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Unlimited Movie Tickets For $9.95 Per Month?

With great skepticism I decided to take the plunge and buy a MoviePass.

ChristianMoney.com first wrote about the MoviePass in 2012 when the cost was $25 to $40 monthly based on where you lived. The cost has come down now to just $9.95 per month, which is really hard to believe. I had all the questions everyone does - How can they make money doing this? How many theaters would really accept the MoviePass? Does it only apply to older movies and not new releases? Is it really unlimited?

Moviepass-describes-the-process-in-three-easy-steps

I received my MoviePass last week and made plans to kick the tires and see three movies over the weekend. Friday it would be The Commuter with Liam Neeson, Hostiles with Christian Bale on Saturday, and then on Sunday The Showman with Hugh Jackman. A great lineup of moves, but I had every expectation that this MoviePass deal was going to fall flat - but it worked exactly as advertised.

  • I had no trouble finding a participating theater. In fact, the theater in my small town of Palm Coast, Florida accepts the card.
  • No problem at all using the card (and the associated mobile app). I selected the movie I wanted to see on the app and clicked the 'check in' button. Next, I simply walked up to the box office and presented my card and I was given a ticket. A single ticket here in Palm Coast is $10.75, so I was already in the black on this deal after just my first free ticket!
  • I even tried it at a different theater up the road in St. Augustine, and again it worked perfectly. 
  • All in all, everything went exactly as planned. I received tickets for all three movies using my MoviePass. 

I do not like using coupons due to the hassle and drama that is many times involved, and I hate to be 'that guy' that is holding up the checkout lane for everyone else. So, I wondered if I would have to deal with this kind of a headache using the MoviePass. Surprisingly, the box office employees were very familiar with the program, and it took me no longer to get my ticket than anyone else in line.

I still don't know how the MoviePass makes money on this deal. An article I read last week suggested that they may be able to monetize the card through advertising promotions and marketing agreements with the movie industry. There may also be a data mining value, selling information about what movies members attend. Like with many things, there will be some percentage of people that buy a pass and don't use it all that often.

Is it truly unlimited? The only limit is one movie per day. Another article I read suggested that there actually is a limit, a so called 'invisible limit.' Apparently, you can be canceled if you use the card too much, but I guess you don't find out until after you have crossed that line.

My wife is even more skeptical than I am, but she has seen me cash in on some incredible deals over the years, so she can't help but have an open mind. Now, after my weekend of unlimited movies, she wants a MoviePass of her own. 

Helping you make the most of God’s money!

James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
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