AMC Lawsuit: The Hidden Movie Ticket Fee Class Action and Other AMC Cases
A Pennsylvania moviegoer sued AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. on August 26, 2026, claiming the theater chain shows one ticket price online and adds a mandatory "convenience fee" late in checkout. The latest reports we found (mid-September 2026) describe it at its first stage, and as of September 27, 2026 there is no settlement, no certified class and no claim form. The earlier AMC ticket-fee settlement we know of covered online purchases for AMC theatres in New York State, and its claim deadline passed on November 8, 2024.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the AMC Hidden Fee Lawsuit Claims
Top Class Actions, which also reported on the complaint, adds these details:
- after a buyer picks tickets at the displayed price, the next screen starts a countdown and offers a choice between a $2.69-per-ticket convenience fee and the $17.99-a-year subscription;
- AMC allegedly never explains what the fee is for;
- in places where a statute requires it, AMC allegedly shows the all-in price from the start, but it does not do so in Pennsylvania;
- the plaintiff claims violations of state consumer protection laws and argues it would be unjust for AMC to keep the fees.
Case Details
Burkey v. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Case No. GD-26-008641, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Filed August 26, 2026 by Alex Burkey. Plaintiff's counsel: Michael H. Sampson and Nicholas A. Colella of Lynch Carpenter LLP. Source for the case number and counsel: Top Class Actions; the county's online civil docket requires a registered login, so we could not check it ourselves.
Rodriguez v. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., Case No. 3:26-cv-01825, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Judge Amy M. Baggio. Filed September 1, 2026 by Kylie Rodriguez, represented by Molly K. Honore of Markowitz Herbold PC. The docket classifies it as a diversity fraud case with a jury demand. The complaint is not publicly available, so we do not know whether it concerns ticket fees.
Where the Cases Stand (September 27, 2026)
Rodriguez (Oregon): A summons was issued on September 2, 2026. The court's standard scheduling order sets a discovery deadline of December 31, 2026 and a due date of February 1, 2027 for a joint report on settlement talks (ADR) and the pretrial order. Such dates are often extended.
What does not exist: no settlement, no certified class and no claim form in either case. The earlier New York settlement is closed, and AMC's shareholder disputes are separate (see the FAQ).
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Could Be Covered
According to the reports, the Pennsylvania case is about the convenience fee Pennsylvania customers paid on online ticket purchases. The exact class definition has not been published in the sources we could access, and no class has been certified. You do not need to sign up anywhere to be part of a proposed class. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, members are normally notified.
New York buyers had their own case. The 2024 settlement in Awad v. AMC covered people who paid a convenience fee on an online purchase for an AMC theatre in New York State from August 29, 2022 through January 16, 2024. That settlement is final, and its release binds class members who did not opt out.
If you buy AMC tickets online, it helps to keep your order confirmation emails. They show the ticket price and the fee, and they are the kind of record a future claim form might ask for.
Is There Money in It?
The New York case shows how small these payouts can be. In the Awad settlement, class members could either do nothing and receive a free one-year AMC Stubs Premiere membership, or file a claim by November 8, 2024 for a $7.00 cash payment. The settlement agreement puts the average convenience fee in New York at $2.31 per ticket and says the average class member bought about three tickets. The court separately approved $2,000,000 for class counsel's fees and expenses, which AMC was to pay on top of the class benefits.
The fee is avoidable today without any lawsuit. It applies to online purchases, and according to the Pennsylvania complaint, AMC Stubs Premiere at $17.99 a year removes it. Whether that membership pays off depends on how many tickets you buy online in a year.
AMC Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
August 11, 2023 — Shareholder (APE) settlement approved
Delaware's Court of Chancery approves the settlement of the stockholder suit over AMC's preferred equity units. On August 28, 2023, AMC issues 6,897,018 shares, one for every 7.5 shares held. This was about stock, not tickets.
- 2
April 26 – November 2024 — New York ticket-fee settlement
Awad v. AMC is filed in Nassau County, New York, under the state's Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, and settles. The claim deadline for the $7 cash option is November 8, 2024, and the court approves the settlement in November 2024.
