Cineplex introduces $1.50 booking fee for online ticket purchases
Cineplex introduces $1.50 booking fee for online ticket purchases
Cineplex introduces $1.50 booking fee for online ticket purchases
A Cineplex Odeon Cinema is shown in Oshawa on Friday January 21, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
Toronto -
Moviegoers could be paying a little extra for a seat at a Cineplex theatre this summer.
Canada's largest film exhibitor says it has introduced a new $1.50 booking fee that applies to each ticket purchased through its mobile app and website.
The move comes as Cineplex representative Sarah Van Lange says the company looks to "further invest and evolve our digital infrastructure," including website upgrades.
However, not everyone will have to pay the new service charge.
Cineplex Inc. says purchases made in-person at the box office, ticket kiosks, or concession stands will not be subject to the fee, while members of the Scene Plus rewards program will pay a reduced $1 per ticket.
Members of CineClub, the company's monthly subscription program, will have the fee waived.
Service charges are a long-standing practice in the entertainment industry where concerts, live theatre and sporting events all add some form of a "convenience fee" to collect more revenue.
When Cineplex first introduced online ticket sales years ago, it charged a similar processing fee for each ticket. Eventually it eliminated the charge around the same time it began encouraging moviegoers to buy tickets in advance instead of waiting in line at the box office.
More recently, Cineplex has dabbled in other upcharge experiments that included charging an extra $2 for "prime seats" at a few of its busier theatres. It also tacked on an extra $1 to reserve seats at showings of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in 2017.
In the United States, most of the largest theatre chains already charge a fee for online ticket purchases.
Earlier this year U.S. chain AMC Theatres went a step further when it began testing "variable pricing" for tickets to the anticipated DC Comics movie "The Batman." The new cost added around US$1.50 to each ticket in some cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2022.
Prices have been easing slightly recently, but affording a mortgage is still a very difficult task for many Canadians. How much of a mortgage can you afford? Contributor Christopher Liew breaks it down in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
The Bank of Canada's strategy of rapidly increasing its key interest rate in an effort to tackle skyrocketing inflation will likely trigger a recession, says a new study released Tuesday from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Even though it may seem years away, saving for retirement is a top priority among 26 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34, a recent survey from the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan found. However, 79 per cent of respondents in that age group say saving for retirement is prohibitively expensive.
A new report says Canada should replace its "haphazard and unpredictable" approach to minimum wages across the country with a clear formula based on average incomes.
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
As stocks continue to slump, it can be easy to let your emotions take over if you've got money invested in the market. But experts agree that there's no need to panic if you're invested in the right type of portfolio with the right level of risk.
With increasing rent prices likely to be the reality for many Canadian tenants, some may be wondering how to navigate rising costs, or whether any course of action can be taken, if any. Legal experts across the country share their advice on how to handle a rent hike.
A Cineplex Odeon Cinema is shown in Oshawa on Friday January 21, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
