How to choose a Citi card for Beyoncé presale access
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Beyoncé just announced her first tour in seven years — queue “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” — and if you have a Citi credit card, you can be among the first fans to get a chance to score tickets.
Citi is the official card of the North American portion of the Renaissance World Tour, meaning Citi cardholders will have exclusive presale ticket access.
While we don’t recommend opening a new line of credit just to score concert tickets (even if it is Queen Bey), this could be a good opportunity to find an option that fits your regular spending and financial goals, especially if you’ve been considering a new card anyway. Citi credit cards can make great options for earning cash back, rewards, 0 percent intro APR offers, and more.
Here’s your guide to scoring tickets to Beyoncé’s summer tour and how to choose the right Citi card for you.
The best Citi cards for Renaissance World Tour presale access
If you want to use your new card for Citi Presale access through Citi Entertainment, you’ll need to choose one that allows instant access to temporary account details, so you don’t have to wait for your actual card to arrive in the mail.
These are the eligible card options according to Citi, along with details you should know about each:
Citi Custom Cash Card: Best for automatic rewards categories
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a no-annual-fee cash back option with lots of flexibility. You’ll earn an automatic 5 percent cash back on the category in which you spend the most each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1 percent) and 1 percent back on everything else. You’ll earn rewards as Citi ThankYou points, which you can redeem for cash back and more.
The 5 percent bonus category does include live entertainment like concerts, as well as restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores and fitness clubs.
Plus, you can earn 20,000 bonus ThankYou points (worth $200 in cash back) after you spend $1,500 within the first six months of account opening.
Citi Rewards+ Card: Best for rounding up everyday spending
The Citi Rewards+® Card earns Citi ThankYou points, which you can redeem for travel, gift cards, select online purchases or cash. It’s a no-annual-fee card with 2X points on supermarket and gas station spending (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X points) and 1X points on everything else.
But a big value of this card is its round-up feature. Your points earned on every purchase round up to the nearest interval of 10 (so a $14 non-bonus purchase would earn 20 points), and you’ll earn 10 percent of the first 100,000 points you redeem back each year.
You’ll also earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 within the first three months of account opening.
Citi Simplicity Card: Best for no fees
The Citi Simplicity® Card isn’t a rewards card, but it does have a valuable introductory offer.
For no annual fee, you can forgo interest on new purchases for 12 months (18.24 percent to 28.99 percent variable APR thereafter). And if you have a debt balance already, you can transfer it to this card and pay no interest for up to 21 months, followed by the same variable APR. As a bonus, there is no penalty APR and no added fees for late payments.
Note, to take advantage of the balance transfer offer, you must complete the transfer within your first four months of card membership — otherwise, you’ll pay the variable rate.
Citi Diamond Preferred Card: Best for balance transfers
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is another balance transfer card from Citi with the same 12-month 0 percent intro APR offer for new purchases and 21-month offer for balance transfers (17.24 percent to 27.99 percent variable APR after that). Like the other cards on our list, there’s no annual fee to carry this card.
How to choose a Citi card for Beyoncé presale tickets
The cards eligible for Citi Presale can serve a wide range of purposes. But like any new credit card, it’s important to choose the best fit for your regular spending habits or money goals.
If you have great credit and you’re looking to maximize rewards, the Citi Custom Cash or Citi Rewards+ can both be solid options. Compare the rewards categories (and spending caps) to your monthly budget to determine which one might earn you the most rewards over time.
On the other hand, the Citi Simplicity or Citi Diamond Preferred may be better options if you want the flexibility to pay down your balance over time or you’re looking for a way to consolidate existing debt with a solid introductory offer. Remember, charging purchases you can’t afford to pay off to your credit card can wind up costing much more over the long run. If you plan to buy concert tickets — or anything else — with a 0 percent intro APR card, make sure you have a plan in place to pay down the balance in full before the intro period ends.
More tips for Beyoncé Citi Presale purchases
With just 26 North American tour dates, scoring a ticket to the Renaissance World Tour will be no easy feat — even with a Citi credit card to help you out. Here are some additional tips to ensure you have the best chances of getting access while keeping up good financial practices:
Check your credit limit. Ticket prices are expensive — and you don’t want to risk lowering your credit score by spending more than you’re allowed on your card. Before you click “Purchase,” make sure your ticket total is within your card’s credit limit. Experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30 percent to maintain great credit. So if you exceed this amount, it’s even more important to pay your balance down as quickly as possible.
Have a plan to pay. You don’t want to end up spending even more than face value for your tickets in interest charges. Before tickets go on sale, plan out how you’ll pay your balance in full before interest accrues, whether you have a card with a 0 percent intro APR offer or have until the end of your billing cycle.
Register for Ticketmaster Verified Fan. Presale access requires more than just your card alone. You’ll need to register for Verified Fan by the deadline, which varies depending on the tour date you’re requesting. The first deadline is as early as Feb. 2, 2023, so make sure you check your status sooner rather than later.
Double check the presale date. Registering for Verified Fan does not mean you’ll automatically get a presale code. But if you are verified by Ticketmaster, make sure you know the date of the presale for your specific city. Presales for the Renaissance World Tour will launch in three waves throughout the month of February.
The bottom line
Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour is surely going to be an event to remember, and having a Citi card in your wallet could help you get closer to scoring tickets this month.
Just make sure you have a plan to pay down your purchase balance as quickly as possible when charging your tickets to a Citi card (or any credit card). And if you’re considering a new Citi credit card, make sure you choose one that will bring you value in the long-term — even after you’ve booked your tour dates.
Keep track of the details of your tour date’s presale wave while also practicing responsible spending and credit habits, and you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the Renaissance.
