How to Avail Buy 1 Get 1 Free Movie Ticket Offers with Your Credit Card

Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; April 25, 2026)

Back in the ’90s, buying a film ticket felt less like a transaction and more like a ritual. It meant stepping out, taking time out of a busy day, and heading to a cinema hall where the queue at the ticket counter was part of the experience. Unlike now, when a few taps on an app secure a seat in seconds, cinephiles then waited for hours, sometimes sending someone ahead to hold their place, all for the promise of a seat. Tickets were often flimsy and poorly printed, still carried weight. They were folded into wallets, tucked into books, saved after movie dates as quiet reminders of moments that lingered. Today, that ritual has quietly disappeared. While some still prefer buying tickets offline, exhibitors say the shift is clear: online booking has become the default for most moviegoers.

‘The line at ticket counter is situational’
Exhibitors say that when demand spikes, behaviour becomes more predictable. For big releases, 80-90% of first-week ticket sales happen online. This is no longer limited to metro cities. Moviegoers in Tier II and Tier III cities are also booking tickets online. So, who is buying offline? Exhibitors say it is not a fixed demographic. Moviegoing behaviour is situational. Moviegoers are more likely to walk in when they are confident tickets will be available.

As Raj Bansal puts it, “The line at the ticket counter hasn’t disappeared. It is just shorter and more situational. Many senior citizens who are not tech-savvy still prefer offline booking, although their tickets are often booked online by family members.”

‘Don’t mind paying the convenience fee’
Moviegoers treat online booking as the default, but switch to the counter when they are confident they will not miss the show. Sonali Gupta, a moviegoer in her 20s who works in the hospitality sector, says, “For me, online booking is standard. We don’t mind paying the convenience fee anymore, as we are used to paying it everywhere. But when we are a group of seven or eight, we prefer buying tickets at the counter and saving that money for food and beverages. The same applies to family outings. Still, it mostly comes down to individual preference.”

Pinaki Mishra, who works in a cinema chain and is in his 30s, says, “Whether I book a ticket online or not, I always check show availability online first. If the theatre is mostly empty and I am confident I will get a ticket at the last minute, I prefer to buy it at the counter.”

Uma Chaudhary, who works in a gallery and is in her 50s, says, “Sometimes, if there are not many tickets sold, I book online because I worry the show might get cancelled. I don’t want to risk making the trip for nothing.”

‘For shows after three weeks of a film’s release, we see more walk-ins’
There was a time when convenience fees were a deterrent. Today, that resistance has largely faded, and moviegoers increasingly prefer booking online. Exhibitor Sanjeev Kumar Bijli says, “We have the data to prove it. Around 65-70% of our sales are now online, through our app, website or aggregators. The shift is clear.”

Exhibitor Raj Bansal says, “However, later in a film’s run, say after three weeks, we see more walk-ins.”

Exhibitor Bhuvanesh Mendiratta notes that online booking is also driven by deals and offers on food, beverages and tickets.
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BOMBAY TIMES (April 25, 2026)

The digital revolution was supposed to be the death knell for the multiplex, yet the latest data from the Global Cinema Federation suggests the “death of cinema” narrative is due for a rewrite. Only 7% of respondents prefer watching films at home, leaving an overwhelming majority still choosing the theatrical experience over the comfort of their living rooms.

For the modern cinephile, the cinema has evolved into more than just a place to watch a film; it is a social and psychological necessity. Nearly three-quarters of audiences (73%) say that visiting the theatre is essential to their sense of wellbeing, with one in three describing it as very important.

Shrinking windows are costing cinema 2.2 visits a year
​The survey carries one pointed warning. Shortened theatrical windows are eroding habit in a measurable way, with respondents watching an average of 2.2 fewer films annually because titles arrive at home sooner than before. The damage, however, is not uniform. In Japan, France and Switzerland, where windows have contracted less sharply, the impact on cinema visits is considerably more muted. The audience is there, enthusiastic and growing younger. The question is how long studios will allow them to stay.