With tickets for music festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo more expensive than ever, you might wonder if there’s a best credit card for music festivals, concerts or event tickets. Does it matter how you pay?
The short answer is “yes” because using the right card can help you earn extra points or cash back on the purchase. Other cards will offer benefits while you’re at the festival, such as exclusive merchandise, invitation-only experiences or even separate bathrooms with shorter lines.
Before thinking about what to pack for this year’s festivals, you should figure out which credit cards will be at the front of your wallet. These are the best credit cards for music festivals and concerts this year.
Overview of the best credit cards for music festivals
Most travel credit cards and rewards credit cards aren’t tailored to music festival-goers, and festivals don’t offer their own credit cards. That said, some cards still offer music festival-related perks, including bonus earnings rates, extra rewards on ticket purchases and exclusive access to VIP experiences.
| Card name | Why it’s on the list | Other perks and benefits | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | Access to Capital One Entertainment, which has exclusive ticket sales and VIP experiences
Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment and 4% back on entertainment |
Extended warranty protection on top of elevated earning rates | $95 |
| Capital One Venture X Credit Card | Access to Capital One Entertainment, which has exclusive ticket sales and VIP experiences
5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform (a 9.25% return, per TPG valuations) |
$300 in annual credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel | $395 (see rates and fees) |
| Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card | Access to Capital One Entertainment, which has exclusive ticket sales and VIP experiences
5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform |
$300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel | $395 (see rates and fees) |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Access to Capital One Entertainment, which has exclusive ticket sales and VIP experiences
5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform |
Earn 2 miles per dollar on other ticket purchases
Numerous shopping and travel protections |
$95 (see rates and fees) |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | Access to Capital One Entertainment, which has exclusive ticket sales and VIP experiences
5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform |
Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck | $0 first year, then $95 (see rates and fees) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Access to Chase Experiences for exclusive events and experiences | Earn 1.5% cash back on ticket purchases | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Access to Chase Experiences for exclusive events and experiences
Access to pop-up events for Sapphire cardholders only |
Earn 1 Ultimate Rewards point per dollar on tickets
Up to $50 in hotel credits annually on this card Multiple travel and shopping protections |
$95 |
| Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) | Access to Citi Entertainment, which offers presale ticket access, VIP event experiences and preferred seating | Earn 1 ThankYou point per dollar on tickets | $95 |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Access to exclusive tickets with By Invitation Only and American Express Experiences
Access to pop-up events and lounges for Platinum and Centurion cardmembers only |
Earn 1 point per dollar on ticket purchases
Receive monthly Uber Cash, which you can use for rides to concerts Numerous travel protections and shopping protection benefits |
$695 (see rates and fees) |
The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are the details on these cards and why they’re the best credit cards for concerts and music festivals.
Details on the best credit cards for music festivals
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95
Welcome bonus: Earn a $300 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: Earn 4% cash back on dining, entertainment purchases and popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and 1% on everything else. Plus, earn 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
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Why we like it: If you want a high return on music festival expenses and like simplicity, the Capital One Savor is a no-brainer. The card has an annual fee of $95 and earns 4% cash back on all entertainment purchases, including tickets to music festivals. It also earns 4% cash back on dining, which is great when you need some grub between performances. That’s the highest cash-back amount currently offered across all credit cards for both dining and entertainment.
And although it’s not as extensive as some of the other issuers in this list, Capital One offers cardholders special access to certain festivals, which in the past have included the iHeartRadio Music Festival and JamFest at the March Madness Music Festival. Capital One has also offered cardholders other music-related perks, such as presale access to Taylor Swift tickets.
Read our full review of the Savor for more details.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $395 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,388.
Earning rates: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
Why we like it: In addition to earning 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases, you’ll get $300 in credits annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel and an anniversary bonus of 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, starting on your first anniversary (worth at least $100 toward travel).
Read our full review of the Venture X for more details.
Learn more: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card
Annual fee: $395 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $2,775.
Earning rates: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
Why we like it: Like its personal counterpart, you’ll get $300 in credits annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel plus a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, along with an an up-to-$100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Read our full review of the Venture X Business for more details.
