How to score tickets to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour using your Citi card
After more than six years, Queen Bey is set to embark on her Renaissance world tour starting in May, and fans across the globe are scrambling to figure out the best way to get their hands on a ticket. The good news: If you bank with Citi, you could get first dibs.
Cardholders with a Citi debit or credit card can get early access to tickets through Citi Presale, which is powered by Verified Fan. Tickets will be made available to Citi Verified Fans in three waves, depending on the tour date you’re interested in purchasing tickets for. Citi presale starts on Feb. 7 for Group A, Feb. 14 for Group B, and Feb. 21 for Group C, all at 10 a.m. local time. The tour stops include:
To become a Verified Fan, you’ll have to complete a registration form on Ticketmaster to verify that you are a human and not a bot or ticket reseller. Once you’ve completed your registration, Verified Fans will be entered into a lottery and receive a unique access code to purchase tickets, or be put on the waitlist.
Presale tickets are set to go on sale Feb. 7, at 10:00 a.m. for Group A, Feb. 14 for Group B, and Feb. 21, for Group C. The deadline to register for presale has already passed for Group A, but Registration for Group B is open through Thursday, February 9th at 11:59pm ET and Group C has until Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m. 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 the Citi Custom Cash Card online and get instant access to your temporary card information once you’re approved. What’s more, Citi Custom Cash cardholders can earn 5% cash back on purchases in their highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent and 1% cash back thereafter on all other purchases.
Eligible spending categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
Here are other Citi cards offering instant access:
- Citi Rewards+® Card: This card offers 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.
- Citi Simplicity® Card: This card doesn’t offer any rewards, but it does offer a 0% introductory period for balance transfers up to 21 months (transfers must be completed in first 4 months), then the balance transfer APR is 18.24%–28.99% variable after that. Keep in mind that there’s an introductory 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 does not offer rewards but has an attractive 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from 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 perks of having a credit cards that offers a solid rewards program
Carrying a credit card that rewards spending on entertainment and live events can be a good way to reduce costs or get other related perks if you’re 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 more.
For example, American Express has its own platform, the American Express Experiences Program, where cardholders can purchase tickets. Cardholders can buy tickets for upcoming concerts, music festivals, sporting events, and more. The Platinum Card® from American Express offers its members the ability to gain access to invitation-only events and premium seats for select cultural and sporting events.
This kind of card can also help you save on digital entertainment costs. You can get up to $20 in statement credits each 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 when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. (Enrollment is required.)
And other issuers, like Capital One and Bank of America, offer similar rewards structures.
“Choose a card that gives you money back on your entertainment purchases,” says Andrea Woroch, Consumer and money-saving expert. “You can then use the cash back you earn to pay off the service costs each month.”
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, offers an unlimited 3% cash back on entertainment and popular streaming services and 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. And for those who would rather stay away from crowded 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 every month.
The takeaway
If there’s an upcoming concert, festival, or sporting event you’re interested in going to, your credit card could help you score tickets and gain access to other freebies. It could also help you save by avoiding paying a premium for tickets after presales are over, or on resale websites.
