Tap, go, and watch a movie at Newport Cinemas with Citi Visa payWave

Newport Cinemas, which feature fully reclining seats, butler service, and gourmet snacks, have made going to the movies an even more enjoyable experience – thanks to Citi Credit Cards

If you’re the type of maller who enjoys watching movies but dreads the slow lines at the ticket counters, head to Newport Cinemas at Resorts World Manila, which recently partnered with Citi Philippines to make their movie-going experience even more enjoyable.

With Citi credit cards now having the payWave feature, all you need to do is tap the terminal for your ticket purchases— no need to sign or input your PIN —and you’re good to go. This means a faster-moving process to accommodate more moviegoers especially during weekends when movies are shown 24 hours a day!

“Citi is committed to be the leading digital bank in the Philippines, in Asia and in the rest of the globe,” shares Citi Philippines CEO Batara Sianturi. “We are proud to once again be at the forefront of customer banking innovation in the Philippines. We are delighted to introduce our clients to a new way to pay with their credit cards – where they simply wave, pay and go.”

Citi’s payWave terminals were installed at Newport Cinemas on Nov. 1. Terminals are also now available at other Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Cinemas, such as Eastwood and Lucky Chinatown Cinemas. 

Newport Mall launched four state of the art cinemas in 2009, including the Ultra Cinema, which may very well be the most luxurious movie experience you can have here. It comes with a personal butler service and provides moviegoers with unlimited popcorn and soda. With a seating capacity of 80, the cinema is fitted with fully reclining seats and personal viewing pods for utmost privacy. The mall also has digital/2D cinemas that can seat more than 300 people each and one 3D cinema that can seat over 300 customers.

Newport Mall caters to an upscale market that includes both locals and tourists. “We have guests who frequent the hotels and casino in Resorts World Manila, entrepreneurs who work in the surrounding area, retirees; who have time in their hands to relax, as well as tourists, foreigners and expats who want to experience the complete entertainment package of the Casino, Performing Arts, and Cinema at Resorts World Manila,” says Megaworld Corporation’s First Vice President and Head of Commercial Division, Kevin L. Tan. “The cinemas at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls always seek to give guests the most relaxing and enjoyable movie experience.

“Our cinemas at Newport Mall are the first to offer 24/7 screenings on weekends to accommodate the schedule of tourists and partygoers who frequent the mall. Newport Cinemas also have a unique snack offering to make the movie experience more delectably fun as it serves gourmet popcorn with flavors like wasabi, soy chicken, taco, ketchup, bubblegum and caramel.”

Ticket prices range from P250 to P270 for 2D movies and P300 to P350 for 3D movies while Ultra Cinema tickets are priced at P500 to P520.

“Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is all about living the good life and we see the Citi payWave card as a tool to further elevate the customer’s movie experience. With the convenience of tapping and no signing, the process of paying with a credit card is made even quicker and smoother for moviegoers, so they can go on to enjoy movies at our cinemas.”

Aside from Newport Cinemas, Resorts World also screens movies at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, which seats 1,500 and features state-of-the-art technology like the largest Euro LED wall ever built in Asia. The Asian premier of The Bourne Legacy, part of which was filmed in Manila, was attended by the film’s producer Patrick Crowley.  

Megaworld pioneered the live-work-play concept in real estate—large-scale township developments that meet the market’s demand for a complete, convenient and highly cosmopolitan lifestyle.

“Megaworld Lifestyle Malls are the realization of the ‘play’ component of this concept and with its tagline ‘It’s all about living the good life.’ Each Megaworld Lifestyle Mall seeks to provide guests with sophisticated choices on food, shopping, dining and entertainment that embody the lifestyle of modern professionals and urbanites. A key component of the entertainment choices in our malls is the cinemas, which aims to provide moviegoers with the finest and most enjoyable movie experience.”

Cineastes are spoilt for choice at Newport Cinemas which screens mostly Hollywood and Filipino films but also support local film festivals. “We believe it is important to support Filipino talent and we recently hosted an indie film festival, the 1st Cinefilipino Film Festival, in partnership with TV5 and Unitel Productions. Several movies like Anna Karenina and Cirque du Soleil were also screened exclusively at Newport Cinemas and in other Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Cinemas. Movie lovers can avail of the Newport Cinemas Movie Card, available in P200, P300 and P500 denominations, which they can pay for with their Citi card. The cards are valid for one year and can be used conveniently to redeem tickets at the ticket booth any time, any day.” 

The most successful showing at Newport Cinemas so far? The Avengers in 2012, which gained the highest sales ever recorded and was screened for a month.

The strong partnership between Citi and Megaworld Corporation started with the Megaworld Citi co-branded card.

“Citi is the leader in the credit card industry and is a very well-known and respected bank internationally. Megaworld Corporation, on the other hand, is the number one real estate developer in the Philippines. Together, we launched the Megaworld Citibank card that aims to deliver a full lifestyle experience that offers fantastic benefits to both of our patrons,” says Mr. Tan.

“For example, in terms of rebate, customers automatically get a five-percent rebate on their meals, a three-percent rebate on their shopping sprees and a one-percent rebate on groceries. The Megaworld Citibank card actually allows cardholders to earn points at over 300 establishments and redeem points at over 200 shops and restaurants. They can also enjoy even more movies because they get a free movie ticket for a minimum single transaction spend of P2,500.

“Getting a Megaworld Citibank card also means having the inside scoop at special Megaworld events – shoppers can simply present their Megaworld Citibank card and one valid ID to get special passes or score invites to exclusive activities like concerts or meet and greets. Those who apply for the card also get a special welcome gift – they can get Rayban Aviator shades for only P220 per month over two years. All in all, it’s been a very fruitful partnership and we look forward to working with Citi Philippines for more projects.”

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Citi Visa payWave may now be used at Newport Cinemas and also at other Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Cinemas, such as Eastwood and Lucky Chinatown Cinemas.  Customers may also book their movie tickets online at www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.