Beta test to start in Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City

MoviePass has officially launched the beta version of its new service, but most Americans won’t be able to use it.

After more than 750,000 people joined its limited waitlist last week, the moviegoing subscription service announced that its first test markets will be Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City.

Beta users will be able to get tickets directly through the MoviePass app. They will also receive a MoviePass branded debit card that they can use to purchase tickets at a theater’s box office.

MoviePass will use its beta period “to listen to your feedback and work out the kinks,” the company said in an email.

For now, only users living within the zip codes of those three metropolitan areas will be able to sign up for the service.

In an interview on “The Town” podcast last month, CEO Stacy Spikes said the locations were selected in part because the company struck deals with exhibitors in those areas.

“There’s a lot of partnerships that are in the works in New York. There’s less partnerships on the west cost,” he said. “But the middle of the country has signed up and is raring to go.”

The MoviePass relaunch has a tiered pricing system, where subscribers will be able to pay between $10 and $30 per month for a set number of “credits” that can be exchanged for tickets. Off-peak showtimes will cost fewer credits, while a Friday night movie will require more credits.

The service has given no indication of how long it will take to spread beyond its three trial markets, but users who managed to get onto the MoviePass waitlist will receive updates if their area is going to be included.

“Other markets will be launched as we continue to roll out based on continued interest and feedback,” the company wrote. “Those on the MoviePass waitlist in these cities will receive further information on how the rollout will work in their city.”

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