MoviePass' promise of a movie every day for $9.95 a month is about to change.
MoviePass just announced that it's rolling out its peak pricing starting today. The new policy will charge you extra if you plan on seeing a popular movie during a sought-after time slot. In the example given, MoviePass shows how it could charge $3.43 to see a movie like Avengers: Infinity War during a peak time -- and the company tells CNET peak pricing fees will range from $2 to $6 depending on the film.
This is how @MoviePass is implementing its new Peak Pricing feauture. Note the actual surcharge will vary based on showtime and movie title. Así es como Moviepass va a empezar a cobrar más por ciertas sesiones. @PatriciaPuentes y yo hablaremos de esto esta tarde en @CNET_Es . pic.twitter.com/3tHO4d4QF0
— marta franco (@marmotilla) July 5, 2018
MoviePass indicates which movies are affected by peak pricing by including a red lightning icon above the specific showtime. MoviePass will also warn that a movie may enter peak pricing with a gray lightning icon.
Unhappy about paying more? MoviePass says every subscriber will be able to waive one peak fee per month.
MoviePass says that the specific showings and movies affected by peak pricing will vary case by case. The amount charged will also vary based on the film or showtime's popularity. We previously heard that MoviePass would charge only $2 extra for popular movies, but the example included shows that MoviePass may charge more.
For more on peak pricing you can check out MoviePass' FAQ here.
Correction, 7:09p.m. PT: MoviePass got in touch with CNET to explain it won't actually charge $3.43 extra for Infinity War, since that movie came out months ago. "We are still in a testing period with this feature, and to start, members can expect a surcharge fee of between $2 and $6, depending on demand of the showtime in question," reads a statement from the company.
The company also says existing members who pay for an annual or quarterly plan won't be charged peak pricing until the next time they renew their membership.