How to get presale tickets to the Beyoncé tour

Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

Presale access to tickets for the Beyoncé tour begins in a week. However, it can start even earlier for those with the right credit card.

On top of your Verified Fan access code, you can get access to tickets even earlier if you hold a Citi credit card or debit card, thanks to the Citi Entertainment program and this special offer.

Citi cardholders get early access to registering for tickets Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. EST. Early registration closing times vary by location (see more info below).

Essentially, you can register to be a Verified Fan through Thursday, and then you’ll be notified if you are able to get into the ticket-buying page. This is similar to how tickets for Taylor Swift were sold.

Here are the details on when ticket sales start, with registration open already:

• Registration for the Citi presale powered by Verified Fan in Chicago, East Rutherford, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Houston will go through Thursday, Feb. 2 at 11:59 PM EST. If you receive a Verified Fan access code, the Citi presale begins for these markets on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. local time.
• Registration for the Citi presale powered by Verified Fan in Minneapolis, Boston, Tampa, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle and Dallas will go through Thursday, Feb. 9 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. If you receive a Verified Fan access code, the Citi presale begins for these markets on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. local time.
• Registration for the Citi presale powered by Verified Fan in Philadelphia, Nashville, Louisville, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, St. Louis, Glendale, Kansas City and New Orleans will go through Thursday, Feb. 16 at 11:59 PM Eastern. If you receive a Verified Fan access code, the Citi presale begins for these markets on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. local time.

You can go to Citi's entertainment website to get in line.

It is Beyoncé’s first worldwide concert series since 2018’s On The Run II tour with her husband Jay-Z.

Citi tells TPG there will be a virtual waiting room during the presale: "This helps to control the volume of people who are actually choosing their tickets."

Also, note there is a limit of four tickets per Verified Fan code.

Tickets to the Beyoncé tour won't go on sale to the general public until later in February. As we've seen with other popular tours — including Harry Styles and Taylor Swift — tickets may be hard to get. In fact, fans might already be worrying about whether they'll be able to nab tickets before they're all gone.

Related: The best credit cards for concert tickets and VIP access

Citi cards eligible for presale

Happily, you don't need to be a professional ticket scalper to snag tickets. Those with Verified Fan access codes will be able to register to purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday.

Even better, those with certain Citi credit and debit cards will also be eligible for this earlier time slot to purchase tickets:

• All existing cardholders of Citi personal credit cards, such as the Citi Premier® Card and Citi® Double Cash Card.
• All existing cardholders of Citi personal debit cards.

Unfortunately, those with small-business debit and credit cards are not eligible.

If you don't currently have an eligible card, new applicants can also gain access to presale tickets. Certain Citi credit cards allow you to apply and receive a virtual card number right away if your application is approved instantly.

This includes the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, Citi Rewards+® Card, Citi Simplicity® Card and Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card — all cards with no annual fee. Note that you don't have access to your credit card's full spending limit until you receive your physical credit card.

If approved instantly for your credit card application, there is an option to click on "Get Card Number Today" to access your new card's virtual number. Note that verification may be required to access your instant card number. Once you see a green check mark, you can click on "See Card Summary" to view your temporary card number and card verification value, or CVV, number.

Save this information. You only have one opportunity to access it before your physical card arrives in the mail, which can take up to 10 days.

Related: The best credit cards for entertainment spending (including concert tickets)

How to get presale tickets for Beyoncé with Citi cards

You need a Citi credit or debit card number before entering the Verified Fan process to be eligible for this presale. You can read here about how to get a Verified Fan account.

The first six digits of your credit card number (either the virtual number discussed above or from your physical credit card) are the BIN (bank identification number). These six numbers serve as the password to access the ticket presale after the Verified Fan process. A range of ticket options will be available during this presale.

