REDBOX & BLOCKBUSTER EXPRESS DVD RENTAL KIOSK TUTORIAL
Do you ever use kiosks to rent movies? I have taken advantage of quite a few FREE rental codes in the last 6 months or so & only had to pay $1 once because we didn't get the movie back by 9pm the next day.
Here are the terms from their site:
"Limit one free DVD rental per customer. Not valid with any other offer. Offer good for one night rental period. Limited time offer. Extra night charges and taxes apply. May not be combined with any other offer. Not valid at Blockbuster store locations. Rental terms and conditions apply."
OK, now, for anyone who has not used a Blockbuster or Redbox kiosk to rent a movie here is a little bit about how to use them & where to find the nearest kiosks so you'll be more comfortable taking advantage of the great deals available:
- You have to have a credit or debit card to use any DVD rental kiosks. You might be able to use a "cash card" but I haven't tried it myself & I read that they were no longer being allowed because some customers did not return the movie & the rental companies were unable to charge the card for the price of the movie. Also, if you have a debit card that does not allow your balance to go below zero then the kiosk will tell you to use a different card. Why? Because if you forget to return the movie & your balance is too low, they won't be able to charge you for the late fees.
- Most rental kiosks only have regular DVDs but some have Blu-Ray DVDs for an additional fee & I heard they might start renting video games as well. *Recently Blockbuster Express kiosks have a new feature called "hot releases" which have a small "fire" icon on them. Those titles are $2.99 so beware of them. Blockbuster stores now have their DVDs for $2.99 for 3 days so paying $2.99 for 1 day at a kiosk is NOT a good deal.
- Some of these kiosks will even let you BUY a used DVD for about $5.00.
- You can sign up for e-mail updates from both Redbox & Blockbuster on their websites.
- If you subscribe to their e-mail updates you will probably get a free code from them once in a while. (When I get one I will post it to my Facebook page: AZ Money Savin Mama)
*Note - Movie companies have "contracts" with rental companies that set a date for when a movie will be available to rent. That means that most of the Blockbuster rental "stores" get all the movies the day they are released (which is usually Tuesday) but most of the kiosks have a waiting period, depending on the contract agreement (since they are renting them for only $1 per day as opposed to $3 for 3 days at most Blockbusters). So, make sure you check on-line to see if the movie you want is available before you get your heart set on renting it from a kiosk. Also, kiosks do not have most of the older catalog movies. They have about 50 different titles per kiosk so the selection is limited & will probably vary depending on location. That is why I usually do a title search on-line before I rent anything because there are quite a few kiosks near me I can search for a specific title then go to the closest kiosk that has it.
How to rent a DVD from a kiosk:
1. Press RENT on the touch screen
2. Find the movie you want
3. Enter your rental code if you have one
4. Swipe your debit or credit card
5. Enter your e-mail address
6. Get your DVD which will be dispensed from the kiosk
How to return a DVD to a kiosk:
You can return a DVD to ANY of the same type of kiosk. For example, if you rent a DVD from the Redbox kiosk at Fry's on your way home from work you can return it at your local Redbox kiosk at Walgreens. The same is true for Blockbuster Express kiosks.
1. Press RETURN on the touch screen
2. Insert the DVD into the slot
3. Once you see the screen has processed your return you can either leave or rent a new movie
Redbox kiosks can be found outside of some gas stations as well as McDonalds, Carl's Jr. & Denny's restaurants. They are also inside all the Walgreens & Fry's stores. (Note - the Gilbert & Baseline Fry's recently moved theirs outside so they might not ALL be inside)
You can find your closest Redbox kiosk by entering your zip code here.
Blockbuster kiosks can be found outside some Circle Ks, inside Safeway & Bashas grocery stores & at QuikTrip gas station / convenience stores. The parent company of Blockbuster Express, NCR, also plans on integrating SD card movie downloading capabilities into its kiosks as digital downloading becomes more mainstream.
You can find your closest Blockbuster Express kiosk by entering your zip code here.
Both the Redbox & Blockbuster Express sites also allow you to:
1. Find out which kiosk has the movie you want
2. Reserve a movie to pick up at your preferred kiosk
*(I read that you CANNOT use a free movie code if you reserve your movie on-line so I haven't tried it myself)
*(I read that you CANNOT use a free movie code if you reserve your movie on-line so I haven't tried it myself)
3. Make a list of the movies you want to see
4. Pay on-line & pick up at your preferred kiosk
What movie have you been waiting to see?
Do you have any movie reviews to share?
I hope you enjoy finding out about all the different ways you can stretch your paycheck.
Please leave me a comment so I know you stopped by
& don't hesitate to ask questions or make suggestions too.
