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Tickets and other purchases at BFI Southbank

BFI Southbank

Policy

BFI Southbank is funded and operated by the British Film Institute.

Privacy

British Film Institute takes the privacy of its customers very seriously. Please read the following policy to understand how we will treat your personal information when you use our site.

Data Protection

We operate and are registered as The British Film Institute in accordance with current data protection legislation. Our data protection registration number is K417687X.

The information we collect

In order to provide you with the best service we can, we collect certain personal information about you. When you book tickets via the site, we will need to collect information about you to process the transaction and fulfil your order. This information may include, but is not limited to, details such as your name, your address and your credit card details.

What do we do with your personal information?
The British Film Institute uses your personal information to keep you informed about events, news and offers which we think will be of interest to you. If you have chosen to receive them, we will also use your information to provide you email bulletins and other email alerts letting you stay up-to-date about relevant screenings, events and offers. We may also use the information to process any transactions you undertake with us and for internal administration and analysis. We disclose your information to third parties only for providing the above services to you. We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes without your consent.

Cookies

BFI uses a ticketing and CRM solution called Audience View.

AudienceView uses session cookies, which are not stored on the user’s computer persistent storage (e.g. disk) and only kept in computer memory (RAM) for the duration of the user’s visit.

AudienceView session cookies are also essential for being able to provide service to the end user, which puts them into the ‘strictly necessary’ category described in the regulations.

Consent

By disclosing your personal information to us using this website or over the telephone, you consent to the collection, storage and processing of your personal information by the British Film Institute in the manner set out in this Privacy Policy. If you have any questions or concerns about the information we hold about you, you can also Contact Us. We are unable to respond to ticket availability requests via email, please contact the Box Office on 020 7928 3232 between 11.30am and 8.30pm for up to date availability.

Security

Our secure server ensures that your personal details stay personal.

How do I know if a website is secure?
Every credit card purchase you make at our website is done through our Secure Server Technology. This provides many security features, including:

  • Authentication: this assures your browser that your data is being sent to the correct computer server, and that the server is secure.
  • Encryption: this encodes the data, so that it cannot be read by anyone other than the secure server.
  • Data Integrity: this checks the data being transferred to ensure it has not been altered.

Our online ticketing facility accepts

  • MasterCard
  • Visa
  • AMEX

Our secure server software encrypts information, ensuring that Internet transactions stay private and protected. Our website uses a security protocol called ‘SSL3’.

Delivery and Postage

From 31 March 2023 we will no longer be posting out tickets for events at BFI Southbank. Tickets will still be available for collection in person, or as downloadable e-tickets.

Merchandise from the BFI Shop will be sent separately and delivered by post to the same address on your file. Items will be sent First Class within 14 working days. If we cannot deliver these items within this time we will contact you by email.

For further details please call the Box Office on 020 7928 3232. Open every day between 11:30am and 8:30pm except December 24/25/26/31 or fill out the Contact Form.

We are unable to respond to ticket availability requests via email, please contact the Box Office on 020 7928 3232 between 11:30am and 8:30pm for up to date availability.

Postage for merchandise is calculated as a flat fee plus an additional cost per item.

  • National rates = 1.50 per item
  • International rates = 2.50 per item

Terms and conditions

BFI Southbank - Please note that screenings start at their advertised times. Tickets cannot be purchased after the screening start time. Latecomers may not be admitted. Pre-booked tickets can be collected if the screening has commenced, however latecomers will be seated by staff to minimise disruption to other members of the audience, and may not be able to take the seats designated on their tickets.

BFI IMAX – There are advertisements and trailers prior to our main film presentation – these vary in length but are rarely less than 15 minutes long. After this point, Latecomers may not be admitted. Pre-booked tickets can be collected if the screening has commenced, however latecomers will be seated by staff to minimise disruption to other members of the audience, and may not be able to take the seats designated on their tickets.

We reserve the right of admission and, in exceptional circumstances, membership of the BFI may be revoked. We reserve the right to, in unavoidable circumstances, to alter the programme without prior notice. The licensing authority does not permit standing.

No cameras or tape recorders are allowed in the theatres.

