The Movie Theater Food Deal That Unlocks Bigger Snacks For AMC Stubs Members

If you love seeing the newest movies and your nearest theater is an AMC, you need to become an AMC Stubs member. AMC Stubs is the brand's rewards program, in which you earn points for purchases and unlock exclusive discounts. You'll earn points on both tickets and concessions (including unexpectedly delicious theater foods like these), and once you earn enough, you'll be able to exchange them for rewards like free snacks and tickets, depending on your tier. Some members even get access to a movie theater food deal that unlocks larger sizes sans upcharge.

AMC Stubs comes in four tiers: Insider, Premiere Go!, Premiere, and A-List. Insider is the lowest tier and completely free to join. If you earn enough points as an Insider, you can become a Premiere Go! member. A Premiere membership costs $17.99 plus tax each year, and the top tier, A-List, bears a monthly fee that varies by location. In the Cincinnati area, A-List memberships start at $23.99 a month. Meanwhile, in New York City, it'll cost $27.99. All members get a free birthday gift and earn points they can spend on concessions, but to get bigger snacks for free, you'll need to upgrade past Insider.

Premiere Go!, Premiere, and A-List members can get large drinks and popcorn for the price of a regular. All you need to do is order a large popcorn and drink, then use your card or email when paying at the register. The discount will automatically be applied, and you'll get more snacks for less money. You'll also earn points on the purchase, which can eventually lead to free snacks down the line.

With three different tiers of AMC Stubs members getting that seasoned theater popcorn and drink upgrade, you may wonder which tier is the best to get. The answer depends on how often you visit the theater and what perks you want. Premiere Go! is technically the cheapest tier, as you don't need to pay a fee for membership. However, you will not gain this status until you've earned 5,000 points or visited eight times in a calendar year. As an Insider, you earn 20 points per dollar spent, which means you'll need to spend $250 on movie theater food and tickets before you earn the membership. You'll keep that status for the rest of the year and the following one, but you will then lose it if you don't continue meeting the requirements.

A Premiere membership, meanwhile, costs $17.99 a year. Not only will you get the popcorn upgrade deal, but you'll earn 100 points per dollar spent (as opposed to only 40 in the Premiere Go! tier) on purchases like the best movie theater candy. If you haven't been a Stubs member before but plan to visit the theater fairly often, a Premiere membership may be worth the cost, as you'll only have to spend $50 to earn a $5 reward (as opposed to the $250 of an Insider member).

A-List memberships offer the most perks, but they may not be worth it unless you visit the theater very frequently. You can watch up to four movies a week without paying for a ticket, but realistically, most people will not go that often. Additionally, the $23.99-a-month membership is very costly. Using standard, Cincinnati-based ticket prices for the "Smurfs" movie as an example ($12.49 without tax), you would need to go to about 23 shows over the course of a year to break even. Of course, some tickets will cost more, but the membership is still probably not worth it if you don't watch movies at least twice a month.

If you are more of an occasional moviegoer who wants to save money and earn points on concessions without worrying about attending enough to make up your membership fee, consider becoming a premium member instead. You'll earn $5 for every $50 spent and (if you get the popcorn and drink deal every time) save about $1.50 per movie (depending on where you live). Alternatively, you can start earning points with the free Insider membership and wait to see if you spend enough to unlock the Premiere Go! tier.

It all depends on your budget and how many movies you plan to see over the course of the next year. If you don't visit theaters all that much, consider saving money by buying the best microwave popcorn and watching a film at home.