MoviePass plans to track users’ locations before and after movies and offer suggestions

MoviePass is eyeing a broadening of its app capabilities to create a full-featured movie-going experience by tracking where people go before and after the theater, the company said Monday night.

Before going to a movie, film lovers might fancy some refreshments. Or maybe afterward, they want to grab a bite to eat or have a cocktail. This creates an opportunity to suggest where they should go for such fare.

MoviePass has begun to address this by digitally scouting app users’ locations.

“We will use the data to better inform how to market potential customer benefits including discounts on transportation, coupons for nearby restaurants, and other similar opportunities,” MoviePass said. People also might be able to use the new capabilities to find places to park.

“Our vision is to build a complete night out at the movies,” a MoviePass spokesperson said an email. “We are exploring utilizing location-based marketing as a way to help enhance the overall experience.”

For a flat monthly fee, MoviePass offers app users the ability to see an unlimited number of movies in theaters, with some restrictions. It’s a kind of Netflix for moviegoers.

A recent promotion offered the service for $6.95 a month when people agree to subscribe for a full year. The typical price recently has been $9.95 a month.

MoviePass, based in New York, said it won’t sell the customer data.

Avalos writes for the San Jose Mercury News/McClatchy.