How American Express Front Of The Line Works In Canada

American Express Front Of The Line is a credit card benefit exclusive to American Express cardholders. It gives them early access to select concerts, sports, theatre productions and other events during the presale period before tickets go on sale to the general public.

Not only do Amex cardholders get the opportunity to buy tickets before anyone else, but each Front Of The Line event also seats those who take advantage of it in an exclusive reserved section.

Before you access American Express Front Of The Line, it’s best to sign up for promotional emails and text messages via the Amex website to be notified when access is available for particular events.

1. To access Front Of The Line, you must purchase the tickets online from the event’s ticket vendor.
2. Whether a specific access code is needed to purchase tickets depends on the event. In all cases, you must click the American Express Front Of The Line button at the website where the tickets are being sold, whether Ticketmaster or elsewhere.
3. If you are purchasing Front Of The Line tickets online through Ticketmaster, whether they are reserved for American Express cardholders or presale tickets, you must link your American Express card to your Ticketmaster account.
4.  If you buy tickets from another vendor, you’ll need an access code to verify your status as an American Express cardholder.
5. All tickets purchased must be paid for with your American Express Card to receive Front Of The Line access.

• Early Access. Get access to tickets to in-demand live events before they go on sale to the general public.
• Reserved Access. Sit in a section reserved exclusively for American Express cardholders.
• American Express Lounges. American Express cardholders have exclusive access to preshow lounges, where they can comfortably enjoy food, drinks and other venue-specific amenities.
• Express Concession Service. Participating venues offer priority concession lines and bars exclusively for American Express cardholders.
• Express Entrance. Some venues provide an exclusive entrance for American Express cardholders, leading to faster entry.

Who Is Eligible for the Program?

You can access Front Of The Line ticket offers as long as you have an American Express card. However, not every event participates in the Front Of The Line benefit. Hence, it’s best to sign up for American Express promotional emails so you know which events will be tied to Front Of The Line access.

How To Make Front Of The Line Reservations

To buy tickets using American Express Front Of The Line, sign up for American Express email and text message correspondence and follow the steps in our step-by-step guide above.

When you click The Front Of The Line button (and enter the access code, if necessary), you will be taken to the typical seating chart for the venue with one key exception—you will see the exclusive section reserved for American Express cardholders where you will be able to pick seats.

Here’s how that looked when Pink brought her Summer Carnival Tour to Toronto’s Rogers Centre in August 2024 (the Front Of The Line reserved section is in blue):

Amex Front Of The Line Tips for First-Time Users

• Subscribe to American Express Front Of The Line emails. Find out which upcoming concerts, sports or other events will have Front Of The Line access in your area, along with the exclusive link to buy tickets, the access code (if required), and the time the link will be accessible to buy tickets (usually a day before both the public presale and the announced day tickets go on sale).
• Select “Front Of The Line.” To see only the exclusive tickets available to Amex cardholders, check off “Front Of The Line” and filter out all other ticket options by unchecking those other boxes.
• Buy Front Of The Line Tickets from Ticketmaster. As long as you link your American Express card to your Ticketmaster account, filter out all other ticket options besides Front Of The Line, and pay for your tickets in full with the linked card, you should not need a special access code to buy tickets.
• Always pay with American Express. If you try to buy Front Of The Line tickets without an American Express Card, the transaction won’t go through.
• If all else fails, call the concierge. If, for some reason, your attempts to buy Front Of The Line tickets are unsuccessful, call Amex’s 24/7 customer service department or, on some cards, its 24/7 concierge service. Often, the Amex concierge can arrange for tickets that aren’t even available through Front Of The Line, saving you from any hassle you may be experiencing.

There’s a similar exclusive tickets program for RBC clients called RBCxMusic. Here’s how RBCxMusic compares to American Express.

Drawbacks of Amex Front Of The Line and How To Overcome Them

• Tickets are hard to pass on. Front-of-the-line tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, so any tickets you advertise for resale likely won’t get your buyer in. This means you’ll really want to ensure you can attend the event.
• Tickets aren’t guaranteed. Just because you have access to a Front Of The Line presale doesn’t mean those tickets aren’t still limited. Therefore, if you wait too long, they may be gone.
• Tickets must be paid with American Express. You must pay for Front Of The Line tickets with your American Express Card in full, or the transaction will be declined, so make sure you have the available credit.

Real-Life Examples of Amex Front Of The Line Experiences

• If you are going to a Mirvish theatre production at The Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, you can enjoy express concession service thanks to its concession priority line for American Express cardholders. At the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre and the Princess of Wales Theatre, you can enjoy priority bars as an American Express Cardholder.
• The Budweiser Stage, also in Toronto, has an American Express entrance and a priority line for those who bought Front Of The Line tickets. Based on customer accounts from Reddit, staff aren’t always attentive when screening for American Express cards, so the line can be as long as the general admission line.
• If you are attending a concert in the U.S. or further afield, American Express cardholders can get 10% off concession purchases at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, The Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and other selected venues worldwide.