 "PVR to waive of convenience fee on online cinema ticket booking")
Multiplex chain PVR, which operates more than 500 screens in India is busy taking steps to encourage cashless transactions at its various properties. As a result, the Ajay Bijli led exhibition house has taken some initiatives, including a complete waiver of convenience fees for tickets booked online through the PVR Cinemas website, or its mobile app. Currently, the app/website charges between Rs 50-60 depending on the size of the transaction. The move comes a couple of days after the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as mandated by the government.
Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas says, "cashless transactions at PVR have been steadily increasing mainly on the back of online (web and mobile). We expect this to keep growing, reaching 55% over the next 12 months or so. The initiatives will help achieve this with offers to accompany the waiver of convenience fees."
Currently, around 43% of PVR's total transactions across the country come in the form of online sales. This comes through the company's websites, mobile app and booking aggregators like BookMyShow and PayTM. Additionally, around 18% of transactions at the box office (that is the ticket window at the multiplex) are through credit card/debit card transactions. Among the luxury outlets, almost 75% of the total transactions (online plus cards) is cashless.
Earlier this year, mobile wallet company PayTM announced its foray into online movie ticketing and PVR was the first chain to come on board. BookMYShow has been selling PVR ticket inventory since the two tied up in 2014 and PVR itself has been pushing its mobile app through interface streamlining, offers and promotions.
Apart from waiving off convenience fees for online transactions, the company will also be launching offers on pre-ordering food and beverages on the app. First timers will be offered a flat 20% discount on the first transactions. In order to promote cashless transactions at the properties, the company is deploying more card machines and kiosks to enable patrons to scan the mobile tickets.