I’m a big fan of concerts and Cirque du Soleil, so I often go away for a weekend to the United States or Europe to see a show. But this can be very expensive. Thanks to credit card rewards points and benefits, I can enjoy the best seats and reduce the overall bill.
Additionally, attending the most popular concerts and shows often requires getting tickets as soon as they’re available. Credit cards offer an advantage by providing access to exclusive presales before the general public, as well as discounts, VIP seating and premium experiences.
In this comprehensive guide, discover how American Express, Mastercard, and Visa allow you to secure premium tickets for your favourite events in Canada and around the world.
Perhaps you’ve already tried to book tickets for a concert, and within a few minutes there were no seats available.
Thanks to Front Of The Line from American Express, you’ll have access to presales for many shows and events. This way, you will be able to buy your tickets a few days before the general sale.
This benefit is available for all American Express credit cards. The only rule is to pay for your tickets with an American Express card.
To be sure that you receive access to the new American Express Front Of The Line products, I recommend that you sign up for the newsletter in your American Express account or register here.
Good to know: If you want to see a show in the U.S., you can also take advantage of this benefit on the American version of the Ticketmaster site. Even if you have a Canadian American Express credit card.
In this case, we recommend using one of the Scotiabank American Express credit cards. There are no conversion fees, so you avoid a 2.5% conversion fee.
If you missed a presale, it’s also possible to obtain reserved seating exclusively for American Express cardholders.
To view the available seats on Ticketmaster, you need to click on the filters in the top right and select only Front Of The Line American Express Experiences reserved ticket. Otherwise, you can try your luck on StubHub.
American Express cards offer other exclusive advantages at certain venues, such as the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, where cardholders can use the American Express private entrance in addition to gaining access to the lounge.
At the Osheaga Festival, get in faster with your American Express card and its exclusive entrance.
The RBCxMusic program provides tickets that are only available to RBC customers. In addition to getting exclusive seats, you will receive a $10 Concert Cash discount code for your next purchase. Each code allows you to obtain up to 4 tickets.
There are a few steps to get the discount code, but the process is simple. First, go to the RBCxMusic website.
Select the event you are interested in and click on Filters and choose RBCxMusic Tickets.
Then click on the blue hyperlink. The message below will appear.
Click on “Get your unique offer code to unlock RBCxMusic tickets”.
Then, on the next page, select “I’m an RBC client” and “Continue“.
Enter your RBC Online Banking credentials and click “Sign In“.
Verify the information and click on “Continue“.
Your unique six-digit code will appear on the screen. Click on “Copy code“.
Return to the Ticketmaster event page window and paste the six-character alphanumeric code into the blank area.
Click on the unlocked padlock icon. There you go! Reserved seats are all yours !
Marriott Moments offers tickets to a wide range of events, including concerts, festivals and sporting events, as well as culinary experiences. Some experiences are available for a fixed number of Marriott Bonvoy points, while others are offered through an auction system.
Marriott has partnerships with several concert halls around the world. For example, there is the O2 Arena in London, the Madison Square Garden in New York, or the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. It is a great opportunity to live an exceptional moment during a trip.
Mastercard’s Priceless site also offers unique experiences, preferential seating or discounts on certain activities. For example, you can get 20% off Cirque du Soleil shows in Canada and 15% off in Las Vegas.
Here are the credit cards we recommend for booking event tickets and your travel, to pay for your:
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card ticks several of these boxes. Thanks to it, you have:
Another popular card that helps you save on concerts and getaways. Here are some of the benefits of the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card:
Maximize your chances of getting the best tickets!
Having the right credit card can make all the difference when it comes to attending your favorite shows. The presale programs offered by certain cards provide a valuable competitive edge, especially for highly sought-after events where tickets sell out in minutes.
In addition to offering you advantages such as the best tickets or unique experiences, credit cards can also help you reduce the cost of your trip thanks to points!
The best cards for concert tickets in Canada are American Express (like the National Bank World Elite Mastercard ) and Visa Infinite Privilege cards, which offer priority access to presales and sometimes VIP experiences.
To access a presale, you must use the official partner’s credit card (American Express, Mastercard or Visa) when purchasing tickets during the exclusive presale period, usually via a dedicated website or with a specific promotional code. Subscribe to their emails to be the first to know.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
