Have you seen any of the Fandango “paper bag puppet” commercials? They are a little goofy but they spoof popular movies and promote the Fandango ticketing service at the same time. Here is one that is inspired by “The Hangover”:
Now, the thing about Fandango (and other ticketing services) is that you pay a little extra for your tickets than you would if you just buy them directly from the theater. People of course don’t like to pay extra money but if you know there will be a long line at the ticket window then companies like Fandango start to make sense. You avoid the long wait (especially in bad weather) and you know you will have tickets when you arrive.
But is there no way to save money on a Fandango purchase? Actually, there is. Inspiration hit me today when I read about buying Fandango gift cards. Frankly, I didn’t know you could buy Fandango gift cards but it makes perfect sense. Every company has to reach out to consumers to find new customers and gift cards make a great way to entice people to spend money without actually buying anything right away.
Gift cards are prepaid debit cards, and we have already seen how prepaid debit cards save money. These cards are often sold at a discount either through wholesale clubs or sometimes through online advertising. So if you find an opportunity to buy some discount Fandango gift cards suddenly you are saving money at the movies while using a popular service.
Usually anyone can use the gift cards after they have been paid for. So if you save up to 20% on gift card purchases that is a substantial discount for your favorite in-theater movie viewing.
Let me talk a little more about debit cards and saving money at the movies. Not only can you save up to 20% on prepaid debit cards (if you find the right price either in a store or online), you may also be able to use those debit cards to buy matinee movie tickets. Matinees are the first showings in the daily schedule and many theaters offer a discount on matinee tickets to get people into the morning shows. If Fandango can offer matinee pricing AND you can buy a gift card for 20% off the full price, you can see a brand new movie in the theater at almost half-price.
Now, you don’t always have to buy your discount tickets through Fandango. I have seen similar offers from major movie theater chains. If you can buy their own branded gift cards at a discount AND if you join their movie clubs you may be able to use those discounted gift cards for purchases that earn points toward your next rewards.
Think about that. You’re buying the same movie tickets, soft drinks, and food but at a discount and then you’re also earning reward points toward free tickets, free drinks, and free food. How sweet a deal is that?
This strategy for saving money calls for due diligence and that is exactly what the retailers expect you to NOT DO. They are counting on your being frustrated with the inconvenience of having to search for and find the best deals. That, of course, is where blogs like Moneytime come in. We help you find great deals so that you don’t have to do the hard research.