The Definitive Guide to Moviepass

Are you tired of paying a fortune every time you want to go to the movies? It’s expensive enough for yourself, let alone bringing along your family and friends! And the food??? Well, that will just break the bank. Is Moviepass the solution? Everybody is talking about it and I have been testing it since their prices dropped in August 2017. Today, I will walk you through the pros and cons of Moviepass and whether it is a good fit for you. This is the definitive guide to Moviepass.

First, let’s look at the pros.

Pro #1 - See 1 Movie EVERY DAY

That’s right. Moviepass allows you to see one movie a day. That means 28 to 31 movies a month; 365 movies a year. That’s a whole lot of movies! If you are seeing that many movies, you either have too much time on your hands or maybe you are a film critic. However, that is a great feature.  You don't have to think twice what day it is. Just go. Moviepass is like the Netflix of movie membership.

Pro #2 - Currently Only $9.95/mth

The price drop back in August 2017 led to the whole system getting backed up. There were hundreds of thousands of people who were signing up. Moviepass went from 20,000 members in August 2017 to 1.5 million members 6 months later. Now, I have been following it for close to five years and the prices were never favorable enough to warrant the purchase; but, when they dropped their prices, I jumped on board. If you want to wind down, make some date nights with your significant other, or are just an avid movie goer, this may be a great option for you.

Pro #3 - No Long-Term Commitment or Contract

There is no contract. I repeat, no contract! You can cancel at any time. Now, you may lose your original price level before you can join again, but this may be a great opportunity for you to try it out yet not be locked in if it doesn’t work out.

Pro #4 - Still Earn Theater Rewards

On top of the great membership deal, you can still earn theater rewards. Since you are using a debit card (more about this below) to make the purchase, you are able to earn all the rewards as well. Now, they aren’t the greatest rewards; but, hey, they add up!

Pro #5 - HUGE Savings

The savings can range from good to outstanding.  I’ll discuss this more in a bit.   Okay, so now that we have looked at the pros, to get a full understanding let’s take a look at the cons. Don’t worry, there aren’t as many as you think and they aren’t all that bad.

Con #1 - No Advance Ticketing

There is no advance ticketing. You cannot get advance tickets before the day of viewing; you have to buy tickets the same day. However, you can buy them at 12:01 am that day if you’d like.

Con #2 - No 3D or IMAX Tickets

Moviepass only includes the good-old 2D movies, so you won’t be able to view those 3D or IMAX movies you’ve been yearning to see. However, Moviepass might be considering adding this feature soon since their most recent survey was all about those types of movies.

Con #3 - Can’t See the Same Movie Twice?

Word of mouth says you can’t. I was able to at one time, but I don’t recommend testing the system to see if it is possible. It may even be in the terms and conditions and you wouldn’t want to risk your membership over it. UPDATE: Official word is you can see the same movie twice now.  I would still say proceed with caution.

Con #4 - Must Be Within 100 Yards of Theater

One caveat to consider is…you have to be at the theater when you purchase the ticket, which addresses the advance ticketing issue I mentioned earlier. However, this shouldn’t be a game changer if you have viewed your movie options beforehand. Personally, my daughter goes to school near our preferred theater so I just swing by the outdoor kiosk after dropping her off in the morning to get tickets for later that night.

Con #5 - Can’t Use Your Membership Until Debit Card Arrives

So, you can’t use your membership until your Moviepass debit card arrives in the mail. However, you aren’t losing any membership time waiting for that card to arrive. For example, if they charge you on the first of the month, they actually won’t charge your next billing cycle until a month after you receive the card. Part of the reason I signed up for Moviepass was to see how they worked out the billing cycle situation. Now, I dealt with some customer service issues early on as did many of members when the first flood of people subscribed in August 2017; however, overall, they have dramatically improved their handling of such issues.   Now that we know the pros and cons of Moviepass, how do we join and start using this great entertainment option? Well…

Step #1 - Sign Up At moviepass.com

Just go to the Moviepass website and sign up for the membership. Typically, it runs $9.95 per month; however, there are some fluctuations to that amount and I’ve even seem some deals floating out there such as a yearly membership that breaks down to $7.95/mth plus a one time processing fee of $9.95.  It all depends on when you look.

Step #2 - Wait For Your Moviepass Debit Card to Come

Once you sign up, you are going to wait for your debit card to arrive in the mail in a nice, clean white envelope. It may not have the name “Moviepass” listed on it, so keep an eye out! Inside will be your unique Moviepass branded debit card.

Step #3 - Download the Moviepass App

Once you have your card in hand, you will need to download the Moviepass app to your smart phone. Both are required in order to use the membership. Once you open the app and log in to your account, your Moviepass debit card will either be automatically linked or you can simply set it up yourself.

Step #4 - Drive to Within 100 Yards of the Theater

You're ready to go see movies!  Simply drive to the theater of your choosing.

Step #5 - Check-In with the Moviepass App

Once there, open up your Moviepass app, select the movie and time, check-in, and it will confirm your check-in with a “Success” screen. At that point, your debit card will have been loaded with the exact cost of that movie for that particular show time.

Step #6 - Purchase Your Ticket with the Debit Card

Finally, you just need to walk up to the kiosk or attendant to purchase your movie ticket by using your preloaded Moviepass debit card.

It is that simple!

Now, let me walk you through those last two steps a little more specifically with some visuals... Steps 5 and 6: So, you arrive at the movie theater and open up your Moviepass app...  The app shows you, based on your location, a list of theaters you are closest to. Select the theater you are going to...  Scroll down to the movie you want to see, and tap on the specific show time you want to check in for. Next, select “Check In”...  This will be followed by the “Success” screen, informing you your Moviepass card has been loaded. You can then go buy your ticket! 

That is how simple it is to use.

BUT... What happens if you accidentally select the wrong movie or the movie you have selected is sold out? No problem. Before you swipe that Moviepass debit card scroll to the bottom of the “Success” screen and select “Cancel/Change Check-In.” Those funds will then be removed from your Moviepass debit card and you will be able to select a different movie option.   

THE BIG QUESTION

So, how much did I save? Well... Over the course of five months, I paid for 5 months of Moviepass membership at $9.95 each month totaling $49.75. The face value of the tickets bought in those 5 months with that pass were a whopping $442.09.  So, I saved a total of $392.34!!!! I have only been paying my monthly fee, and even earned my theater rewards in the process including some free popcorn.  

You just can't argue with these numbers! Regardless of your usage you'll find it very easy to save plenty when using Moviepass.   Lastly, let's wrap up with a few common questions...

Can this be purchased for a family?

Right now, there are only individual memberships available, so you would have to purchase them separately. That is what I did for my wife and I, we each have our own Moviepass debit cards.

What about support? Is there a number I can call if something goes wrong?

There is now a number available. I still have not had to use it. Also, there is a chat support feature within the app. In the past, customer service wasn’t great; however, I recently used the chat support and received a response pretty quickly.

What about competition?

Sure, there are other companies out there, but I don’t think they are anywhere near as good. One costs $9/mth and allows you to see one movie a month.... Woohoo? Another is $10/mth and you are allotted two movies a month. While those programs may allow for advance ticketing or 3D and IMAX movies, being able to see as many movies as Moviepass allows far out ways its current competitors in my opinion.   Moviepass is not only a great way to reduce your cost for those extra activities but allows you to go out and do things while saving major money, which in turn keeps your wallet heavy and your heart light.

Question: What does a trip to the movies usually cost for your family and how much do you think Moviepass will save you?  Share in the comments below!