Terms & Conditions

General Terms and Conditions applicable to this website and the CEA Card Scheme.

The CEA Card is issued by The Card Network Ltd (TCN) on behalf of the UK Cinema Association (UKCA) and remains the property of the UKCA. It is for individual cinemas to decide whether they participate in this scheme. Any cinema has the right not to honour the CEA Card, or to retain it where they believe it is being misused or used outside these terms and conditions.
When you apply for a CEA Card, you are deemed to have fully accepted the terms and conditions set out in this document.
A person aged over 5 is eligible for a CEA Card if they have a need to be accompanied in cinemas because of the effect of their disability.
There are three different routes to applying for a Card. Specifically, a disabled person, or someone else who is helping with their application, can:
- upload or send us evidence of receipt of one of the following:
- upload or send evidence that the disabled person holds:
- or, if they do not meet the above criteria, or cannot find the supporting paperwork, and believe the effects of their disability requires someone to accompany them when going to the cinema, then they should contact us and we can consider their circumstances.
Note. The Blue Badge scheme, Disabled Persons’ Railcard or being in receipt of Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance scheme are not accepted as proof of eligibility.
You must be 16 or over to apply for your own CEA card. If an applicant is aged between 5 and 16, a parent or guardian must complete the application on their behalf.
The CEA Card will not be valid unless it shows an accurate and recent photograph of the Cardholder, along with all other information present on the Card on its issue. The Card is non-transferable and only the Cardholder is entitled to use it. Any participating cinema reserves the right to ask for some additional form of identification from the Cardholder. Any cinema also reserves the right to check the validity of any Card when it is presented.
Where it is suspected that a Card is being used inappropriately, fraudulently or in breach of these terms and conditions, the cinema reserves the right to retain the Card pending further investigation.
The CEA Card allows the Cardholder to obtain ONE complimentary ticket for a person to provide any assistance required as a result of the effects of the Cardholder’s disability during their visit to the cinema, provided that a full price ticket is purchased by the Cardholder for the same film and auditorium in a single transaction. In providing a free ticket for another person to assist them during their visit, the cinema is offering one way of meeting its duty to make "reasonable adjustments" for the Cardholder under the disability aspects of the Equality Act 2010.
A complimentary ticket is provided on the assumption that the person accompanying the Cardholder is able to provide appropriate assistance. Illustrative, but not exhaustive, examples of such assistance might include having the ability to assist the Cardholder in:
- moving around the venue including finding and taking a seat;
- evacuating the venue in the event of an emergency;
- accompanying and/or assisting the cardholder in using the cinema’s washrooms; or
- purchasing tickets or refreshments.
While for this reason the presumption will be that the person accompanying the Cardholder will be aged 16 years or over, the UKCA does recognise the role of young carers and cinemas will act at their own discretion in this area. However, the cinema operator reserves the right to make a judgement on the ability of any person to assist the Cardholder during their visit to the cinema, and to refuse the provision of a complimentary ticket where it deems it appropriate.
One Cardholder cannot benefit from the complimentary ticket provided to another Cardholder. In all cases, one full price ticket must be bought for each complimentary ticket allowed. Cinema operators reserve the right to make other arrangements for two or more Cardholders attending the cinema together.
There is no limit to the number of times you can use the Card while it is valid, provided that the Cardholder observes the terms and conditions set out in this document.
Use of this Card does not give Cardholders any additional rights of entry compared to those enjoyed by non-Cardholders. Use of the Card will be constrained in terms of programming and cinema capacity for a Cardholder as they are for any paying customer.
The CEA Card cannot be used in conjunction with any other scheme operated by a cinema operator. In all circumstances, the Cardholder will need to purchase an appropriate full-priced ticket. This can however include vouchers and schemes of comparable value.
The CEA Card is valid for a period of one year from the date of issue. The validity date must be clearly legible at all times on the Card, as should all other information present on the day of issue. Cinemas reserve the right to not accept, or to retain any Card where any details are no longer legible.
On expiry of the CEA Card, or where a Card has been lost, or where it is no longer legible, a full new application, including the administrative fee, must be submitted to CEA Card.
Where a Cardholder believes they have grounds to appeal the limits placed on the use of their CEA Card, or to question the actions of a participating cinema operator, such appeals should be made in writing in the first instance to:
- CEA Card, PO Box 199, Deeside, CH5 9BW
- Telephone: 01244 526 016
- Textphone: 18001 01244 526 016
These phone numbers connect to our UK call centre. Calls are charged at standard UK landline rate.

Office Hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays.

Alternatively you can email us using the contact form.