MoviePass Debuts Peak Pricing As Ant-Man And The Wasp Hits Theaters

As part of its continuing efforts to redefine its business model, MoviePass's Peak Pricing policy is beginning to go into effect in some areas on the same day the latest Marvel Studios film, Ant-Man and the Wasp, hits theaters. The new policy, which was first announced to Business Insider last month, chargers users an extra fee on certain movies during popular time slots.

"Peak Pricing goes into effect when there's high demand for a movie or showtime," MoviePass explained. "You may be asked to pay a small additional fee depending on the level of demand. You can avoid the surcharge by selecting a different showtime or movie."

As illustrated in the images below, any movie that's subject to Peak Pricing will be denoted with a red lightning bolt icon above the showtime, with the cost of the surcharge detailed on the confirmation screen. Showtimes that will potentially enter Peak Pricing are denoted with a grey lightning bolt icon, though they won't yet charge an additional fee.

Gallery

It's unclear how MoviePass determines which movies and showtimes will be subject to Peak Pricing, although the service says it will be based upon "movie demand and popularity," so opening weekends for big releases will likely be affected. Similarly, the service hasn't put a cap on how much the extra fee will cost; the actual surcharge will vary depending upon which movie and showtime you're trying to see.

To offset the new fee, MoviePass will introduce additional benefits and features to the service sometime in August, such as the ability to buy an additional ticket for a friend who's not a member of the service--although that will cost "somewhere near the retail price of the ticket." Additionally, MoviePass says it will introduce a Peak Pass "over the coming weeks" that will allow users to waive one Peak Pricing surcharge per month.

MoviePass says that Peak Pricing will continue to roll out to other areas "over the next several weeks," and it will be implemented for all theaters. You can read more about the policy on MoviePass's official website.

The new Peak Pricing policy arrives as MoviePass is beginning to face increased competition from rival subscription services such as Sinemia and AMC's Stubs A-List. If you're unsure of which service is right for you, we put all three to the test to determine which one offers the best value.