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Your Redbox DVD Rentals Will Be Getting More Expensive

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Redbox rentals are going to see a price bump soon

It’s still cheaper than a night out at the movies (or even a small soda at the movies), but renting a DVD from Redbox is about to cost 25 percent more. Beginning Dec. 2, the daily rental rate at Redbox kiosks will jump from $1.20 to $1.50 for DVDs, while Blu-ray discs will rent for $2, up from their current price of $1.50. The hikes are coming just in time for the holiday season when a lot of families will be watching movies together. (Videogames will also be subject to a price increase in January, from $2 to $3 a day.)

This price hike marks the second time that Redbox has raised its DVD rental rates in twelve years, having previously increased the daily price from $1 to $1.20 in 2011. “The pricing adjustments announced today will allow Redbox to continue to offer consumers high quality movies and games while making investments to enhance the customer experience,” J. Scott Di Valerio, the CEO of Redbox’s parent company Outerwall said in a statement. Those enhancements, according to the Redbox website, will include “more personalized recommendations and deals.” The company will continue to offer advance reservations through its mobile app, and special deals through email, text messages, and the Redbox Play Pass (which offers a free movie for every ten rentals).

Redbox, launched in 2002, has experienced some serious competition in recent years from on-demand streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Its attempt to develop a rival streaming video platform, Redbox Instant by Verizon, was unsuccessful, lasting a year-and-a-half before it shut down in October. The kiosk service, however, still has advantages for consumers, particularly those interested in new releases. Redbox gets a lot of popular movies before they’re available with subscription services, the rates are much cheaper than Video on Demand, and you don’t need cable or high-speed internet to watch them. Now all you’ll need is an extra thirty cents.

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