MoviePass drops subscription cost, but there's a catch

Are you interested in MoviePass but still haven't signed up? If so, now is the time to give it a try. The company has slashed the price of a monthly subscription, making it cheaper than Hulu and with the benefit of getting to see one movie every day of the month. The price slashing is welcome, though there's a minor catch that will keep some people from capitalizing on the deal.

That "catch" is one we expect for deals like this: the discount only applies to new customers. If you're an existing customer, you'll stay at the current rate, though it isn't much of a burden at that price. For new subscribers, though, the cost now sits at $6.95/month. That makes MoviePass cheaper than Hulu, Netflix, and a number of other streaming services.

Note that MoviePass's new price is also billed on an annual basis, meaning you'll pay for all 12 months upfront as a single fee. Customers who sign up will, as in the past, receive their MoviePass card and use the mobile app to select movies that can be watched under the plan. The MoviePass card is used to get the ticket at the theater.

MoviePass remains a controversial offering among theater chains and, more recently, the general public. Some theater companies like AMC have pushed back against MoviePass, and in recent weeks customers have expressed concern about MoviePass's data acquisition. Privacy worries surfaced earlier this month after company CEO Mitch Lowe claimed the service's mobile app was tracking users before and after a movie.

A few days later, MoviePass updated its iOS app to remove the location tracking feature, which it said hadn't actually been used. Rather, the company says it was exploring the idea of using location-based data to expand what it offers customers. Those things could include discounts for nearby places to eat, for example. The company said it wouldn't sell user data.