Twopenny Theatre

Update 21 July: Over the past two weeks TodayTix has shifted rewards around and quietly dropped the 3x and 5x lottery buffs from the Silver and Gold Tiers. A 2x lottery buff remains for those who buy at least 2 tickets through TodayTix. This isn’t perfect, but it’s better. The article below is preserved as-is from when the Rewards program was initially announced.

TodayTix has unveiled a new “TodayTix Rewards” program, offering a revamped cashback system, pre-pre-sale opportunities, and better lottery odds for repeat buyers.

The “Rewards” system – which bears hallmarks of a frequent-flyer program (including “surprise seat upgrades” for those in the Gold Tier) – replaces the app’s more low-key “Perks” program, which offered a flat 2% cashback on ticket purchases in the form of store credit. Now, users who buy 2, 6, or 12 tickets for any price over £5 will reach the Red, Silver, and Gold Tiers, respectively, earning a flat amount of store credit and/or other rewards.

Today Tix’s new Rewards system promises several perks for repeat buyers, including up to 5x Lottery multipliers. Source: TodayTix

The goal here for the ticket reseller seems to be to encourage repeat purchases from frequent theatergoers. Much like the aforementioned frequent-flyer programs, the promise of moving to the next tier – and the perks it brings – might be enough for a customer to pick them over buying direct from the theatre, which is always cheaper for full-price tickets.

The loser is the casual theatre patron or out-of-towner who just wants a fair chance to win the lottery once for their favourite show. Giving five times the odds for a lottery entry from someone who’s already purchased a dozen tickets on the year can only be described as a “rich get richer” situation (and this is coming from someone now verging on the edge of “Gold Tier” status).

Even for the target audience, it’s hard to know how valuable the perks on offer will actually be. I’ve yet to see any invites to “star-studded events” come my way, and time-dependent items like Daily Drops and early promotion access seem designed to encourage buying tickets on-the-spot, rather than holding out for extended sales, or generally cheaper lottery or rush tickets.

For better or for worse, TodayTix has become the de facto discount ticketing provider for scores of shows across the West End (as evidenced by their prominence in our Deals Tracker). That gives them power to shepherd those discounts towards the people most likely to turn them a profit. Thankfully, most productions in the West End use Rush systems rather than Lotteries, but that’s no guarantee of anything for the future. Five minute early access to Rush tickets for Platinum Tier members, anyone?

Our advice to TodayTix is to balance the opportunity to “hook” steady customers with the responsibility to make great theatre at great prices accessible to anyone. Our advice to you? No matter the perks, shop around.