MoviePass launches surge pricing and ugh, it’s higher than expected

Updated 5:28 p.m. with comments from a MoviePass representative.

MoviePass will now charge extra for peak showtimes of popular films. As of Thursday, that means $2 to $6 on top of the flat monthly rate the service charges for unlimited films in theaters.

When we learned in June that MoviePass would be getting surge pricing, it didn’t sound all bad. The surge was estimated to be $2, and the company also planned to add IMAX/3-D tickets.

The example provided Thursday by MoviePass listed Avengers: Infinity War at 7 p.m. with the $3.43 surcharge, per the Hollywood Reporter. Infinity War is an in-demand movie if there ever was one, but it’s been in theaters for two months already. A MoviePass spokesperson informed Mashable via email that the surcharge could be up to $6 and will correlate with demand for the movie.

MoviePass and its parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, Inc. introduced peak pricing to offset the millions of dollars MoviePass is losing as it pays the difference for users’ tickets. The Peak Pricing F.A.Q. insists that this isn’t a step toward removing MoviePass’s insane monthly rate, but that it is designed to ensure that deal sticks around.

Peak pricing is currently in trial and rolling out to MoviePass subscribers, or when membership renews for members on annual or quarterly plans. MoviePass also shared that it will integrate Peak Pass, a once-a-month freebie for members to waive the peak fee. 

h/t Hollywood Reporter