Online cinema tickets: 2% commission to AP Government

[Anta Assamey]

Hereafter, all the cinema theatres in Andhra Pradesh will not be allowed to sell tickets at theatre counters. The audiences willing to view cinemas in theatres should buy the tickets only online.

The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday issued guidelines on online movie ticket sales.

The Andhra Pradesh State Film Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APSFTVTDC), which has been designated as the nodal agency for the online ticket booking system for all cinema theatres in the state. 

It will operate the online ticketing in cinema theatres through a service provider.

Theatres in the state will have to enter into an agreement with the APFDC, which will undertake the sale of cinema tickets directly to the cine-goers through its platform on a collection of a service charge not exceeding 2% of the rate of admission into cinema theatres.

The cinema theatres will be granted permission to utilize the gateway of the Nodal Agency by being granted the Application Programming Interface (API).

Further, cinema theatres that are already engaged in providing cinema tickets through their online platforms will continue their business only through the gateway created and operated by the nodal agency at a service charge not exceeding 2% on the rate of admission into cinema theatres. 

As per the new procedure, all the cinema theatres are asked to provide infrastructure to integrate the sale of tickets with the API of the Nodal Agency. All the cinema theatres under the Act and the Rules shall comply with the requirements under Rule 17A within 30 days of introducing the online sale of tickets.

If ignored, their license shall stand suspended pending compliance with the above rules. Also, the nodal agency shall not enable the portal for the sale of tickets earlier than seven days from the date of the first show (new release) of the cinema in theatres.

As per the guidelines, the price of movie tickets will be printed on the tickets. The Nodal Agency and the cinema theatres engaged in the sale of online tickets. shall display on every ticket the price charged per ticket, including the amount collectible towards GST service charges.