Cinema chain AMC will accept cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash for online ticket and concession payments by the end of 2021.
CEO Adam Aron took to Twitter to reveal AMC’s decision to accept additional cryptocurrencies and bolster its payment offerings for consumers following the unveiling of Bitcoin payments earlier in the year.
Cryptocurrency enthusiasts: you likely know @AMCTheatres has announced we will accept Bitcoin for online ticket and concession payments by year-end 2021. I can confirm today that when we do so, we also expect that we similarly will accept Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. pic.twitter.com/uKcFyQotoJ
— Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) September 16, 2021
AMC revealed in August that it would begin accepting Bitcoin as payment by the end of this year. The move comes as cryptocurrencies gain more mainstream attention and start to be integrated into traditional payment providers for use in daily life.
AMC announced on Monday that by year end we will have the technology in place to use Apple Pay and Google Pay in our online ticketing, and in a breakthrough, we also expect by year end to accept payment online in Bitcoin. That’s a historic step for AMC.
— Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) August 11, 2021
The original announcement also noted that AMC would offer Apple Pay and Google Pay payments in its theatres. The payment providers recently partnered with Coinbase to offer purchases and payments using a Coinbase card, meaning that AMC customers may be able to use their Apple and Google Pay to pay with cryptocurrencies.
Disdain from the Dogecoin community
Both reveals from Aron were met with disdain from the Dogecoin community, who argued fervently that the Shiba-Inu based meme coin should also be a payment option at AMC theatres.
Dogecoin creator BillyM2k questioned the decision to exclude Dogecoin, asking “you picked Litecoin over Dogecoin because……???????” to Aron and prompting a series of follow-up questions from the remainder of the Dogecoin community.
Another user, ‘itsALLrisky’, also questioned the decision, saying that AMC was “out of touch with customers and investors” and that the theatre chain was not “familiar with The People’s Crypto, Dogecoin, which embodies the meme economy and the spirit of AMC”.
Dogecoin has proven itself to be a hit with consumers looking to pay with cryptocurrencies and has attracted a number of high-profile fans including Mark Cuban and Elon Musk.
Cuban recently claimed that “the community for Doge is the strongest when it comes to using it as a medium of exchange” and its “imperfections and simplicity are its greatest strengths”.
Cuban’s basketball team – the Dallas Mavericks – accept Dogecoin as payment for merchandise. Surprisingly, he revealed that Dogecoin contributes to around 95% of merchandise sales for the Mavericks.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.