We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners.
7 Ways to Get Cheap Movie Tickets
Tips include buying tickets at Costco and going to the theater on a discount day.
Courtney Neidel Assigning Editor | Personal finance, budgeting, shopping
Courtney Neidel is an assigning editor for the core personal finance team at NerdWallet. She joined NerdWallet in 2014 and spent six years writing about shopping, budgeting and money-saving strategies before being promoted to editor. Courtney has been interviewed as a retail authority by "Good Morning America," Cheddar and CBSN. Her prior experience includes freelance writing for California newspapers.
Kirsten VerHaar is an editor for personal finance, with an English literature degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. In her previous roles, she was a lead editor with eBay, where she managed a team of writers who produced coverage for the site's global content team. She has also written for Yahoo. Since joining NerdWallet in 2015, she has covered topics as wide-ranging as vacuums (yes, really), budgeting and Black Friday.
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
You’re following Courtney Neidel Visit your My NerdWallet Settings page to see all the writers you're following.
Grab a movie ticket, snacks and a seat. As the lights dim in the theater, take a look around. Spoiler alert: The person sitting next to you might have paid less to see the same movie.
Wondering how to save money? Here are seven ways to get cheap movie tickets.
Things to do before you go
1. Join a loyalty program
Movie theater loyalty programs reward frequent patrons with discounts. For example, for $15 a year, AMC Stubs Premiere members enjoy benefits like discounted tickets on Tuesdays and free upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks. You’ll also earn points that can be redeemed for monetary rewards. (Get a $5 reward for every 5,000 points. Rewards can be redeemed on things like food and tickets.)
Many theater chains offer rewards programs. Check with your local theater to see the cost of a membership, then do some quick calculations to figure out how many movies you would have to see each year to make up the cost of joining.
When you sign up for a movie membership, fill in personal information, like your birthday, and some theaters will send you celebratory deals to use during your birthday month. You could get a free tub of popcorn, for example.
2. Check out Costco
Did you know Costco sells movie tickets and gift cards for movie tickets? And like most other things at the warehouse club, they’re a good deal. For example, we found a pack of four $25 gift cards to MovieTickets.com for just $74.99 (a $100 value). So while you’re stocking up on meat and eggs, check for movie tickets, too.
3. Leverage your dinner
You may be able to lower the price of your ticket by purchasing your meal at the same time.
For example, Restaurant.com has a movie section on its website with special gift card deals. We spotted a bundle with a $25 Regal Cinemas gift card and a $25 Restaurant.com e-gift card for $30 (a $50 value). That’s $20 in savings.
Tactics to try at the box office
4. Go on the right day
You could save money simply by seeing a movie on a certain day of the week. Go online and find the theaters near you, then browse any available discount days. We’ve seen several theaters that offer cheaper prices on Tuesdays, for example.
5. Cash in on senior and military discounts
Bring your ID to the ticket window and you could be eligible for a discount because many theaters offer special pricing to some patrons. Discounts typically apply only on certain days, for specific showtimes or at certain theaters, so plan your visit accordingly.
At Cinemark, for example, discounts include military, student, senior and early bird (for the first matinee of the day that starts before 1 p.m.). Go to Cinemark's discount page to see if there is a theater near you that participates.
6. Redeem a coupon
Just like you can find coupons for retail stores, you can also use coupon websites and apps to find deals for movie theaters. Just search for “movies” or by theater name. Deals could include offers such as a dollar amount off, a percentage off or a free concession with purchase.
7. Take kids to summer movies
During the summer, some theaters host special movie programs for kids.
For example, Cinemark offers Summer Movie Clubhouse, a “ten-week program of recently released G and PG films for kids,” according to James Meredith, senior vice president for Marketing and Communications at Cinemark.
The cost is $5 for 10 movies or $1 per movie. And while the movies are tailored to kids, the price is the same for guests of all ages. Timing of the series is determined by local theaters.
