How to Get Cheap Cinema Tickets (Even for the Whole Family)
If you’re a keen movie-goer or just get dragged along now and again, there are plenty of sites that promise discounted cinema tickets. Some are genuinely decent, others… not so much. I’ve tested most of these over the years, usually when trying to keep the cost down for a family trip, and the savings can be very real if you use the right one.
Quick guide: cheapest cinema ticket sites (fast answer)
CSSC
Cheapest overall
Consistently some of the lowest ticket prices, plus useful extras
£4.99 per month
Kids Pass
Best for families
Great savings when buying multiple tickets
£4.99 per month or £39.99 per year
The Cinema Society
Best free option
Decent discounts, but no Cineworld tickets
Free
Blue Light Card
Best if you’re eligible
Excellent value, but ticket availability can be limited
£4.99 for two years
Tastecard
Best for restaurant users
Cinema savings are a bonus, not the main reason to join
£7.99 per month or £29.99 per year
I’m going to sound controversial here, but I think the cost of a cinema ticket is fairly reasonable. Especially when I think about how comfy the seats are compared to when I was a kid. However, I’m not so keen when I have to pay for the whole family. And then there’s the food and drink.
However, cheaper tickets and deals for food and drink can be found through certain membership schemes. Some of these schemes are free to use, while others charge a monthly subscription fee. Although you might not be keen on paying out every month, it could still save you a lot of money.
Let’s take a look at the five best sites for discounted tickets.
Pros
- Free to join
- Decent coverage of cinema chains
- Some food & drink discounts
Cons
- Discounts per ticket are fairly small
- Very limited extras
The Cinema Society
This is an invite-only club. and usually reserved as a perk for employees for selected companies.
But I’ll let you into a little secret. You can join by downloading the Lidl app and becoming a Lidl Plus member (no fee involved). From there, you can join the Cinema Society.
You can find discounts for most cinema chains. However, a significant omission is Cineworld.
Discounts are usually around 6-16% for tickets, with food sometimes being as much as 21% off.
Pros
- Big list of restaurants and offers
- Can save a decent amount if used regularly
- Extras like cinema and days out deals
Cons
- Paid membership
- Not every offer is available at peak times
- Value depends on what’s near you
Reviewed by Household Money SavingTastecard
Tastecard offers discounted cinema tickets at better rates compared to The Cinema Society. Plust cinema food and drink discounts tend to be better.
Yes, it does come with a membership fee, but it also comes with a lot of extras, such as discounts at many major restaurants.
Tastecard costs £7.99 per month. However, you can get a much better rate if you pay £29.99 for the year.
Pros
- One of the cheapest ways to get cinema tickets
- Good range of cinema chains
- Some decent food & drink deals
Cons
- Restaurant offers can be disappointing
- Days out discounts vary a lot
- You need to use it regularly to justify the membership
Reviewed by Household Money SavingKids Pass
KidsPass is similar to Tastecard, offering discounts at the cinema, days out and at restaurants.
Although the discounts on the latter are a little underwhelming, Kids Pass offers some of the best deals on cinema tickets. If you’re going to visit the big screen often, it could save you quite a bit of money.
Membership is £4.99 per month, or you can pay £39.99 for the year.
Pros
- Very cheap membership (covers two years)
- Loads of discounts beyond cinema
- Good all-round savings if you use it regularly
Cons
- Cinema ticket availability can be frustrating
- Discount quality varies by retailer
Reviewed by Household Money SavingBlue Light Card
Blue Light Card membership is available to emergency service workers and various other professions (a full list can be found here).
For just £4.99 for a two-year membership, users will receive discounts for cinema tickets, days out and a whole range of shops and restaurants.
One issue with the Blue Light Card is that tickets can be limited. You can log on, only to find there are none available.
Pros
- Often the cheapest way to buy cinema tickets
- Good food & drink deals
- Useful extras beyond cinema
Cons
- Ongoing monthly membership fee
- Not as many big-name retailers as some rivals
Reviewed by Household Money SavingCSSC
The CSSC used to be for civil servants only. However, over the years, the rules have been relaxed, and now anybody can become a member… you just need to be referred by a current member.
For £4.99 per month, you’ll get discounts on your shopping, cheap days out and my personal favourite – free entry into English Heritage sites.
CSSC offers some of the biggest discounts for cinema tickets.
Ticket prices compared
| Vue | ODEON | Cineworld | |
| The Cinema Society | £6.96 | £8.52 | N/A |
| Tastecard | £7.24 | £9.10 | £8.08 |
| Kids Pass | £6.20 | £8.21 | £7.49 |
| Blue Light Card | £6.82 | £8.35 | £8.74 |
| CSSC | £6.00 | £7.65 | £7.50 |
Cinema food prices compared
| Vue 1 large drink & popcorn | ODEON Classic Combo | ODEON Large Combo | Cineworld Regular Combo | Cineworld Large Combo | |
| The Cinema Society | £10.71 | £8.20 | £9.20 | N/A | N/A |
| Tastecard | £10.53 | £8.20 | £9.20 | £5.96 | £9.05 |
| Kids Pass | £9.80 | £7.49 | £8.39 | £5.96 | £6.70 |
| Blue Light Card | £10.50 | £8.10 | £9.00 | £6.78 | £7.63 |
| CSSC | £9.60 | £7.50 | £8.40 | £6.00 | £6.70 |
Discounted cinema tickets conclusion
If you’re looking for the best prices, there’s little to choose between CSSC and Kids Pass. However, it’s important to note that both charge a monthly fee. Regular cinema visitors will soon make their money back.
Tastecard isn’t worth considering unless you want to make use of the restaurant offers.
The Blue Light Card is far cheaper to join. Unfortunately, not everyone qualifies, and the ticket discounts aren’t great.
Finally comes The Cinema Society. This isn’t too bad if you want a no-frills option and you don’t want to pay a membership fee. It’s just a shame they don’t do Cineworld tickets.
Other ways for cheaper and discounted cinema tickets
- Club Lloyds – current account with six free tickets every year
- Meerkat Movies – 2 for 1 tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Tesco Clubcard – convert vouchers for double their value at Cineworld and Picturehouse
- Sky Cinema subscribers get two free Vue tickets every month from the MySky app
- Two Odeon tickets for £8 – available to Voxi mobile customers and the MyVodafone app
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This is such a handy list for saving on cinema tickets! Just noticed though, some options like Tastecard and Kids Pass seem like single entities, while others, like The Cinema Society, look more like brands within a group of marketing and advertising agencies. Still, it’s worth knowing that The Cinema Society does offer cheap Cineworld tickets, with lots of ticket types available, including cheap unlimited cards. I’ve used it to see Wicked five times and saved a fortune.
Another one missing here is VuePass, which is great for Vue cinema goers. You can get it through things like AA Rewards or GoHenry for kids. You can also Google companies that offer free access as a customer—just sign up and you’ll never pay full price at the cinema again! Vue is great too because they don’t charge booking fees, which really helps with savings, and you can pay extra to upgrade for fancy screenings. Definitely worth adding if you’re after a bargain!