Fees, Refunds, Returns and Exchanges*

Fees

BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX tickets are subject to an £1 booking fee per ticket, which is capped at £3 per transaction. This booking fee is only for telephone and online bookings, not counter sales. BFI Patrons and BFI Members are exempt from these booking fees. To take advantage of this exemption online, please make sure that you always login to your online account before you start booking and select Member or Patron tickets for you and your guests.

Ticket discounts

BFI Southbank — BFI Members will be offered a discount of £2 on each ticket booked for most performances in the BFI Southbank programme. This discount does not apply to BFI Festival tickets.

BFI IMAX — BFI Members will be offered a discount of £2 on each ticket booked for most performances in the BFI IMAX programme.

Ticket exchange and refunds

BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.

BFI Southbank — Members can return paid tickets up to 24 hours ahead of the performance, ie before the Box Office closes on the day before. If tickets have already been issued, these must be returned to the Box Office in person or by post by that time. Please note that we cannot accept returns on free tickets including Member Free Tickets.

For returned paid tickets, Members will receive a Gift Certificate, to the value of the ticket, which will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue or when the Membership lapses, whichever is soonest. The Gift Certificate can be redeemed as full or part payment of tickets for performances at BFI Southbank, subject to availability, and can be redeemed in person and by telephone but not online. Sorry for any inconvenience.

BFI IMAX — BFI IMAX tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded or returned for BFI Member credit under any circumstances. At present we’re unable to issue credit to Members for returned BFI IMAX tickets. BFI Credit cannot be used to purchase BFI IMAX tickets.

BFI festival tickets cannot be returned, exchanged or refunded. This applies to all customers, including BFI Members, although they can redeem existing Gift Certificates (see above) against Festival tickets when booking by telephone or in person but not online. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Tickets may not be resold for higher than 20% above the face value displayed, and any such action may result in cancellation of the original booking by the BFI. Tickets may not be used as part of commercial hospitality/concierge packages unless authorised by the BFI.

Member Free Tickets

As a benefit of BFI Membership, BFI Members are issued with two free BFI Southbank tickets for every year of BFI Membership. BFI Member free tickets are only valid against BFI Southbank screenings and cannot be redeemed at the BFI IMAX. The Member Free Tickets are automatically applied to the online Membership and Ticketing account at point of joining or renewing and must be redeemed within 12 months as they will expire with that year of Membership. When booking online, the Member Free Tickets will appear in the drop-down menu of ticket options when booking standard-priced screenings at BFI Southbank but will not appear when booking tickets to special events, previews or BFI Festivals. The Member Free Tickets must be selected during the booking process as they cannot be applied to a booking retrospectively. In the month of renewal there may be two sets of Member Free Tickets available so please always select those with the earlier date in the title as they will expire soonest. Members can also ask BFI staff to redeem their Member Free Tickets on their behalf when booking in person or by phone. Member Free Tickets cannot be returned and cannot be extended after their expiry date. Please note that the Member Free Ticket option will still appear during the booking process even when the two free tickets have been redeemed but the system will not allow the booking to complete. Sorry for any confusion this may cause but please call the Box Office on 020 7928 3232 (11:30-20:30) if you’d like to check if you have any unredeemed Member Free Tickets on your account. For further information about BFI Membership benefits, please contact membership@bfi.org.uk

BFI Membership

Membership is a donation towards the charitable work of the BFI. Memberships may be refunded on request within 14 days of purchase or renewal as long as the benefits have not been accessed. Gift Memberships can be refunded to the purchaser on request as long as the gift voucher has not already been activated and has not expired. Cancellation and refund requests should be made in writing to membership@bfi.org.uk.

You can only purchase Membership through Direct Debit payment if you are the main account holder and have sole authority over this account.

Merchandise returns policy

Unused items from the online shop may be returned with no explanation required if you change your mind within 14 working days after the goods have been received. Please return to:

    BFI Shop
    BFI Southbank
    London SE1 8XT
    United Kingdom

Standby Seats

A limited number of standby seats are reserved for sale half an hour before each performance. These are only available for customers in person at the BFI Southbank Box Office and not BFI IMAX.

* Fees and transaction charges are subject to change.

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