How American Express Front Of the Line Works in Canada

American Express Front Of The Line and Experiences: What to Know

American Express Front of the Line gives you access to presale tickets and reserved event tickets. It's just one of several Amex Experiences™ offered as a cardholder perk.

Young couple takes selfie at an American Express Front Of The Line event.

American Express is one of several credit card network providers in Canada. One thing that sets it apart from Visa and Mastercard, aside from the fact that it issues cards directly to consumers, is a program known as American Express Front Of The Line.

Front Of The Line is an exciting perk that’s only available to American Express cardholders, and is particularly appealing for people who enjoy concerts and other ticketed events.

What is Front Of The Line by American Express?

American Express Front Of The Line allows cardholders to buy presale and reserved tickets for some of the hottest entertainment events across the country and internationally. This perk is different than points or airline miles you might earn through a rewards credit card, which have to be earned through spending and then redeemed.

Quite often, Front Of The Line tickets are available for presale, so you can lock in your purchases before they become available to the general public. But don’t worry if you miss the presale offering – some entertainment venues also offer reserved tickets from a block of seats exclusively to American Express cardholders during the public sale period.

Ticket access

If you’re a cardholder, American Express Front Of The Line may give you ticket access to some of the most sought-after events in Canada, including live music, stand-up comedy, theatre, sporting events and more.

Examples of Front Of The Line events include:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Kevin Hart.
& Juliet.
Post Malone.
Manifesto Festival.
AP Dhillon.
CKay.
Jean Dawson.
TWO LANES.

Event benefits

Another perk of American Express Front Of The Line is various onsite benefits known as event extras. Cardholders can show their cards at select entertainment venues and get additional perks such as dedicated entrances, special concessions offers and more.

» MORE: How to maximize your credit card points

How to Get Front Of The Line access

Front Of The Line access is available to anyone with an active American Express credit card. If you’re signed up for promotional emails from American Express, you’ll be alerted whenever a new offer is available.

Securing your Front Of The Line offers will depend on the event. There’s usually a specific link or code for ticket presales. You would then go to the website selling the tickets to make your purchases.

For example, The Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto has a dedicated page for American Express Front Of The Line tickets, both presale and reserved. If you click the “Front Of The Line Presale” button, you can see what presales are currently available. You’d select your event and enter the code before purchasing your tickets.

Let’s say you have an American Express Cobalt card and you’re interested in a concert where tickets are available to the general public via a global provider like Ticketmaster. Assuming the concert is partnered with American Express, you may be able to choose “Front Of The Line Presale American Express” tickets when selecting your ticket type. This could potentially give you access to tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

Regardless of whether you’re buying presale or reserved tickets, you’ll need to pay for your tickets with your American Express credit card to access the offer.

What are Amex Experiences™?

Front Of The Line is just one aspect of a larger cardholder perk known as the Amex Experiences™ program. Amex Experiences™ gives you access to special entertainment, dining and retail offers, as well as a chance to buy advance tickets for popular events through Front Of The Line.

Virtual experiences

To give everyone access to unique events, regardless of their physical location, American Express allows cardholders to purchase virtual experiences that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home.

Example events include:

Cooking classes.
Wine tastings.
Fitness sessions and beauty masterclasses.
Movie packages.
Recorded live theatre productions.
Discussions and speaking series with athletes, artists and others.

Retail packages

Another exciting perk that comes with Amex Experiences™ is the shopping packages. These are specially curated packages or experiences that have limited availability and often sell out quickly.

Some packages that have been available in the past include:

Craft beer.
Gourmet coffee kit.
Gnocchi-making class.
Father’s Day gift box.

Exclusive invites

American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders can also access “By Invitation Only” perks through the Amex Experiences™ program. These packages, which must be bought using an eligible card, are designed for premium American Express cardholders and offer a variety of items, such as: