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PayPal Credit comes to the UK with interest-free plans
PayPal wants to be the method that everyone naturally defers to when buying goods and services online. Instead of grabbing your debit or credit card, the aim to make you naturally hit the PayPal button whenever you reach the checkout. To incentivise this, the company is rapidly expanding PayPal Credit in the UK, which helps you make purchases even when you don't have the funds in your bank account. You'll need to apply for the privilege online, but if you pass the company's credit check you can get zero percent interest on orders over £150 for the first four months.
AT&T matches Verizon's $650 offer to swap carriers
AT&T has announced that it'll hand you up to $650 in credit should you choose to switch from another mobile carrier. If you're prepared to jump through the various hurdles, you'll be entitled to a pre-paid gift card equal to the value of your ETF or device balance. In addition, the network is letting you pair the deal with its buy one, get one free offer, enabling you to grab two shiny new devices at the same time. The offering is the latest in a long series of credit offers, with Verizon pushing its own offer to $650 last December.
Apple will reportedly accept damaged iPhones for trade-in
Apple's iPhone recycling program is handy for getting rid of your old handset when you buy a new one. However, the initiative doesn't allow customers to trade in older models if they have screen damage, a broken camera or buttons that don't work. 9to5Mac reports that the policy is about to change. Apple is reportedly prepping to expand the recycling/trade-in program to accept iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones with a reasonable amount of damage. The company is said to offer credits of $50, $200 and $250 for those devices, respectively.
PayPal will refund $15 million to customers if the CFPB has its way
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleges that PayPal engaged in unfair, abusive and deceptive practices in the marketing and management of its PayPal Credit service, formerly known as Bill Me Later. To rectify the (many) outlined abuses, the CFPB filed a complaint and proposed consent order that directs PayPal to refund $15 million to affected consumers, plus pay a $10 million fine to the CFPB's Civil Penalty Fund. The proposed consent order isn't an official ruling just yet -- a judge with the US District Court for the District of Maryland must approve the order for it to be enforced.
Google is giving Chromecast owners $6 in Play Store credit
Do you own a Chromecast? Well, Google just gave you $6 to spend in the Play Store on movies, music and more. All you have to do is head over to the Chromecast Offers page and connect to your personal dongle. From there, you'll be able to see the available offers, and one of those should be the aforementioned sum. Just don't say the folks in Mountain View never gave you anything.
Spend $100 on PSN in October, get $15 back
Sony's latest promotion is dishing cash back to those that buy goods on PSN this month. As of October 1, players that spend at least $100 using their Sony Entertainment Network wallets will receive $15 in credit. The credit will be delivered to those taking advantage of the offer "on or before November 7" via email or PS4, PS3 or Vita system notification in redemption code form. The promotion runs through Tuesday, October 28. Players will have until December 5 to redeem their $15 credit codes. Now the question is: What ever shall you spend that $100 on? PS4 players may consider the recently-launched and excellent Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, or may choose to pre-order Alien: Isolation via PSN. Or you could just blow it all on repeated rentals of Hocus Pocus. Your call. [Image: Sony]
Apple is reportedly teaming up with American Express on iPhone payments (update: MasterCard too)
Those longstanding rumors of Apple building a mobile payment service may be coming true sooner than you think. Recode's sources claim that the folks in Cupertino have struck a deal with American Express to work on an iPhone payment system, hot on the heels of The Information's report of a similar agreement with Visa. Details of the system aren't clear beyond a tie-in with the next iPhone (and likely your iTunes account), but Apple is supposedly ready to spill the beans at its September 9th event -- if the leak is accurate, you're going to get the full story pretty quickly.
GameStop now offers 20 percent more cash for your old titles
Between pre-orders, promotions and credit offers, it feels as if you need a PhD in economics just to trade-in used games. Thankfully, GameStop has decided to simplify its arcane pricing structure and, best of all, increase the price of each trade by 20 percent. According to documents leaked to Kotaku, you'll get the "optimal value" for each title, the only difference being if you take credit and/or have a Power Up Rewards subscription. In the example, an untitled game that you could swap for $29 in cash would be worth $37.70 if you took credit and were part of the rewards program. According to the slides, the new rules will start on August 18th, and you'll know the staff have been given the new details if they ask you "when's the last time we bought some of your items?" The correct answer, of course, is to wink, pause a moment and then say "In London, April is a spring month."
Visa's latest stab at online payments is all about checking out faster
Remember V.me, Visa's big attempt at conquering the online payment space? You'll be forgiven if you don't -- it quickly fizzled out, in part because it was a digital wallet that sometimes made shopping more complicated. The company may have learned its lesson, though. It just launched Checkout, a considerably simpler approach to e-commerce. The focus here is purely on getting through the checkout process as quickly as possible. Once you've put in the details of supported credit or debit cards (including non-Visa cards), you just have to log in to complete a purchase, whether it's on a website, Android or iOS. There's no in-between wallet, and you won't get kicked over to another page just to wrap up a transaction.
