help cardholders get early access to tickets.
That’s one intangible to consider when deciding whether to keep, downgrade or cancel a credit card.
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