Pre-sale tickets refer to concert or event tickets that go on sale before the general public sale. They are usually available through various pre-sale promotions to give certain groups early access to tickets. This allows die-hard fans, credit card holders, fan club members, Spotify listeners and others a chance to get tickets before they sell out to the general public.
Who Gets Access to Pre-sale Tickets?
There are a few main groups that often get access to pre-sale ticket promotions:
Fan Club Members
Many major artists have official fan clubs that fans can join, usually for a annual membership fee. As a perk, fan club members frequently get first access to buy pre-sale tickets before anyone else. This allows dedicated, longtime fans to get the best tickets before the general public has access. Joining a fan club specifically for the pre-sale ticket access is a common tactic among concert-goers.
Credit Card Holders
Certain credit card companies, like American Express or Chase, have deals with major ticket vendors and events to offer cardholder-only pre-sales. This perk incentivizes people to sign up for and use these credit cards. Pre-sale passwords are usually tied to certain cardholder benefits packages. Credit card pre-sales sometimes offer access to the very first pre-sales.
Mobile Phone Subscribers
Some artists partner with mobile carriers to offer pre-sale ticket access to subscribers. For example, a tour sponsor might be AT&T, which then offers special text code access for AT&T subscribers to unlock a pre-sale. This helps drives fan loyalty among mobile users.
Digital Streaming Service Users
In a similar vein as the mobile subscribers, music streaming platforms like Spotify commonly offer pre-sale access to users. By offering special links or codes to frequent listeners on Spotify, artists can reward fans who stream their music often. Streaming services have access to data on users’ listening patterns, so they can identify superfans.
VIP Loyalty Programs
Some events or artists have VIP loyalty programs, which fans can join or purchase memberships for. These members then get early access to pre-sale tickets as a membership benefit. This includes things like meet-and-greet packages or merch bundles that also come with pre-sale codes.
Venue Insiders
Specific venues will sometimes offer special pre-sales for their existing customers. For example, if you have bought tickets to an event at that arena before, you may be eligible for venue pre-sales in the future. Some also have email newsletters that members get pre-sale access through.
Promoters & Sponsors
There are often other pre-sales for select business partners as well. The tour promoters, sponsors, radio stations involved with the event, etc. may get special allotments of tickets to distribute to employees, contest winners, or users. These promotional pre-sales drive business objectives.
When Do Pre-sales Happen?
Most of the time, pre-sales occur in the few days leading up to the public on-sale date. The specific pre-sale sequence and timing varies, but here is a general timeline:
Fan Club Pre-sale
Fan club members typically get first access, anywhere from 2-5 days before the public on-sale. Some artists even do fan club pre-sales a full week in advance. Joining the fan club is often the very first way to get access.
Credit Card Pre-sales
After fan club, credit card pre-sales often get early access 1-3 days before the general population. Those with select American Express cards, for example, may get a special AmEx presale code.
Venue, Promoter, and Radio Pre-sales
Next come presales for venue insiders, business partners, radio contest winners, and more. These can occur 1-2 days before the public on-sale. Each partner gets an allotment of presale tickets.
Public On-Sale
Finally, whatever tickets are leftover go on sale to the general public on the main on-sale date. By this point, the most desirable tickets are often gone from presales. This is why the public on-sale tends to cause a rush and sell out fast.
Late Presales
In some cases, additional pre-sales may unlock even after the initial public on-sale if the demand was high enough that more tickets get released. Artists want to try to get tickets in the hands of diehard fans first.
How Do You Get Pre-sale Access?
Here are some tips for how to take advantage of pre-sales and get early ticket access:
Join Artist Fan Clubs
Become an official fan club member, which often requires an annual fee but provides presale code access, meet-and-greet contests, merch discounts, and more VIP benefits. This is the gold standard way to get early tickets.
Follow Your Venues
Sign up for venue insider email lists and follow their social media closely for any pre-sale announcements. Local venues want to reward their loyal customers first.
Get a Pre-sale Credit Card
Research which credit cards offer pre-sale ticketing access and consider signing up for one of them. AmEx and Citi cards are good options for early cardholder pre-sales.
Listen to Presale Partner Radio
Many radio stations promote how to access their exclusive pre-sales on-air and online. So pay attention to any radio partners of the event.
Follow the Artist on Social Media
Artists will typically announce any pre-sales on their official social media pages first. Turn on notifications so you don’t miss any presale links they may post.