Select Xbox 360 owners offered $75 credit with Xbox One purchase
A selection of Xbox 360 owners are turning on their systems and finding the above image, offering them an "exclusive" $75 code for Xbox credit with the purchase of an Xbox One. Microsoft confirmed the promotion to Joystiq today after 360 users posted their discoveries on NeoGAF and official Xbox forums. According to the Microsoft spokesperson, "this short-term promotion is offered to select Xbox fans in the US, Canada and the UK." Going by the image, Microsoft's dealing out the promo to some of its "very best customers." As can often prove the case with offers like this, however, the criteria for who qualifies is seemingly random. For example, it's fair say the Joystiq staff's spent oodles of times with their 360s, and none of us received the offer. As Eurogamer notes, the original NeoGAF poster got the promo despite already owning an Xbox One tied to his Xbox 360 gamertag.
Microsoft offering $75 credit if gamers upgrade to an Xbox One (update)
If you've pondered buying an Xbox One, but have felt a sense of loyalty to your Xbox 360, Microsoft is very keen to help you make the switch. As spotted by user BeforeU on NeoGAF, the company is running a new promotion that gifts its "very best customers" with a $75 promotional code if they buy an Xbox One or any Xbox One bundle. It appears that not everyone is eligible for the offer, with Microsoft only targeting a subset of Xbox 360 owners across the US ahead of its July 31st deadline. However, there's no word on whether the promotion will come to other countries. To find out if you qualify, turn on your Xbox 360 and make sure it's connected to Xbox Live. If you've been selected, you can order a (full-priced) console from any retailer and Microsoft will credit your Xbox account with $75, as long as you redeem your voucher code by October 15th. That'll cover you for at least one Xbox One game like Destiny, ensuring your game collection gets off to a good start. Update: Microsoft has confirmed that the deal is also running in the UK and Canada: "This short-term promotion is offered to select Xbox fans in the US, Canada and the UK. We are always looking for opportunities to bring promotions like this to our customers, but we have nothing further to share at this time."
Apple now letting UK customers trade in their iPad at retail stores
Seven months after it began letting customers trade in their iPhones at its retail stores, Apple's expanded its Reuse and Recycle programme to include iPads. From today, anyone with an iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini can walk into an Apple Store, hand over their tablet and receive credit towards a new iOS device. However, the company will not accept current-generation devices like the iPad Air or iPad mini with Retina display. As with its iPhone programme, Apple will assess the condition of devices before providing a trade-in value, so don't expect a huge return if your iPad has seen better days.
Nexus 7 purchases now come with £50 Play Store credit
If you've been eyeing up Google's latest Nexus 7 tablet but needed a little something to tip you over the edge, then this might give you the incentive you need. Google and ASUS have teamed up to offer £50 credit to spend on Play Store content if you purchase a 16GB Nexus 7 between now and June 1st. There's also some good news if you bought your Nexus earlier in the month: ASUS says that any purchase made from a UK retailer after May 5th will qualify. If you have your Nexus 7 in hand, all you have to do is head to this site within 30 days and follow the instructions to redeem your credit.
Coin eight-in-one Bluetooth credit card adds security features, boosted pre-order availability
Judging by the millions of YouTube views since it launched just last week, there's quite a bit of interest in Coin. The Bluetooth-enabled swipeable lets you add in identifying info from up to eight individual credit, debit, membership, loyalty and gift cards, and comes along with companion Android and iOS apps that boost functionality. While the applications enable you to save detailed card info for online purchases, push additional payment methods to Coin and access the Bluetooth-powered leash that will send an alert if you walk away without your card, the device works independently as well. The company is announcing some additional security features today that should serve to ease at least some fraud concerns. Coin will include an "alarm" that tracks the number of times the card is swiped and sends an app alert if it suspects unauthorized use. It can also be locked to just one card before you hand it over at a store or restaurant, so a clerk can't accidentally (or deliberately) swap cards before swiping. Reps also responded to 50 questions on a new Q&A page, addressing additional security-related and function queries, including ATM compatibility (yes, it will work), photo ID storage (uh, no) and chip and pin support (not yet, but it's in the works). The firm is also releasing additional cards for pre-order, so if you want to get in before the price jumps to $100, there's still time to hand over 50 bucks (plus $5 shipping) at the source link below.
