Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Credit cards can offer a wide range of benefits, from cell phone protection to airport lounge access. Although less talked about, some even provide access to exclusive events and experiences. This can range from presale tickets for sports games and concerts to exclusive dinners and cardholder-only lounges, and nearly every major card issuer offers such benefits.
If you're wondering what entertainment benefits are available with your rewards credit card, here are the card issuers that offer cardholders access to exclusive events and experiences, and how to use these perks.
Best credit cards for exclusive events and experiences
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card*
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Citi Premier® Card
- Citi Double Cash® Card
- Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card
Using credit cards to access events and experiences
Every credit card issuer handles access to exclusive events and experiences differently.
Issuers like American Express may require you to have a specific card, or an invitation, to participate in an event. Others may only require you to be an active cardholder of any of that issuer's cards.
So if you're looking to squeeze more value out of your credit card, consider these card issuers and their offers for premium event experiences.
American Express
Through American Express Experiences, cardholders can attend a variety of events, but the more premium events are invitation-only. However, even without an invitation, there are many experiences you can grab tickets to including theater shows and concerts.
The By Invitation Only® experiences can include exclusive access to sporting and music events. Some of these experiences are free while others are paid. To access the premium events and experiences, you'll need to have a higher-end card like one of the below:
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit Needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Also, earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchases at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Welcome bonus
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Capital One
The Capital One Entertainment portal has many exclusive events and experiences for cardholders. The benefits for cardholders include early access to tickets and special on-site perks at specific venues. You can visit the Capital One Entertainment portal to see what events are being offered, including Capital One Dining where you can access exclusive reservations and culinary experiences.
Capital One also offers bonus rewards for Capital One Entertainment purchases with select cards. Eligible Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and SavorOne cardholders earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Additionally, through Dec. 31, 2025, eligible Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture, Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card and Capital One Spark 2X Miles cardholders will earn 5X miles on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
While you don't need to have any specific Capital One card to access these benefits, here are some of our favorite credit cards from the issuer:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
10 Miles on hotels per dollar and rental cars, 5 Miles per dollar on flights when booked via Capital One Travel; unlimited 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$395
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
None
Credit needed
Excellent
See rates and fees. Terms apply.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
N/A for purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees. Terms apply.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 4% on eligible streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
4% for promotional APR offers; none for balances transferred at regular APR
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Read more: Here are the best Capital One credit cards
Chase
Chase offers its Chase Experiences to all cardholders. They include access to exclusive events and Chase Dining experiences, along with additional benefits at events like the U.S. Open and festivals. Special benefits can range from priority entry and preferred seating to access to VIP lounges with free refreshments. You can also redeem your Ultimate Rewards® points for some of these experiences.
Those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® get even more entertainment benefits, including private dinners and VIP access to popular events. If you want access to the most Chase experiences for being a Chase credit card holder, you may consider signing up for one of the cards below:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Rewards
Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee
$550
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
22.49% - 29.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.
Citi
The Citi Entertainment program offers Citi credit card members access to tickets for concerts, sporting events and cultural events. This includes exclusive prices or packages for specific events. To qualify for these deals, you'll need to enter a passcode provided to you when you click through the site to make your purchase.
Citi Premier® Card
Rewards
3X points per $1 spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and on hotels and air travel, 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.24% - 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
5% of each balance transfer, $5 minimum
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
The Citi Premier is discontinued and no longer available for new applicants.
Citi Double Cash® Card
Rewards
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24
Welcome bonus
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for the first 18 months on balance transfers; N/A for purchases
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
For balance transfers completed within 4 months of account opening, an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies; after that, a balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Fair/Good/Excellent
See rates and fees. Terms apply.
Read our Citi Double Cash® Card review.
Wells Fargo
With the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card, you'll have access to Autograph Card Exclusives events, which are generally small, cardholder-exclusive concerts. Eligible cardholders can purchase up to six tickets to Autograph Card Exclusives events.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Rewards
Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
Annual fee
$0 annual fee
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases
Regular APR
20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable APR
Balance transfer fee
Up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card
Rewards
Earn 5X points on hotels; 4X points on airlines; 3X points on other travel; 3X points on dining. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first three months.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% variable based on your creditworthiness
Balance transfer fee
Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5.
Foreign transaction fee
None
Terms apply
Bottom line
Credit cards are good for much more than simply earning points and miles or cash back. With benefits like travel insurance and exclusive access to events in your area, your credit card can be a great resource for both consumer protection and entertainment.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for events and experiences.
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Read more
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
*Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