Check the Event Page Regularly
Keep checking back on the event page for any new pre-sale announcements, links or passwords that get revealed leading up the on-sale date. Sign up for any presale alerts.
Use Presale Links
Once you find a presale link, access code or password from an authorized source, login early and shop for tickets quickly. Inventory disappears fast, so prep any fan club accounts ahead of time.
Tips for Buying Pre-sale Tickets
Here are some handy tips to actually get your hands on those coveted pre-sale tickets:
Act Fast!
Have accounts set up and payment info saved so you can checkout in seconds when tickets go live. Refresh links early and pounce immediately. Popular shows sell out in minutes.
Get Organized
Keep a spreadsheet of any pre-sale details like passwords you come across from different sources. This saves scrambling when tickets go live. Set reminders for pre-sales too.
Try for Multiple Pre-sales
Don’t assume you’ll get tickets in the first pre-sale. Have a game plan to attempt various pre-sales across fan club, cardholder, venue, and radio options.
Standby if Sold Out
If a pre-sale appears sold out at first, don’t give up immediately. Keep the page open and refresh because more inventory may be released incrementally based on demand.
Consider VIP Options
VIP packages almost never sell out during pre-sales. So if regular tickets disappear, you can switch to a VIP option to still lock in access. These cost more but come with added perks.
Check for Waiting Rooms
Major presales sometimes have digital waiting rooms that randomly assign users a spot in line to access tickets next. Pay attention right at the sale start time to get in the waiting room queue.
Have a Backup Plan
Always have a backup option just in case you can’t get pre-sale tickets. This could be General Admission seats, trying again in a later pre-sale, or paying higher resale prices as a last resort. Don’t give up!
Benefits of Pre-sale Tickets
Getting access to pre-sale tickets offers several advantages:
Better Seat Selection
During pre-sales, fans can pick the best seats available before the crazed public on-sale snaps them all up at face value. You have first dibs on seats closest to the stage.
Peace of Mind
Scoring hard-to-get tickets early provides huge peace of mind. You don’t have to stress about inevitably losing out when millions of others rush online at the same time during general on-sale.
Cheaper Prices
Pre-sale tickets are almost always listed at face value original prices. You can avoid paying marked-up prices that resellers charge later. Tickets can cost 2-3x higher after busy on-sales.
Buying Power
During pre-sales, there are usually ticket buying limits in place per customer. This helps enforce more fair distribution before scalpers take over. Everyone starts on an even playing field.
Reward for Loyalty
Access to pre-sales shows you are a dedicated, loyal fan who supports either the artist or venue. It’s a nice perk to reward the longtime fans who show up first.
Flexible Planning
Having tickets far in advance allows you to better plan travel, accommodations, work schedules, babysitters and other logistics around a concert. Last-minute scrambles are avoided.
Downsides of Pre-sale Tickets
However, there are also a few drawbacks of pre-sale tickets to note:
High Demand
Competition is fierce, as diehard fans vie for a very limited supply of pre-sale seats. Inventory goes fast and waiting rooms, crashed sites and sellouts are common.
Extra Fees
To access pre-sales, you often have to pay for fan club memberships, join venues as a season member, or pay up for certain credit cards just for this benefit. Those fees add up.
Effort Required
It takes significant time and effort to hunt down pre-sale details from various sources and be ready to buy the moment they go live. You have to be proactive and organized.
Uncertainty
Even if you jump through all the right hoops, there is no guarantee you’ll actually get tickets during an exclusive pre-sale due to intense demand. It’s stressful.
Non-Transferable Access
Codes and links are usually tied to specific fan club or credit card accounts. This makes reselling pre-sale tickets impossible. They are locked to your name.
Conclusion
In summary, pre-sale concert and event tickets allow certain groups early access to purchase seats before the general public. Fan club members, credit card companies, venue insiders and select partners offer various pre-sales starting 2-5 days before on-sale dates. To access pre-sales, fans can join fan clubs, utilize pre-sale credit cards, follow venues and radio stations closely, or check event pages routinely. This process takes effort but offers major benefits like first pick of seats, peace of mind, face value prices, buying power and flexible planning. However, pre-sales also come with drawbacks like high demand, extra fees, uncertainty and non-transferable access. So concert-goers have to weigh if the benefits are worth jumping through logistical hoops. For diehard music lovers intent on scoring the hottest tickets, pre-sales are an essential first step before the stressful general on-sale scramble.