GameStop Launching New Reward Program

Video game retailer GameStop is launching a new consumer purchase reward program, currently available in only a few states but soon to launch nationwide, according to online reports. PowerUp Rewards, whose official website claims the program is still in beta form, will replace GameStop's existing paid Edge card, which confers a 10 percent discount on used games and adds 10 percent to trade-in values. The paid version of the upcoming PowerUp Rewards card provides the same bonuses; it will also be offered as a free option without those benefits. Both versions of the card will earn buyers points on purchases and trade-ins which can be redeemed for rewards. Consumers gain twice as many points for buying used games as they do for new games. Rewards may include gift cards and subscriptions for GameStop, iTunes, Netflix, Xbox Live, and other services and retailers, as well as video game merchandise. The program's website doesn't include any indication of how points will translate to rewards, but a Kotaku story, citing an anonymous GameStop employee, claims 4,000 points ($400 in new purchases) is worth a $5 used game discount, and 40,000 points ($4,000 in new purchases) is worth an Xbox 360 controller, which GameStop sells for $28 in wired form or $40 in wireless form. According to that story, the program is being tested in Ohio, Tennessee, and Missouri, with a nationwide rollout in the coming weeks.