Learn more: Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,388.
Earning rates: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
Why we like it: In addition to earning 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment and 2 miles per dollar on ticket purchases, you’ll have access to reimbursement for your application fee to Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Read our full review of the Venture Rewards for more details.
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Earning rates: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment platform and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
Why we like it: The Spark Miles for Business earns straightforward rewards useful to any business with even an infrequent travel schedule, all with an annual fee that’s waived for the first year.
Read our full review of the Spark Miles for Business for more details.
Learn more: Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Annual fee: $0
Welcome bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300.
Earning rates: Earn 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal, 3% back on dining (including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% on drugstore purchases and 1.5% on all other purchases.
Why we like it: In addition to earning 1.5% cash back on everyday spending, you’ll have access to purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and car rental damage protection when using the Freedom Unlimited card. You’ll also gain access to Chase Experiences for exclusive events and experiences.
Read our full review of the Freedom Unlimited for more details.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fee: $95
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,230.
Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal (excluding hotel purchases covered by the annual $50 hotel credit), 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025, 3 points per dollar on dining, 3 points per dollar on select streaming services and online grocery purchases, 2 points per dollar on travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Plus, receive a 10% anniversary points boost each year.
Why we like it: While American Express reserves its pop-up lounges and premier events for those who hold its most expensive credit cards, Chase allows even those holding the $95-per-year Sapphire Preferred card into its experiences at concerts, festivals and sporting events.
Previous events included the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, where Sapphire Preferred cardholders enjoyed a happy hour discount at food vendors when paying with their card.
Plus, you’ll have top-notch travel and shopping protections, and you can get food with Instacart to keep your stomach full along the way.
In addition to the lounges, the Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with access to exclusive experiences. This gets you preferred pricing on VIP packages for music festivals, concerts and other events. And while it’s not the best use of your points, you can even use your points to pay for these experiences.
Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred for more details.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Citi Premier Card
Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,080.
Earning rates: For a limited time, earn 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ Portal through June 30, 2024. Earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Why we like it: You’ll have access to Citi Entertainment, which offers presale ticket access, VIP event experiences and preferred seating. The Citi Premier Card also offers an annual $100 hotel savings benefit, valid on a hotel stay of $500 or more booked with the Citi travel portal (excluding taxes and fees).
Read our full review of the Citi Premier for more details.
Apply here: Citi Premier Card
The Platinum Card from American Express
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. TPG values this bonus at $1,600.
Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Why we like it: While American Express doesn’t have any cards that earn bonus points for music festival spending, it offers cardholders some of the best benefits. The Amex Platinum and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express come with three levels of VIP event access: Entertainment Access, American Express Preferred Seating and By Invitation Only. Just as it sounds, these grant exclusive access to ticket presales, special seating and cardmember-only events, among other perks.
In previous years, the issuer has provided Platinum cardholders (and up to three guests) access to the pop-up American Express Platinum House at Coachella, which included SoulCycle classes and premium food and drinks, as well as makeup and hair services and even live performances from musical artists such as Justine Skye and Julia Michaels. Other Coachella-specific perks included a $10 statement credit after spending $10 at participating Coachella vendors, a free Ferris wheel ride for you and a guest, access to the priority Uber lane and admission to the on-site Amex Card Member Club for you and three guests. Cardmembers enjoyed similar benefits at the last Austin City Limits festival.
The card also comes with a slew of non-music festival-related benefits, including statements credits for up to $200 in annual airline fee credits, up to $200 in annual Uber Cash, up to $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue shopping credits (up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December) and access to numerous airport lounges. Enrollment is required in advance for select benefits.
Read our full review of the Amex Platinum for more details.
Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express
Bottom line
Credit cards aren’t useful for just booking business-class trips and scoring upgrades to larger hotel rooms. They also can provide serious value at events like music festivals. For cards providing pop-up experiences, it’s worth noting that simply having the card in your wallet should be sufficient. You don’t need to purchase your festival tickets with that card to get in. Whether you’re looking for additional earnings or VIP events, having the right credit card in your wallet can make all the difference at your next music festival.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
