Buying movie tickets online from Canada's biggest theatre chain is now a little more expensive.

Cineplex Inc. has implemented a $1.50 booking charge for tickets bought online and through its mobile app.

Sarah Van Lange, the company’s vice-president of communications, said in an email that the fee will help Cineplex “further invest and evolve our digital infrastructure”.

CineClub members and moviegoers who buy their tickets in-person will not be charged. Scene+ members will pay a more modest $1 extra when buying tickets online, the company confirmed.

Van Lange noted that many theatre companies charge extra for digital ticket purchases.

“Online booking fees are not new to our industry and have been in place for many years with our exhibition counterparts globally. They are also commonplace in almost all other ticketed entertainment venues including concerts, plays, and live sporting events,” she said.

The surcharge was first reported by The Globe and Mail.

The new fee comes as Cineplex heads into its first full summer since 2019 without pandemic-related restrictions.

The company reported that attendance surged to 6.7 million customers in its most recent quarter, compared to 415,000 in the same time last year.

Cineplex is looking to deepen its relationship with customers through its Scene+ loyalty program, which has roughly 11 million members. The theatre chain, along with its partner, Bank of Nova Scotia, welcomed Sobeys’ parent Empire Company Ltd. as a new co-owner of the program earlier this month, allowing Scene+ members to earn and redeem points at most of the grocer’s banners.