There is no need to spend a fortune at movie theaters since there are a number of easy ways to get movie tickets at a discount (and sometime for free). The main thing you need to do is always read the fine print on these tickets. While most are good at any time, some may have wait restrictions for newly released movies. Here is a roundup of some helpful programs that will help you get free and discounted movie tickets.
Free and discounted movie tickets options
Matinees: Matinee showings are usually priced lower than evening movies. Some theaters also offer “matinee days” (usually a Tuesday) where all seats are matinee price all day.
Pre-Matinees: Some theaters open in the late morning, and their pre-matinee showings often cost even less than the matinee price.
Senior, Student, Teacher and Veteran Discounts: These age-related (and profession-related) tickets are generally much less than a full priced adult ticket if you qualify.
Theater Websites: Some theaters offer discount tickets directly from their website. For example, Marcus Theatres offer $5.50 per ticket 20 pack directly from their website, marcustheatres.com. Check the website of your favorite theater; chances are they’re willing to make you an offer.
Movie Club Cards and Membership Programs: Most theaters offer customer loyalty movie cards and membership programs that can earn you free tickets and other discounts. AMC’s Stubs offers several member perks, including $5 admission on Tuesdays and refreshment discounts. The Alamo Drafthouse’s Victory program enrolls you pretty much the first time you purchase tickets online; membership in this program gets you free movie tickets on your birthday month, advance access to special screenings, food/drink discounts, and other benefits.
MoviePass: A popular way to get free and discounted movie tickets is MoviePass. This highly popular program appears to be a godsend for regular moviegoers: for $9.95/month (less than the typical cost of a full-price ticket), this program allows you to attend one movie per day. Though restrictions apply (you have to get your tickets in person), this appears to be a subscription worth maintaining. The list of participating theaters includes both well-known movie chains and arthouse cinemas. Sign up at moviepass.com.
Bulk Purchase Discount: Many theater chains sell tickets in bulk to homeowners associations, local companies, non-profit organizations, churches and schools at large discounts. These theatres will have lists available of these organizations; ask for one. If you are a member of any of these groups, ask their directors when they will be purchasing.
Kids Summer Movie Programs: Many theaters run special summer programs for kids with heavily discounted or even free movie tickets. Here are some of them:
- AMC Summer MovieCamp offers free movies from late June to mid-August on Wednesdays starting at 10:00 AM.
- Bow Tie Cinema’s Summer Kid’s Series is an 8 week series with free admission every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM beginning late June.
- Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse presents 10 weeks of movies on weekday mornings. Tickets for all 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5 or can be purchased individually at the box office for $1 each.
- Classic Cinemas offers $1 movies for 8 weeks from June 13 to August 8 (excluding July 4) on Wednesdays starting at 10:00 AM.
- Marcus Theaters Kids Rule Summer Series has offered $3.00 movies (including discounted refreshments) at 10:00 AM Wednesday and Thursday. Their similar Kids Dream Winter Film Series offers $3.00 movies every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10:00 AM.
- Regal Cinemas’ Regal Summer Movie Express presents family-friendly movies in special $1.00 screenings Tuesday and Wednesday mornings through the summer.
AAA Automotive: Check AAA online. From their site: “SAVE BIG on movie tickets from AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Megaplex and/or Harkins just by visiting your local AAA branch! Ticket types sold vary by branch; actual savings on average ticket price varies according to theater/state; some restrictions apply.”
Costco Warehouse: Costco offers a vast assortment of discount movie options, from eTicket 4-packs for AMC and Regal theater chains to a discount subscription vouchers for Moviepass and online cinema site Fandor. Costco’s movie ticket page has more details.
Sam’s Club: You can get discounted gift cards for a number of movie theater chains, including AMC, Regal, Harkins, and B&B, as well as other movie retailers such as Redbox and Movietickets.com.
Local Coupons: Check newspapers, yellow pages, tourist guides and local entertainment guides often offer coupons for local movie theaters.
Entertainment Book: Free and discounted movie tickets can also be obtained from your local entertainment book. These books often have coupons for Regal, AMC, Cinemark, National Amusements and Carmike theaters. If you go to a few movies, it will pay for the price of the book and you’ll have hundreds of other coupons you can use to save money.
Product Promotions: Products that have tie-ins with certain movies will often offer discounted or free movie tickets with enough purchases. If you were planning to attend the movie, you get free food plus the tickets. Fast food companies also often hold these promotions.
You forgot get a job at a theatre or get a friend who works at one. My hubby’s best buddy’s brother just started working at a theatre so they get in free all the time. My dh has been considering getting a PT job at the theatre since he is a movie fiend.
But in college we always went to the discount theatres. There was one just down the street that was something like $2 for a double feature. We would just spend the entire day there but about all our budgets allowed back then. Slightly older movies, but well worth it.
Where I live, movie tickets are less than 7.50, and before 6 p.m. only 4.50 for adults. Lots of competiton here. Another source to get discounted tickets is through your local newspaper.
In my opinion, going to those small theatres is just like watching the movie at home.
If you rent a movie, then it can be had for $1 per night via DVD kiosks like Red Box.
Great tips. At one point I got put on the mailing list of the local theater so I would occasionally get emails offering tickets to advanced screenings. It was great. Movies in my area were $9.50 so going for free worked just fine for me and I definitely saw some movies I wouldn’t have paid to see. (EuroTrip comes to mind…)
… and you can get a $6.00 Supersaver ticket (though not valid for the first two weeks of a new released) with a minimum purchase of 50 tickets.
Thank you very much for your help now i can go to the movies with discounted tickets. This website Rocks!!!!
At my local AMC in Hamilton, NJ you can get discounted tix if you eat at the UNO’s pizza ahead of time and purchase tix there. The only thing is the movie has to have been out for at least two weeks…but $6 a tix no prob I can wait!
If you’re an employee in a large corporation, Check for employee discount programs. My employer offers discounted ticket prices to AMC and Regal theatres.
My company offers Working Advantage and we get discount movie tickets for most of the major movie chains, as well as tickets for theme parks and ski resorts.
Hey, great list! Keep in mind that Fandango offers free tickets for completing “affiliate offers” and some of those are free trials. Just read the fine print; if it’s a “free trial” you might still be charged after a month. Cancel before the month is out, and you’re home (or at the movies) free!
Movie theaters should do something clever like e-mail free tickets to sign-up members on days when they predict there will be low turn outs to certain showings. That way the movie rooms that would have been half empty will instead be packed full of attendants who might spend money on snacks.
Nice update!
It seems like the inflation rate on movie tickets is mirroring that of real estate; theaters are passing on the cost of their renovations to the public and that higher price only seems to stick when it’s the opening weekend of a blockbuster — look at how much tickets to Black Panther cost. Maybe the future of Movie Pass making money on moviegoer data is that we’ll see more elastic pricing based on demand.
I’d love to see more fluid and flexible pricing from the chains – maybe a discount on small groups of tickets so that family outings aren’t so pricey. (My main ask would be a $25 ticket for 35mm film screenings – I’m willing to pay that much to see films on their original medium.)
There are still a LOT of variables involved with MoviePass – who knows how long they’ll only ask $9.95/month for it.