What’s in a Presale Ticket? 10 Ways You Can Take Advantage

Ah, the age-old mystery of the presale ticket. Before an event goes on sale, ticket wizards pull Houdini-like stunts and grab tickets out of thin air before anyone else can blink—right? Well, not exactly. There’s more to a presale than that and it doesn’t require any magic to take advantage—you only need to know where to look…

Ticket Presales Defined

The presale ticket period is when certain event tickets go on sale to a specified group of fans, usually as a reward for their membership or customer loyalty. In advance or during the presale timeframe*, these select fans are given a code which allows them to search for tickets to buy. Fans aren’t guaranteed a ticket during the presale, but they’re given the opportunity to browse ahead of other fans who don’t have the code.

How to get a Presale Code

The trick to getting presale codes is knowing where to find them. To make your presale hunt a little easier, we’ve put together the following list so you can determine the best ways to get tickets to the artist, team or event you can’t wait to see.**

10 Ticketmaster Presale’s to Help you get Tickets ASAP

• Ticketmaster Presale
  Are you signed up to receive special offers from Ticketmaster via email? If not, don’t worry, we’ll tell you how. Log into My Account and select: My Account > Select Alerts or Offers. It’s that easy! After you sign up, make sure to “favorite” all the artists, performers, teams and venues that you love so we can deliver information about upcoming onsales to you in the future.

• Ticketmaster Social Presale
  If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+, then keep your eyes peeled for the unique presales we share with our social communities. Followers will get the most recent presale codes the day they go live.

• VIP Presale
  Buying the best seats in the house has its perks! When you’re searching for tickets, be sure to look for any VIP packages that may be available for the event. These exclusive packages may go on sale prior to the general ticket inventory and will provide you with secure tickets and the chance to experience the event like a star.

• Venue Presale
  The venues in your hood also host presales so sign up for their email list to find out when, where and how. You’ll also want to visit any and all of your favorite venues’ websites to subscribe to their newsletters.

• Credit Card Presale
  Credit card companies—like Amex and Citibank —may offer their cardholders special presale access as a perk for being a loyal customer. Check with your credit card company to find out if they offer any benefits or assistance when purchasing live entertainment events.

• Fan Club Presale
  Are you an avid follower of {insert-your-favorite-band-here}? If the answer’s yes, then you should look into becoming a member of their official fan club or community. Typically, fan club members are rewarded for their loyalty and given presale access to their fav artists’ shows as a perk. FYI—there may be a cost associated with joining an artists’ fan club or community so read all the details before signing up!

• Album Pre-order Presale
  Sometimes tours offer a presale code to the fans who pre-order the artist’s new album. This is a great way to get early access to tickets and the music you love from your favorite artist. You can find out about these types of opportunities by signing up to receive email notifications from your favorite artist and/or Ticketmaster.

• Fan Club Bundle
  Still not a member of your favorite artist’s official fan club? Not to worry, some artists give non-fan club members early access to tickets when they purchase a special “Fan Club Bundle.” Purchasing this bundle allows you to buy tickets during the specified presale period along with the purchase of an official fan club membership. You kill two birds with one stone here—you’re given the chance to buy tickets early and you become an official fan club member with even more insider info from your favorite band. Keep in mind that in most cases, there’s an additional cost associated with purchasing the fan club membership.

• Team Presale
  Sports teams traditionally try to give their loyal following early access to tickets. Simply visit your desired sports team’s website for more information on how to join their email list.

• Radio presale
  Stations partner with different tours, events and sports teams to offer their loyal listeners early access to buy tickets. Listen closely on air or visit the station’s website for details on signing up and securing passwords.

There you have it, the presale mystery has been solved. And they say a real magician never gives away their tricks.

*Presales typically take place in advance of tickets going on sale to the general public (a general ticket sale does not require a code to purchase).

**Insider tip: there’s a barrier to entry for each of the presale opportunities we’ve listed, and not all events offer a presale period.