Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MoviePass Now Charging Extra Fees for Popular Showtimes

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
67,773
38,341



MoviePass in June said that it would introduce surge pricing for moviegoers watching movies at peak times, and as of today, those new surcharges have gone into effect.

In an email sent out to customers and a new section on its website, MoviePass explains that its new "Peak Pricing" system may require subscribers to "pay a small additional fee depending on level of demand" for a movie.

moviepasspeakpricing-800x471.jpg

MoviePass claims that peak pricing provides "additional flexibility" for MoviePass and its users around popular movies and times for which there is limited inventory.

The service says that to avoid fees, subscribers should choose an alternative date or film, with one fee waiver per subscriber available each month. MoviePass has provided little detail on the new fee system. Peak pricing fees are determined "based on movie demand and popularity" with movies that are in demand for "title, date, or time of day" impacted.

Specific surcharge fees have not been outlined by MoviePass, but a screenshot of the peak pricing feature shared by MoviePass displays a $3.43 fee for seeing "Avengers: Infinity War." Extra fees will be charged to the credit card on file with MoviePass.

Peak pricing will be rolling out for all MoviePass users "in the coming weeks" for all theaters, with MoviePass planning to provide details on which films will be subjected to peak pricing and how much they will cost in the MoviePass app.

Movies affected by peak pricing will feature a red lightning icon when prices have gone up, and a gray lightning icon when prices will soon surge.

MoviePass subscribers who were promised unlimited films for their monthly fee with no restrictions at the time of sign up will likely be unhappy with the new fees. MoviePass says that even with fees, the service is still cheaper than traditional movie tickets.
Even with the peak pricing fee, you will be paying less for the ticket than you would if you bought it at retail price, and in the coming weeks, every subscriber will be able to waive one peak fee per month. That said, if you would like to avoid paying the fee, you can choose an alternate title or showtime!
Click to expand...
In the future, MoviePass plans to introduce features that include Bring a Guest for purchasing an additional ticket, and extra fees for IMAX and 3D movie showings. These new options will allow MoviePass to better compete with AMC, which recently launched its Stubs A-List service.

With Stubs A-List, customers can see three movies per week for $19.95 per month, with no restrictions on times or repeat movies. Stubs A-List includes IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, Prime, and Big D movies at no extra charge.

Article Link: MoviePass Now Charging Extra Fees for Popular Showtimes
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/05/movie-pass-peak-pricing-fees/
This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for a 1 year subscription. Current subscribers should be exempt from this until their subscription comes up for renewal.

Unless I am missing something it does not cost MoviePass anything different no matter what time or movie I see.

Perhaps its time for a class action lawsuit against MoviePass. Any lawyers out there want to jump on this one?
 
  • Like
Reactions: tennisproha, ArtOfWarfare and RowellE
scottct1 said:
This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for a 1 year subscription. Current subscribers should be exempt from this until their subscription comes up for renewal.

Unless I am missing something it does not cost MoviePass anything different no matter what time or movie I see.

Perhaps its time for a class action lawsuit against MoviePass. Any lawyers out there want to jump on this one?
Click to expand...
If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Most people saw this coming. Now MoviePass will fade into obscurity and be forgotten about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: haruhiko, 5hugknight, Oblivious.Robot and 4 others
I would like to see who actually cancels because of this small fee that you won’t even have to pay if you see the movie at a different time.

At $9.99 per month we have been stealing from MoviePass. I’d much rather pay this small fee if I have to than see the company go out of business.
[doublepost=1530817417][/doublepost]
RoobyRoobyRoo said:
RIP MoviePass, 2017-2018.
Click to expand...
It was actually founded in 2011.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ILikeAllOS, smirking, madKIR and 2 others
scottct1 said:
This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for a 1 year subscription.
Click to expand...

Actuall yes, it’s in the TOS.
However, despite the technicality I get the feeling. It’s still a great product; just go to a non peak time. Agreed, it kinda limits your freedom, but it’s not the end of the world. I admit I might be biased because I often wait a couple of weeks - or more if it’s a big hit - to go watch a movie because I don’t want a 100% packed theatre which increases the possibility of someone eating the loudest food theatres sell at their insane prices (and for some reason, they sell stuff in the loudest packaging in the history of humanity).
 
  • Like
Reactions: redneckitengineer
boshii said:
I would like to see who actually cancels because of this small fee that you won’t even have to pay if you see the movie at a different time.

At $9.99 per month we have been stealing from MoviePass. I’d much rather pay this small fee if I have to than see the company go out of business.
[doublepost=1530817417][/doublepost]
It was actually founded in 2011.
Click to expand...