Follow these steps to get your presale tickets:

• At the presale start time for the concert you want to attend, navigate to citientertainment.com to select the concert date and venue you want. This will send you to the ticket purchasing page on Ticketmaster's website.
• Use the first six digits of your Citi credit or debit card as the presale code.
• You will be put into a waiting room / virtual queue. Wait here without leaving the page or refreshing — doing so will send you to the back of the line.
• If invited to the sale, you'll receive an access code the night before the Citi presale inviting you to shop for tickets.
• Once the tickets are in your shopping basket, you must pay with your eligible Citi card to complete the purchase.

Tips for getting Beyoncé presale tickets

Having a Citi credit or debit card that offers access to this presale is only half the battle. If you've ever tried to purchase concert tickets that everyone wants, you know that tickets can disappear quickly.

Here are some tips to help you improve your odds.

Add your eligible card to your Ticketmaster account in advance

Trying to add your credit card to your Ticketmaster account during the presale can slow you down — meaning tickets disappear, website errors occur or other problems that mean you don't get the tickets you wanted.

To avoid this problem, add your eligible Citi card to your Ticketmaster account in advance. Set this card as your default payment method, and then you can check out faster once the presale begins.

Sign in to your Ticketmaster account early if possible

Log into your Ticketmaster account about 30 minutes before the presale starts and ensure your password works, your billing and credit card information is correct and that you know how to use the site.

With a Verified Fan presale, you should be invited to a "virtual waiting room" up to half an hour before the sale starts. Entering as early as possible will secure your place in line.

Logging in early and keeping your Ticketmaster account open means you can get into the queue (if there is one) as early as possible. Once the presale time arrives, if you haven't been invited into a queue yet, it's time to refresh the page and start securing your tickets.

Optimize for speed

Whether you're using your computer or your phone, speed matters when there's a limited supply of a hot item.

If your home internet isn't fast, look for somewhere with a faster connection to get on the Wi-Fi during the presale. Additionally, close extra applications, browser tabs or anything else slowing down your device or your connection. Close those YouTube videos and resource-heavy apps like Slack and WhatsApp. You also should consider whether you want to try using a shopping portal for extra rewards on your purchase or whether this might slow you down.

Have all the details handy

Since you need the BIN (the first six digits of your Citi credit or debit card), have that handy. Make sure you have your entire card number, CVV (code on the back of the card) and billing information available.

Plus, ensure you know the exact date, time and location of the concert for which you want tickets. Needing to find this information slows down the ticket purchase process.

All of this will speed up the process when everyone starts clamoring for tickets.

Don't refresh at the wrong time

If you're using a computer (not a mobile device) and get put into a waiting room or virtual queue, you shouldn't refresh — not while waiting and not once the presale time arrives. When your turn arrives, you'll have access to whatever tickets are available.

If you're waiting in the queue on your phone, however, you should pull down from the top of your screen to refresh the browser page when it's time for the presale to start. That will send you forward.

Once you see a number indicating your place in line, do not refresh. I repeat: Do not refresh. If you do, you'll go to the end of the line.

From that point forward, you should only refresh if you receive an error message saying you need to refresh.

Watch out for will call

If you use a card in someone else's name (like a friend, parent, etc.), you may get will-call tickets. This means you must pick up your tickets in person at the venue on the day of the concert.

To pick up the tickets, you'll need to show an ID card that matches the name on the credit card used for the purchase. That could be a problem if the cardholder can't come with you to pick up the tickets.

You may not run into this problem. You might use another person's card (with their permission, of course) and get your tickets without any issues. However, you might not.

Bottom line

Getting popular concert tickets requires a bit of luck and using the tips we covered above. Plus, you can access a special presale for Beyoncé tickets if you have a Citi credit card or debit card — improving your chances of scoring tickets by allowing you to buy sooner.

While navigating all of the strategies to get tickets can feel like a lot, these strategies will improve your chances and might mean the difference between waiting a few minutes or a few hours to make your purchase. Ticket availability and selection can change drastically during that time.

Make sure you know exactly when tickets go on sale for the show you want to attend. Set your clocks and make sure you're ready in advance.