Apple refunds Breaking Bad iTunes passes in wake of split season
When AMC split the last season of Breaking Bad in two, it annoyed iTunes Season Pass holders who had to pay twice to finish Walter White's saga. Rather than point angry viewers in AMC's direction, though, Apple is shouldering the burden (and trying to dodge a lawsuit) by issuing refunds. Customers who bought the not-actually-last season of Breaking Bad are receiving $23 iTunes credits that they can use for another Season Pass if they so choose. The refund comes just before the series wraps this Sunday, but it's a welcome recompense for viewers who were caught off guard. Check out Apple's email to customers after the break. [Thanks, Abraham]
Gamestop offers $50 credit with trade of select 360 games for Xbox One versions
Gamestop will offer $50 trade-in credit to PowerUp Rewards members who buy a new, Xbox 360 version of a game and then trade it back in for the Xbox One version. The promotion is valid for the Xbox versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 or Assassin's Creed 4. In order to be eligible to receive the trade-in credit, patrons must be PowerUp Rewards members at the time of the initial purchase, which must take place within 30 days of the game's release date. Then, upon trading the game in for the Xbox One version, the customer will be emailed a coupon that grants $50 trade-in credit for the Xbox 360 version, for use when upgrading to the Xbox One version before December 31 of this year. No mention of the PlayStation 4 was made in the press release, so whether a similar offer will be made for PS3/PS4 cross-generation games remains to be seen. Update: Gamestop has informed us that the $50 coupon is delivered in tandem with the purchase of the Xbox 360 version of the game, rather than after the upgrade to the Xbox One version. This article has been altered slightly to reflect that information.
Ouya CEO offering store credit to unsatisfied Kickstarters
Unsatisfied contributors to Ouya's Kickstarter campaign may request a $13.37 credit for the console's Discover store, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman revealed in an email to backers this week. Uhrman's email acknowledged late shipments, missing controllers and delayed responses from customer support as missteps during the console's launch. Uhrman offered the credit in an effort to "do more than tell you how much we appreciate you." Kickstarter backers should check their inbox for the message and click the email's included link to request the credit. The full email is available after the jump. [Thanks, Scott!]
Sony rolls out another batch of free PSN credit in North America
Another selection of lucky so-and-so PlayStation Network users in North America received XMB messages with $10 credit from Sony yesterday. Following last month's influx of PSN credit, doled out to "loyal" customers and fans of the service, a further group of users, including some of our readers, received messages yesterday with the digital moolah attached. Once more, it's unclear just how many did and why.When approached, a Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson provided Joystiq with this statement: "While we don't disclose the exact criteria used, we can say that select active PSN users were chosen to receive an XMB message that included a credit for their SEN [Sony Entertainment Network] Wallet as part of this special promotion."It should be noted SCEA's Morgan Haro provided the same statement when asked about last month's credit giveaway. However, unlike previously, this time the XMB message makes no mention of loyalty. So it's unclear if this is a separate rollout from the one last month, or if Sony just wised up to not deeming a select group of its userbase as "loyal." We tease, Sony - free credit is just capital.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony is giving away free PSN credit to 'loyal' customers
Sony is sending $10 vouchers for free PlayStation Network credit to "loyal" customers of the service, although it's not clear what constitutes that loyalty exactly. Multiple PSN users from North America, both on Twitter and the NeoGAF forum, are reporting they received messages this morning with $10 credit enclosed. We've also received a tip confirming the credit being added to a user's PSN account. Meanwhile, some users are reporting they received $5 credit, and a Twitter search suggests that freebie was sent out last week.The $10 credit message (see below the break) reads: "Thank you for being a loyal customer and fan of PlayStation Network. As a token of our appreciation, we've sent you $10.00 to spend on the PlayStation Store."So far, the free credit is apparently restricted to North American customers, and there aren't any clear patterns as to who's entitled to it and why; we've reached out to Sony for more details. Sure, the timing suggests this is all about stirring up further buzz amongst the already fervent PlayStation Fourplay, but free stuff is pretty much always lovely.[Thanks, Sean]
GameStop offering Halo 4 and AC3 for $40, +50% credit on in-store trade-ins
The stockings have come down and the gifts have been unwrapped, but GameStop hasn't stopped kicking off deals for the season. The retailer's latest deals, which run now through Saturday, have Halo 4 and Assassin's Creed 3 for $39.99 each, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on sale for $49.99.Far Cry 3 is also on sale for $49.99, and you can pick up Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier for $29.99, in addition to all of the other deals on recent and popular games. Finally, the company's offering a buy two, get one free sale on all used Wii and Nintendo DS games, and there's an ongoing promotion that will give you an extra 50 percent credit back whenever you trade any used games in. Just in case you didn't spend all your money on this year's previous sales, GameStop will be happy to help take the rest of it.
