I have revisited the benefits of the AMC Stubs card after many commentors have either explained their poor experiences or changes to the program.
After moving back home to Valrico, FL the predominate theater chain is AMC. Their AMC Stubs card is the only customer loyalty program for a cinema chain that I am aware of that requires a payment. For $12 dollars a year, they provide you with an AMC Stubs card for you to acquire points for each dollar you spend on tickets and concessions. Each time you reach $100, you’re given a $10 AMC gift card.
The AMC Stubs card also gives you upgrades on popcorn and drinks, but this is a moot benefit for me as I do not partake in the over-priced, poor tasting, unsubstantial food available at most theater chains. For a family, however, this may be a very attractive offer as the amount spent on food may be twice the admission price.
AMC Stubs Benefits
- 1 point for each $1 spent on admissions and concessions
- Fandango and AMC online tickets purchase fees waived
- Upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks
- Works with AMC gift cards
Looking back at my receipts since the beginning of 2012, I have spent over $300 in movie tickets. Granted some of them were from local film societies and indie theaters, but this AMC Stubs program can still net a few free tickets throughout the year and save a few bucks on online purchases in the meantime.
Depending on what times you see a film (matinee, early-birds, night screenings) and the medium that you see films in (3D, IMAX, etc.) your return on investment will hit on the second threshold.
It also does not hurt that the purchase of your AMC Stubs card goes towards your points. If you forgot your rewards card when you go to the theater, you have 30 days to return with your original ticket stub and have it added to your card. Since I keep all my stubs for accounting purposes as a film critic, I have almost reached my first $100 threshold.
AMC Stubs Criticism
There are certainly some criticisms of this program, and typically I am among those who are critical of such reward programs that require a purchase. AMC used to have the MovieWatchers card, which was free, but also did not have the same amount of benefits, let alone the fee-free online ticket purchases.
If you are aware of your spending habits, then you should be able to determine whether this or other customer loyalty programs are viable solutions. It also would not hurt to combine your rewards purchase with a rewards credit card.
Customer loyalty programs are designed to keep you spending at a specific brand and location, and to trick your brain into thinking that it is just fine to over spend. If you keep this in mind, and you make an educated determination on the amount spent on a certain industry and chain, a loyalty card, especially one that cost money to join, might be an excellent investment.
Trying Out AMC Stubs
I am going to try out the service and report back on the usefulness for the AMC Stubs program. I will also be doing a write-up on a few other customer loyalty programs that exist at brick and mortar stores that may benefit cinephiles.
Edit: AMC has released an app for Android, iOS, and Windows phones that allows you to link your AMC Stubs account to see how far away you are from your next threshold and even display your account’s barcode to make it easier. Not much functionality, but it can be convenient.
Disclosure: This is not an advertisement, but a sincere review of the AMC Stubs reward program. There will be subsequent posts about this program as time goes on. Also, I am not an AMC employee or representative, I’m a film critic who writes insightful movie reviews. I cannot help you recover lost cards, help your retrieve your account information, and I do not have sympathy for you if you do not read the program’s terms and conditions, and therefore have your rewards or membership expire or revoked. I do care about your stories regarding this program, please leave a comment below.
