Citi Entertainment Guide 2023 – Forbes Advisors

It’s easy to get lost in the major benefits credit cards offer. Perks like accelerated point earning, monthly rebates, free hotel nights and even top-notch travel insurance are often top of the list, while other perks, like access to pre-sales and exclusive tickets, tend to take a backseat.

While these secondary perks may not be as flashy, they definitely provide value and shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the forgotten perks is access to Citi Entertainment, a website that offers Citi cardholders tickets to music, sports and cultural events. These tickets include advance tickets to big-name concerts, VIP packages and even giveaways. Even better, the site is free to use.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how Citi Entertainment works, how to get it, and the value it can provide. Plus, we’ll take a look at the best credit cards you can use to maximize your Citi Entertainment purchases.

What is Citi Entertainment?

Citi Entertainment, formerly Citi Private Pass, is a website offering concerts and sporting events as well as arts and cultural experiences Citi Credit Card and Citibank debit card holders. Special access includes pre-sales, discounted tickets, exclusive experiences, VIP packages and even free tickets.

You’ll find a variety of events from Citi Entertainment, including big-name concerts (Beyoncé, Duran Duran, Dave Matthews Band), sporting events (NBA, MLB), stand-up comedy (Chelsea Handler, David Spade) and arts events (Jean- Jean-Michel Basquiat), exclusive events (Citi Taste of Tennis) and more.

Citi Entertainment

How does Citi Entertainment work?

The Citi Entertainment website can be viewed by anyone, but only Citi cardholders can purchase tickets and experiences.

Citi Entertainment offers four main types of tickets:

• Citi Pre-sale: Tickets sold to Citi cardholders before the general public.
• Citi Preferred Tickets: Tickets reserved for Citi cardholders during the public sale.
• Citi gift tickets: Citi cardholders can earn free tickets to select events, limited to one free ticket per account every six months.
• Citigroup VIP package: Ticket packages that include additional benefits, such as merchandise, access to a meet and greet or event reception area.

Citi has been the official card for many big-name tours, including the highly anticipated Beyoncé Renaissance World Tour, making Citi Entertainment a major player in the event ticketing space.

While most Citi credit or Citibank debit cards allow access to Citi Entertainment, sometimes certain activities are only available to specific card holders.

How to Access Citi Entertainment

You do not need to log in to buy tickets, but you need to pay with a Citi credit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo or a Citibank debit card with a Mastercard logo.

The Citi Entertainment website is simple, showing available concerts and events directly on the home page. There’s also a search box so you can quickly find a specific event based on your location, a date range, or a specific event or artist.

Citi Entertainment

Once you have selected an event, just click on Buy it now or buy advance tickets.

Citi Entertainment

You will need to enter your password to complete your purchase (see below for details). While some ticket purchases will be processed on the Citi Entertainment website, others will be transferred to ticket processors such as Ticketmaster or LiveNation.

It’s a good idea to link your Citi card to your Ticketmaster or LiveNation account beforehand to make the buying process as smooth as possible.

Some presale tickets processed by Ticketmaster may be marked as Citi Verified Fan Presale. Ticketmaster Verified Fan is a way to differentiate humans from bots. These sales require pre-registration. Once you’ve been verified, you should receive an email with your access code the night before the presale begins. For popular events, registration does not guarantee that you will receive an access code or be able to purchase tickets.

Citi Entertainment

Citi Entertainment charges no fees, however, the ticketing agency processing the purchase may impose a handling and/or shipping fee.

How do I find my Citi Entertainment password?

Certain events and concerts may require a password to purchase tickets.

Citi Entertainment

For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster or Live Nation starting on the Citi Entertainment website, PIN is the first six digits of your Citi Credit Card or Citibank Debit Card number. If purchasing directly on the Citi Entertainment website or through another processing site such as Eventbrite, the password will be provided in a pop-up box after clicking the purchase link.

Citi Entertainment (Taste of Tennis Events)

How to Maximize Citi Entertainment

There are several ways to get the most out of what Citi Entertainment has to offer.

First, Citi Entertainment offers a weekly email to keep you up to date on pre-sale tickets and special events. Only Citi credit card holders are eligible to sign up for the email list and must use the email associated with the credit card account. Citibank debit card holders are excluded from the sign-up email list.

If you’re on the Citi Entertainment email list, you’ll have the best chance of getting advance notice of pre-sales and special events.

Best Credit Cards for Citi Entertainment Spending

The next way to maximize your Citi Entertainment purchases is to use the correct credit card.

If you would like to purchase tickets through the Citi Entertainment website but do not have a Citi Credit Card or Citibank Debit Card, you will need to apply for a new card in order to complete your purchase.If you’re short on time, consider a Citi card that offers instant account access, such as Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. Once approved, simply request instant access to your card. Be sure to write down the temporary number carefully, as you will need it to purchase your tickets.

even better is, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to $500 in monthly spend, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. One of those categories is live entertainment, which makes the card ideal for buying tickets through Citi Entertainment.

The other 5 percent categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transportation, select streaming services, drug stores, home improvement stores and health clubs.

If you plan to spend more than $500 in one of the specific categories, such as live entertainment, or don’t want to consider bonus categories, then Citi® Double Cash Card Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases – 1% back when you shop and another 1% back when you pay it off might be more appropriate.

The cash back rewards earned on these two cards are Citi Thank You Points. These points can be redeemed for cash back (via direct deposit, statement credit or mailed check), or they can be spent on gift cards, travel and purchases at 1 cent per point.

While you also hold an eligible card (such as Citi Premier® Card. This gives you the chance to get over 1 cent worth of your ThankYou Points.

Citi ThankYou money transfer partners include:

Why should I use Citi Entertainment?

There are no downsides to using Citi Entertainment. It is free to use and provides access to various concerts and events. Plus, it often has exclusive access to big-name tour pre-sales.
Citi Entertainment is available even through Citi’s no annual fee card for easy access without keeping a high annual fee card in your wallet year after year.

Alternatives to Citi Entertainment

Citi Entertainment isn’t the only place to get exclusive concert and event tickets.

American Express Cardholders Access to the American Express Experience. The site offers pre-sale of tickets as well as exclusive access to events for select cardholders. While some of these events may overlap with those offered by Citi Entertainment, many are exclusive to American Express, so it makes sense to check both sites when looking for event tickets.

Chase cardholders Preferred seating, exclusive sponsored events and unique dining experiences can be provided with Chase Experiences. Chase’s platform is more focused on unique events and less accessible to concert tickets than Citi Entertainment.

the bottom line

Citi Entertainment offers Citi credit card and Citibank debit cardholders the opportunity to attend live events such as concerts and sporting events. Special access includes pre-sales, priority tickets, exclusive experiences, VIP packages and free tickets. Using Citi Entertainment is free, so it can be a useful way to purchase event tickets.