This small fee is just the latest in a series of changes to the service. I don't think this fee will lose a significant number of customers, but it's another step in a direction that is continuing to raise the costs of the service while also removing benefits.
 
Why is it that when companies start to charge for something that was previously free, it's always explained as 'providing greater flexibility' for users?

Come on, we get it, you can't afford to not charge. Just tell us that. Don't claim it adds flexibility... it literally reduces it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cameroncafe10a, Oblivious.Robot, dilbert99 and 7 others
If you're still on MP - Just cancel already..
They have no sustainable business model and more and more of this will keep happening

(former MP sub - left several months ago)
 
  • Like
Reactions: skillz1318
turbineseaplane said:
If you're still on MP - Just cancel already..
They have no sustainable business model and more and more of this will keep happening

(former MP sub - left several months ago)
Click to expand...

Why would I cancel? It still works great, if the business model is not sustainable they’ll go out of business. The product is still pretty good.
[doublepost=1530818358][/doublepost]
max2 said:
Plus AMC stubs has free wifi!
Click to expand...

$19.99 + tax per person. That would increase my monthly expenditures from $20/mo ($240/year) to $40 ($480/year) for less movies (but with IMAX, 3D etc.). I think that MP is still a much better choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Watabou
scottct1 said:
This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for a 1 year subscription. Current subscribers should be exempt from this until their subscription comes up for renewal.

Unless I am missing something it does not cost MoviePass anything different no matter what time or movie I see.

Perhaps its time for a class action lawsuit against MoviePass. Any lawyers out there want to jump on this one?
Click to expand...
You’re safe unless you renew.

https://support.moviepass.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005563131-What-is-Peak-Pricing-
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArtOfWarfare
Ridiculous.

"Limited inventory" means the number of seats/tickets available, that has nothing to do with moviepass whatsoever. It doesn't matter if there are 30 open seats or 3, MoviePass pays the same amount to the theater. Of course the theater isn't seeing a dime more from this even though it's their inventory that's limited.

Their screenshot shows a fee of $3.43, that's like 25-33% of the price of a ticket... that is no "small fee".

Plus it's their screenshot so I'm sure they would show a fee on the lower-end of what they would be charging. So who knows what the higher-end of this fee would be!

Also if they are showing this screenshot now using Avengers (a movie that has been out for months now) as the example, I can only imagine what the fee would be on a brand new movie in its first few weeks. Also indicates that movies may be out for quite a while and still be subject to a fee (ie potentially every movie).
 
  • Like
Reactions: kazmac and tonyr6
whyamihere said:
.
"Limited inventory" means the number of seats/tickets available, that has nothing to do with moviepass whatsoever. ).
Click to expand...

It’s the demand on MP, not the single theatre. There is no way for MP to know how many seats are left in a theatre. However they can track how many times AMC’s within a ZIP code charged MP for a title on a certain day.
 
whyamihere said:
It doesn't matter if there are 30 open seats or 3, MoviePass pays the same amount to the theater.
Click to expand...

Not so. MoviePass can pay the theater less if they get you to buy a ticket during a matinee instead. Not exactly the same thing - the theater likely charges based on time when they expect surges instead of actual known surges, but maybe that's something MoviePass can offer to sell to theaters. Hey theater - you thought surges were at time X, but really they're at time Y, and you just didn't know it for reason Z.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yaxomoxay
boshii said:
You’re also limited to AMC theaters, paying double the price of MoviePass, and limited to 3 movies a week.
Click to expand...

Except since MoviePass made it so you can’t see the same movie twice, if you’re caught up on movies you’re only going to see about 3 a week if you want to see every movie in the theatre.

I’ll be switching to amc for the premium seatings, and I can see the same movie over and over again if I want. In my area it’s $13.50 for a regular seating, $19 for vip, 23 for IMAX / rpx, and the vip or higher is all most the good theatres offer for some movies, so movie pass was already close to useless for me because the theatre won’t allow me to pay the difference and they don’t offer non vip showings. I work full time, have a side business and limited availability with my wife because of her job, so picking another time isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Moviepass is still a good deal if it works in your area, but in Southern California it’s nearly useless. Every couple of months there’s a new limitation on moviepass, and it’s only going to get worse. They made an unsustainable business model and can’t keep up with other companies offering better services.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Coffee50
scottct1 said:
This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for a 1 year subscription. Current subscribers should be exempt from this until their subscription comes up for renewal.

Unless I am missing something it does not cost MoviePass anything different no matter what time or movie I see.

Perhaps its time for a class action lawsuit against MoviePass. Any lawyers out there want to jump on this one?
Click to expand...
Did you read the TOS before you clicked Subscribe?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back