As the world slowly but surely moves back towards normal life, entertainment has once again taken a front seat in people’s lives. For a population largely starved of social entertainment experiences like going to the movies, this is a great time to get back into old habits.
Moreover, it’s also essential to exercise appropriate precautions in light of the serious health concerns that the world has just awakened to. Online and contactless payments, therefore, remain a very crucial and much sought-after part of the entertainment experience, especially at movie theaters.
AMC Entertainment, one of the most popular movie theater companies, is the go-to choose for many people seeking out entertainment in its finest forms.
Movie theater companies all over the US have been reporting a return back to profit, owing to people moving back to theaters en masse. In 2022, AMC has also outlined expansion plans that include buying and rebranding existing movie theaters as well as building new theaters in key US cities which is wonderful news amid the situation with inflation and high gas prices.
Keeping these important factors in mind, we are here to answer a few key questions regarding a safe, secure movie-watching experience at AMC and other theaters.
Does AMC take Apple Pay and other contactless payment options? Can customers have the peace of mind of knowing that their transactions are safe and secure not just in terms of protection from fraud, but also from possible health hazards that can arise from using mediums like cash or cards?
Let us find some answers that can really come in handy for entertainment seekers in 2022 and beyond.
The Benefits of Contactless Payment Options
With rising health concerns across the globe, more people are getting interested in contactless or cashless payment options.
Payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay not only allow customers to save a variety of payment methods and make quick payments but also provide a high measure of security and safety.
In addition, one of the biggest benefits of such payment options is the fact that you can make payments from your phone without running the risk of contamination that can occur through physical contact of any kind.
Using cash or credit cards involves a handover of physical items, thereby bringing the risk of infection. Such risks are markedly elevated in places that routinely have high and dense populations, like movie theaters.
Therefore, it is altogether a benefit if movie theaters like AMC and others can accept payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay. This can bring peace of mind to entertainment seekers and allow them to pay for a large range of services without any risk of contamination.
Does AMC Take Apply Pay?
It will surely please potential theater goers to know that AMC theaters have indeed started to accept Apple Pay and other digital wallet payment methods.
According to the latest information, AMC has already started accepting these contactless payment methods at theaters and is currently providing customers with the option to purchase movie tickets using Apple Pay.
With Apple Pay, customers can easily store debit and credit cards on their iOS devices and Macs. These can then be used to pay for services both in-store and for online and app transactions.
Customers can now see an option to add movie tickets to their Apple Pay wallets while purchasing tickets online, in theaters, or using the AMC app.
It’s also expected that customers will be able to use contactless Apple Pay payments while in the theater for making a variety of purchases, like food, beverages, vending machines, and even taxis and restaurants after leaving. Any business that has a POS system that can accept contactless payments would be able to accept payments through Apple Pay.
When we factor in the large number of people who are already happily using Apple Pay, this is beneficial both for the customer and the business as payments can be made safely and seamlessly.
Does AMC Take Google Pay?
Along with Apple Pay, AMC movie theaters now also support making payments through Google Pay, the alternative digital wallet option that customers get with Android phones and tablets.
The mode of operation is similar. You can add bank accounts, debit cards, and credit cards to your Google Pay wallet and use any of these payment profiles for contactless checkouts at supported online and offline stores.
While expanding their payment options, AMC movie theaters have also started accepting payments through PayPal, another popular payment processor that can also be used to facilitate contactless payments.
Does AMC Take Bitcoin and Other Crypto?
In another major bid to make safe entertainment accessible to more customers, AMC movie theaters recently began accepting cryptocurrencies for purchases on the mobile app.
Not only is Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency in the world, supported, but customers are also able to pay using other options like Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.
Overall, this represents a wealth of contactless payment options for customers.
Does Cinemark Take Apple Pay/Google Pay?
Cinemark, another popular chain of movie theaters, has also made major commitments to health and safety while opening their doors to customers again after the pandemic. In their effort to encourage movie enthusiasts to come back to theaters, they have firmly committed to accepting a variety of contactless payment options both online through their app and website, and also in their theater locations.
To this end, they are encouraging customers to use debit and credit cards that come with inbuilt NFC technology that enables them to support contactless pay or “tap to pay”. They are also advocating for the use of digital wallets that support contactless payments. This includes Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and more.
Cinemark encourages customers to minimize contact by purchasing tickets online, whether it is from home or at the actual theater location. This can be accomplished easily using the Cinemark mobile app which supports contactless payment. Third-party ticket vendors like Atom Tickets and Fandango can also be used to purchase Cinemark tickets with digital payment. Printed tickets are no longer required at the theater as the ticket QR code will suffice for entry.
In the theaters, you can take advantage of retail counters with contactless POS devices, as well as self-service counters where you can pick up your tickets using digital wallet payments. These self-service portals are excellent as they will give you a printed ticket, but you do not have to hand it to anyone to enter the theater. Just show your ticket from a distance and you will be given entry.
Does Cineplex take Apple Pay/Google Pay?
Cineplex, another popular chain of movie theaters in the US, has joined the commitment to safe and contactless payments with a radical update of their app. Now, customers have the ability to use their phones as their movie tickets in a completely contactless procedure. Of course, this comes with native support for Apple Wallet in the latest iteration of their mobile app for iOS.
The integration is smart so that your saved movie tickets can appear as passes on your devices. These passes are then accessible based on your location, even from the lock screen. In the Android app, customers have the option of purchasing tickets using digital payment directly within the app and gaining entry to a nearby Cineplex theater without having to print the ticket.
Does Regal Theaters Take Apple Pay/Google Pay?
If you prefer the theater experience provided by Regal Theaters, it will please you to know that now you can enjoy the experience with the peace of mind of contactless payments using either Apple Pay or Google Pay. Regal Theaters offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android and you can directly purchase tickets from within the app using your preferred digital wallet as the payment method.
In theaters, you can expect the usual contactless payment support from all vendors that have partnered with Apple Pay to offer contactless payment. In most cases, this covers a majority of the vendors and retail outlets you are likely to find at movie theaters. This means that, whether it is getting movie tickets, buying snacks, or using in-theater retail shops, you would be able to conclude most transactions using contactless payment through Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Paying for a Movie Ticket Made Easy
The moviegoing experience for those who love big-screen entertainment is already well on its way to getting back on track after the pandemic. With this concerted effort towards enabling digital and contactless payments through Apple Pay and Google Pay, movie theater companies are easing the way for customers.
Brands like AMC are taking things one step further, integrating cryptocurrency payments to give customers even more choice. Overall, the effect of these steps has been to guarantee a safe and seamless experience for potential moviegoers.
With time, even more movie theater companies are expected to follow suit and include integration for Apple Pay and Google Pay, along with further digital payment options that will help bring footfall and viewership numbers back to pre-pandemic levels. This is proving to be a smart, intelligent, and socially responsible step on the behalf of movie theater from coast to coast.