Cinema ticket hack could save you £270 after couple hit with 'obscene bill'

With a trip to the cinema easily costing £30 or more once you've bought your frozen fruit twist, popcorn and drinks, one cinemagoer has revealed a few hacks that are a lot easier on the wallet.

Taking to X, Aaminah (@aaminahinfilm) responded to someone who spent £74.50 at the cinemas, with their tickets costing £47, two drinks for £19 and a large popcorn for £8.50

The film enthusiast proceeded to write down a load of little tricks that can dramatically cut the general cost of going to the movies.

“As your resident cinema expert, pulled together some tips on how to get cheaper tickets,” she wrote.

So, if you visit the same cinema regularly, she points out that the biggest saving is often an annual membership.

Odeon's myLIMITLESS and Cineworld Unlimited can effectively pay for themselves if you watch just one or two films a month.

Keep an eye out for Amazon Prime's Black Friday deals too, when discounted annual memberships often go on sale.

Better still, the vouchers can usually be redeemed anytime within the following 12 months.

Shop our top pick of 2026 cinema deals:

• Red Letter Days: Off-peak Odeon tickets for two adults, £28
• Virgin Experience Days: Picturehouse cinema tickets for two, £30
• Buy A Gift: Cineworld Cinema Tickets for Two, £32
• You can also save money on your trip to the pictures with TopCashback. All you need to do is sign up for TopCashback here. Then, simply purchase a cinema ticket or snacks at your local theatre worth more than £10. To claim £5 cashback, upload a photo of your receipt via the website.

Aaminah also notes that Tesco Clubcard is another easy way to cut costs.

Members can exchange Clubcard vouchers for Cineworld and Picturehouse tickets, while Cineworld's £5 Tuesday offer means just 50p in Clubcard vouchers can cover the price of a ticket.

While she notes that a few of her tips are ‘London specific’, Aaminah said there are plenty of other deals available if you know where to look.

Amazon Prime members can get two Odeon tickets for £10 – or two Luxe tickets for £15 – between Monday and Thursday.

Three Mobile customers can claim 2-for-£10 weekend tickets at Cineworld and Picturehouse, while O2 Priority members and Virgin Media customers can get two Vue tickets for just £7.50.

It's also worth checking your workplace benefits, Aaminah writes.

Many employers offer access to The Cinema Society or similar schemes, which provide discounted cinema tickets and reduced-price memberships.

Meerkat Movies is another favourite of Aaminah’s, offering two-for-one tickets every week for a year when you buy a qualifying insurance policy.

Students and younger film fans can unlock even bigger discounts, with picturehouse offering £5.99 tickets from Monday to Thursday, while Curzon has £7 student tickets.

BFI Southbank screens selected films from £4, ICA tickets start from £5, Cine Lumière offers £5 screenings and Young Barbican members aged 29 and under can watch many films – including special Q&As – for just £6, Aaminah says.

She continues to point out that students can get 20 percent off Odeon's myLIMITLESS Plus monthly subscription and 30 percent off Cineworld Unlimited for the first three months through UNiDAYS.

Club Lloyds customers receive six free Vue or Odeon tickets each year, Blue Light Card holders can save up to 40 percent at selected cinemas, and Odeon Extras members can access discounted Monday screenings for free.

She reckons these offers could save regular cinema-goers up to £270 a year.