10 Ways to Save at Cinemas in Switzerland

It is fair to say that movie lovers are spoiled for choice in Switzerland. More than 250 cinema’s are packed into this small country and deliver amazing diversity with U.S., French, Italian, British and German movies sharing the screen with home-grown productions and films from all corners of the planet.

But in spite of the broad cinema landscape, Switzerland's residents go to the movies just once per year, on average. While movie tickets, like most leisure activities in Switzerland, are somewhat expensive, there is absolutely no need to let your movie-going life dwindle down to that sad statistic. Try following these simple tips to get more good times at the movies for less.

1. Sign up to cinema loyalty programs

This is the easiest and most obvious way to save on cinema visits. Many Swiss cinemas, both large and small, offer some kind of loyalty programs. Larger cinema operators issue prepaid cards which let you get discounts when you use them to pay for your tickets.

For example, the Kinokarte.ch card comes at a one-time cost of 25 francs. When you use this prepaid card to pay, you and your companions get 5 francs off each ticket at Arthouse Movie cinemas in Zurich, the Houdini and Riffraff cinemas in Zurich and the Bourbaki cinema in Lucerne.

The Ciné Pass card can be purchased for 30 Swiss francs and lets you watch movies at 10 cinemas in Geneva for just 10 francs per film. The Arena Card comes at a one-time fee of 60 francs and lets you watch movies at Arena cinemas (Zurich Sihlcity, La Praille in Geneva and others) for 13 francs per show.

Blue Cinema charges 14.90 francs per year (19.90 francs for two people, 34.90 francs for a family) for membership in its Blue Cinema Club, which entitles you to discounts of up to 30 percent. The Moviecard is jointly offered by several Aargau cinema operators, with the one-time card fee and the discounts you get varying between cinemas.

2. Consider subscriptions

If you really love movies and go to the cinema at least once a week (or would like to), an annual membership may be your ticket. A number of Swiss cinemas offer these, typically for between 300 and 500 francs per year.

For example, the Pathé Pass for Pathé cinemas costs 40 francs per month or 499 francs per year and gives you unlimited access to movies. For the sake of comparison, a single adult movie ticket at Bern’s Westside Pathé costs 22.90 Swiss francs. The ciné.viel unlimited pass from Kult.kino (Basel) costs 520 francs annually. A single entry costs 19 francs. The Rex cinema in Bern charges 300 francs for its annual pass (500 francs for a two-person pass) – a regular ticket is 17 francs.

It is pretty obvious that you get a whole lot more movies for your money with an annual pass, but the value of passes depends entirely on how often you want to go to the movies and how many different movies a cinema plays every month.

3. Watch movies on Mondays

This can take some getting used to, but watching movies on Mondays can save you a lot of money because many Swiss cinemas discount Monday tickets by around 20 percent.

4. Take advantage of bank discounts

If you have a Swiss bank account, chances are you may already be entitled to discounts that you may not know about.

For example, Arthouse cinemas gives customers of the Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) a 50-percent discount for its Lunchkino screenings. Thurgauer Kantonalbank youth and student bank package users get free entry for cinemas in the region every Wednesday. Customers of the Aargauische Kantonalbank get a three-franc discount at Kinokoni cinemas.

5. Association membership and employee discounts

Many employers, professional associations and special interest groups in Switzerland have partnerships with cinemas that let members get discounts on movie tickets. For example, members of the Aargauischen Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerverbandes (ALV) can get the Moviecard free of charge. Many chapters of the Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz offer their members discounts at certain cinemas. It is worth checking whether your employer or professional memberships offer similar discounts.

6. Redeem rewards points for cinema vouchers

A number of banks and retailers let you redeem the loyalty rewards you earn by using your credit card or loyalty card for cinema vouchers, often at very good rates. For example, the Coop Supercard program sometimes let you redeem points for cinema vouchers. UBS Keyclub members can redeem their points for ProCinema vouchers that can be redeemed at most cinemas in Switzerland (70 points for 4 ProCinema vouchers).

7. Ride those student deals

Many cinemas offer discounts for students when you show a valid student ID.

Holding a Stucard, the student debit card offered by Swiss cantonal banks, entitles you to discounts of between 2 francs and 6 francs at cinemas across the country.

8. Are you eligible for KulturLegi discounts?

If for any reason you have a very low income, you may be eligible to apply for membership with KulturLegi, a Caritas initiative aimed at making cultural activities more accessible to those who aren’t rolling in brass. Membership entitles you to major discounts at around 40 cinemas across Switzerland. Discounts knock between 20 percent and 50 percent off regular ticket prices.

9. Join a cinema club

A number of Swiss cinemas operate as clubs maintained by their members. Joining a cinema club is not for everyone, but if you enjoy specific movie genres and the companionship offered by a club, they can provide an affordable and interesting experience. Typically, an annual membership fee is charged, after which you either do not pay anything for movie showings, or you pay a small token ticket fee.

10. Buy unused tickets and vouchers second-hand

Unused vouchers and gift cards for cinemas can often be found on Swiss classifieds websites like Anibis and Tutti. The prices are often much lower than in the primary market. Keep an eye out for Procinema vouchers, which can be redeemed for movies at most cinemas in Switzerland. Tickets and gift cards from countrywide operators like Blue Cinema and local movie theaters in your area are also worth looking for.

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