How to Get the Fandango Convenience Fee Waived

William Lipovsky headshot William Lipovsky
Updated Sep 29, 2018
Friends watching a movie at the theater

Fandango is one of the most popular websites that will let you buy movie tickets online and skip the ticket line at the theater. But you may have noticed there’s an extra charge tacked onto your Fandango purchase: the convenience fee.

Below, we’ll take a look at ways to escape paying the Fandango convenience fee, as well as alternate ways to buy movie tickets that will let you avoid these types of fees.

What Is Fandango?

Fandango is an online, centralized hub where you can find movie times and buy movie tickets in your local area. The company works with a long list of theaters nationwide to offer constantly updated showtimes, online ticket purchasing, promotions and special offers, and more.

When buying tickets on Fandango, you’ll be charged a convenience fee. The general Fandango convenience fee is $1.79 for standard and 3D movie tickets, and $2.29 for IMAX tickets, although the fees may vary by location or depending on the particular movie. These fees are charged on a per-ticket basis — so if you go to the movies frequently and buy multiple tickets, the additional convenience costs can really add up.

Once you’ve purchased online tickets through Fandango, there are a few ways to get them:

  • Print the ticket(s) out at home and bring them to the theater
  • Pick up the ticket(s) at the box office or self-serve kiosk (you’ll need a valid debit or credit card for this option)
  • Use a mobile ticket on your phone (where available; not all theaters accept mobile tickets)

Fandango will email you instructions on how to use your online tickets, along with the receipt, after your purchase is completed.

How to Get the Convenience Fee Waived

If you’d rather not pay the convenience fees for Fandango tickets, we detail a few ways you can get around them below.

Join AMC Stubs

AMC Stubs is a membership reward program exclusive to AMC Theatres. Most theater chains offer some kind of member reward program, such as the Regal Crown Club and Cinemark Connections, but AMC Stubs is the only major program that allows members to waive the convenience fee when purchasing tickets online.

There are two tiers for AMC Stubs membership:

AMC Stubs Insider

  • Cost to join: Free
  • Online ticketing fees waived for: Purchases of four or more tickets on AMC.com, Fandango.com, or Movietickets.com.
  • Other member benefits: Up to $2 off tickets on Tuesdays, free refill on large popcorn, free large popcorn on your birthday, reward points, and special offers and screenings
  • Join AMC Insider

AMC Stubs Premiere

  • Cost to join: $15 annually
  • Online ticketing fees waived for: Any ticket bought on AMC.com, Fandango.com, or Movietickets.com.
  • Other member benefits: Up to $5 off tickets on Tuesdays, free refill on large popcorn, free popcorn and fountain drink upgrades, free large popcorn and large fountain drink on your birthday, reward points, “better” offers and screenings, and exclusive premiere services at the box office and concession stands.
  • Upgrade to AMC Premiere

AMC confirms that AMC Stubs members can waive the convenience fees in its Tickets and Passes FAQ. However, keep in mind that Fandango convenience fees will only be waived for AMC Theatre ticket purchases — you could not, for example, enter your AMC Stubs member number to waive the convenience fees for movie tickets at a Regal Cinema purchased on Fandango.

Suggested Article: Is There an AMC Student Discount? AMC Student Deals Explained

Purchase a Discounted Fandango Gift Card

While using a gift card won’t waive the convenience fee, you can purchase a Fandango gift card at a discount to save on your ticket purchase. The amount you save on your gift card purchase may be equal to or greater than the convenience fee; retailers that sell discounted gift cards offer savings ranging from around 2% to 30%. See our article for the list of places that sell discounted gift cards.

Use a Fandango VIP+ Reward

When you register for Fandango and make purchases through Fandango.com or the Fandango app, you’ll earn 125 VIP+ Points points per ticket. For every 500 points (or four tickets), you will receive a limited-time $5 reward to apply to your next ticket purchase. Depending on how many tickets you include in your next purchase, the $5 reward may cover or reduce the convenience fee. (You can also use these rewards for FandangoNOW, Fandango’s purchase and rental service for digital movies.)

Sign Up for Coupon Alerts

There are several coupon sharing websites that offer online coupons and promo codes for use at thousands of stores, retailers, restaurants, and more. These websites sometimes have Fandango coupons for waived convenience fees and other offers such as discounted movie tickets and free tickets with signups to other offers.

Since these promotions expire after a limited time, the best way to take advantage of them is to set up alerts with the coupon sites for Fandango deals. Here are the top deal sharing websites and how to sign up for Fandango deal alerts with them:

Coupon Chief

RetailMeNot

Slick Deals

Other Options for Purchasing Movie Tickets Online

If you prefer not to use Fandango but still want to buy tickets online, there are some other options available. A few major theater chains provide online ticket purchasing directly from their websites. They also charge per-ticket convenience fees, but in some cases, you can have the fees waived.

AMC Theatres

  • Convenience fees per ticket: $1.75 for standard and 3D movies; $2.25 for IMAX movies
  • Online ticketing fees waived for: AMC Stubs members (purchases of four or more tickets for Insider members; all ticket purchases for Premiere members)
  • Buy tickets online from AMC Theatres
  • Note: Are you eligible for a student discount? See our article on AMC Theatres’ student discount policy.

Cinemark

MovieTickets.com

  • Convenience fees per ticket: $1.50 for standard, 3D, and IMAX movies
  • Online ticketing fees waived for: AMC Stubs members (purchases of four or more tickets for Insider members; all ticket purchases for Premiere members)
  • Buy tickets online from MovieTickets.com

Regal Cinemas

  • Convenience fees per ticket: $1.35 for standard, 3D, and IMAX movies
  • Online ticketing fees are cheaper than for other websites, but they cannot be waived.
  • Buy tickets online from Regal Cinemas

Final No-Fee Option: Standing in Line

Aside from AMC Stubs membership, Cinemark gift cards, and online coupon sites, the final way to avoid paying convenience fees is to purchase your movie tickets at the theater box office.

When buying at the theater, it’s a good idea to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the scheduled show time, so you’ll have sufficient time to get through the ticket line (and the concession line, if you’re buying snacks and beverages). You can also use membership cards like AMC Stubs, Cinemark Connections, and Regal Crown Club cards at the theater to earn points and redeem them for rewards such as free tickets, popcorn, and beverages.

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2 comments

  • David Altman
    | 4 years ago

    Another two ways: One – buying discount Fandango gift cards through something like raise.com or cardpool.com. With discounts as much as 25% off, it’ll more than make up for the extra fee. Two – every 4 tickets you buy, Fandango gives you a limited time coupon for $5.00 towards your next purchase. With the fee now being $1.79, you save $1.25 ($5/4 tickets required). Your fee is now only $0.54/ticket.

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Lindsey Desmet
      | 4 years ago

      Thanks for sharing your insight, David! We have updated our article to include information about discounted gift cards and the Fandango VIP+ rewards program, as well as to reflect the updated convenience fee amounts.

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