- 3
October 31, 2025 — Securities suit by a former APE holder
Simons v. AMC is filed in federal court in New York over statements about the APE conversion. On June 8, 2026, the plaintiff drops class claims and proceeds individually.
- 4
August 26, 2026 — Pennsylvania hidden-fee class action
Alex Burkey sues in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas over the online convenience fee. Law360 reports the case on August 28.
- 5
September 1, 2026 — Oregon fraud case filed
Rodriguez v. AMC Entertainment Holdings is filed in federal court in Oregon. Its subject is not public.
- 6
December 31, 2026 and February 1, 2027 — Next dates
Discovery deadline and ADR report/pretrial order due date in the Oregon case. No hearing dates have been reported in the Pennsylvania case.
Watch Out For
A popular brand plus the words "hidden fees" draws copycat pages. Three things to watch for:
"AMC settlement claim form" pages
The New York AMC ticket-fee settlement took claims until November 8, 2024 and was limited to New York purchases. There is no claim form for the 2026 cases. A page that asks for your card number, AMC login or a fee to "file" is not an official claim process.
Mixing up different "AMC" cases
AMC's stock disputes (the APE settlement and later suits by investors) have nothing to do with ticket fees. The $8.3 million settlement over the AMC+ streaming service was with AMC Networks Inc., not the theater chain, and involved video privacy; and Top Class Actions reports its claim deadline was April 9, 2024. Neither is the moviegoer fee case.
"Join the AMC lawsuit" forms and messages
Social media posts and sign-up forms that invite you to "explore your legal options" usually collect leads for law firms. Submitting one does not make you part of the case. Check who receives your data first.
AMC Lawsuit — FAQ
Is there an AMC movie ticket hidden fees lawsuit?
Yes. The pending AMC movie ticket hidden fees lawsuit we know of is Burkey v. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., filed on August 26, 2026 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It challenges the online convenience fee that appears late in checkout. The latest reports describe it at the complaint stage; we could not check the county docket ourselves.
Is there an AMC class action lawsuit settlement I can claim now?
No. We found no AMC class action lawsuit over ticket fees with an open claim form. The New York settlement closed claims on November 8, 2024. The Pennsylvania case has no settlement.
How do I join the AMC class action lawsuit?
You don't have to. If you paid the fee in Pennsylvania and a class that includes you is certified, or a settlement is reached, you would normally be notified. There is nothing to sign up for now. Hiring your own lawyer is optional.
How much is AMC's convenience fee?
According to the Pennsylvania complaint, as reported by Top Class Actions, it is $2.69 per ticket. The 2024 New York settlement agreement put the average fee paid in New York between 2022 and 2024 at $2.31 per ticket. The New York complaint said the fee typically ranged from two to three dollars per ticket, depending on location and type of ticket.
Doesn't the FTC junk fee rule ban this?
Not for movies. The FTC rule on unfair or deceptive fees, in force since May 12, 2025, covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. The FTC's guidance says that "in general, pre-recorded audio and visual performances and film screenings are not live events covered by the Rule." Some states have broader laws. California's SB 478, in force since July 1, 2024, makes it illegal for most businesses to advertise a price that does not include all required fees, apart from certain government taxes and shipping costs.
Is this the same as the AMC stock (APE) lawsuit?
No. The 2023 shareholder settlement was approved by the Delaware Court of Chancery on August 11, 2023 and paid out in shares on August 28, 2023. AMC's July 2026 quarterly report lists two later investor cases: Simons (federal court in New York, now proceeding on individual claims only) and Masoner (Delaware Superior Court, filed December 5, 2025, where a motion to dismiss was pending as of that report). None of them involves ticket fees or pays moviegoers.
Did AMC settle a ticket fee case before?
Yes, in New York. Awad v. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (Nassau County Supreme Court, Index No. 607322/2024) claimed AMC did not properly disclose its convenience fee under New York's Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. AMC denied wrongdoing and settled. The claim deadline was November 8, 2024, and the settlement is final.
What is the AMC lawsuit in Oregon about?
We don't know yet. Rodriguez v. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (D. Or., No. 3:26-cv-01825) is classified on the docket as a fraud case, but the complaint is not publicly available, and we have not found any reporting on it. We will not guess whether it is about fees.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
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