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To keep you coming back for more Skee-Ball, Chuck E. Cheese — yes, Chuck. E. Cheese. — has rolled out membership plans. Residents of select California and Arizona markets can now sign up and enjoy discounts, bonus points, and other cost-saving perks for a monthly fee.
We told you we cover loyalty programs of all types, right? Here's everything you need to know — and then some — about the new Chuck E. Cheese loyalty program.
What Is Chuck E. Cheese?
Chuck E. Cheese is an entertainment center for kids. And while we understand that Skee-Ball shouldn't just be reserved for children, you might want to exercise restraint before Chuck E. Cheese — the iconic mouse mascot — puts you in timeout.
Outside of games, there's pizza, other food, and a host of activities that will keep your kid busy while you scroll your phone reading the AwardWallet blog. Okay, maybe that's a shameless plug.
Chuck E. Cheese Membership Levels
For its more frequent visitors, Chuck E. Cheese put three family membership plans on sale with varying degrees of benefits. Here's the breakdown.
- Bronze Family Membership Plan
- Game Play Points: Members receive 70 Play Points per visit, up to once a week.
- E-Tickets: Members receive 200 bonus E-Tickets per visit, up to once a week.
- Discounts: 20% off on food, drinks, and extra game play on every visit.
- Price: $7.99 per month.
- Silver Family Membership Plan
- Game Play Points: A higher allotment of 115 Play Points is available each visit, weekly.
- E-Tickets: Members receive 300 bonus E-Tickets per visit, up to once a week.
- Discounts: Members enjoy 30% off on nearly all purchases in-store.
- Price: $11.99 per month.
- Gold Family Membership Plan
- Game Play Points: This premium option provides the highest number of points at 300 per weekly visit.
- E-Tickets: Members receive 1,000 bonus E-Tickets per visit, up to once a week.
- Discounts: Substantial savings with 50% off on food, drinks, and additional game play.
- Price: $29.99 per month.
To note, your children can use Game Play Points to play games, and E-Tickets are what they'll redeem for prizes at the counter.
Memberships are valid for one adult and any number of children in a household. Ultimately, this means that the adult on the membership is the one who has to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Otherwise, you'll need to pay for a second membership.
And yes, this might be one of the few loyalty programs where you can simultaneously enjoy gold status and a piece of pizza at the same time. And like other loyalty programs, your “status” is good for 12 months. When you enroll, you commit to at least 12 months of membership. You can't cancel before the year is up.
Where can you get a membership plan?
You can purchase a membership plan online, but you'll need to visit your home location to activate it. Presently, Chuck E. Cheese is only selling membership to a handful of locations, but after activating, you can visit any participating location and enjoy the same benefits.
The list of stores that are currently selling memberships includes:
- Santee, CA
- Ocean Side, CA
- El Centro, CA
- Moreno Valley, CA
- Hemet, CA
- La Mesa, CA
- National City, CA
- Murrieta, CA
- Palm Desert, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Escondido, CA
- Lemon Grove, CA
- Mira Mesa, CA
- Yuma, AZ
Is It Worth Signing Up for a Chuck E. Cheese Membership?
If you live in one of the eligible markets and frequently visit one of Chuck E. Cheese's “Fun Centers,” you might be considering whether it's worth committing to a year-long membership. The answer is “maybe.”
The best way to conclude if any of the three membership plans makes sense is to look at your receipts from past visits. Split the food costs out from what you spent on games. If the savings from one of the plans outweigh the monthly cost, then it might be reasonable to sign up — assuming you're willing to commit to paying for 12 months of Chuck E. Cheese.
The cost to play games varies by market, but it's easy to look at an example with the food costs. With the $29.99-per-month Gold membership plan, you'll save 50% on the cost of food and beverage every time you visit. So, if you spend $60 monthly to dine at Chuck E. Cheese, you'll come out ahead. The savings are greater than the monthly premium. And remember, that doesn't even include the games.
But if you're not frequently paying for games and food, it might make more sense to ditch the membership plans and pay each time on sporadic visits. Plus, you won't get locked into a 12-month contract. There's more flexibility that way.
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Each Spending Category
Final Thoughts
There's a new way to save at Chuck E. Cheese, and it requires committing to 12 months of fun. Now available in select markets, you can subscribe to one of three family membership tiers and enjoy savings, games, and much more — all for one flat rate.
And since we know you're wondering: The AwardWallet Merchant Category Lookup Tool tells us your visits should code as dining. Thus, you'll want to use one of the best restaurant credit cards for visits to Chuck E. Cheese.
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