Quick Points: Earn bonus points or miles on events, attractions and more with Undercover Tourist
No matter how far you travel to attend a concert, theme park or sporting event, you probably won't earn bonus travel rewards on your purchase. These purchases typically code as entertainment despite the fact that these are the types of purchases commonly made when we travel for vacation.
However, there is a not-so-secret way to buy tickets to theme parks like Disney World, Disneyland and Universal Orlando, along with Broadway shows, aquariums, museums and other attractions, and have the purchases code as travel. This unlocks the ability to earn extra points or miles on cards that offer bonus rewards for travel purchases, use travel credits or use points or miles to cover travel expenses.
Rather than buying these tickets directly from the retailer, you can purchase them from Undercover Tourist.
Undercover Tourist is an authorized third-party reseller that sells tickets to theme parks, events and attractions across the country, oftentimes for less than you'd pay at the gate. It also has a generous return policy (where applicable), the option to choose paper or electronic tickets and additional discounts when you bundle tickets with a hotel or rental car.
I've used Undercover Tourist to buy Disney World tickets in the past, but I wanted to test this tip with a more recent purchase. I love going to our local soccer team's matches, so I was thrilled to find tickets for an upcoming home game available on Undercover Tourist.
Similar to other platforms, I was able to view a map of the stadium with pricing for different sections to help me choose my ticket. Once my order was complete, I received a confirmation email from Undercover Tourist and another from SeatGeek with a link to access my actual ticket.
I waited a couple of days for the charge to clear on my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, and, sure enough, it coded as travel. I didn't earn bonus miles above the 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent that this card earns on most purchases, but it did give me the ability to redeem Capital One miles to cover the purchase.
With the Venture X Rewards, you can redeem miles at a fixed rate of 1 cent each for eligible travel purchases made in the last 90 days. You can do this with several other Capital One cards as well.
Or, if you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), which comes with a $300 annual travel credit, a purchase at Undercover Tourist will trigger the credit because it codes as travel. You can offset all or part of your purchase this way.
Lastly, you can benefit from buying tickets through Undercover Tourist if you use a card that offers bonus points or miles for general travel purchases. The American Express® Green Card, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) are great options.
The information for the Amex Green has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you are looking for ways to maximize your travel purchases, check to see if what you're looking for is available through Undercover Tourist before making your next ticket purchase.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.