for a quick link to this thread use, www.cheapassgamer.com/ggc
The Best Buy Gamer Gift Card Explained
Q: What is the Gamer Gift Card?
A:The Gamer Gift Card is basically a regular gift card.
Q: Okay, so if it's like a regular gift card, why is it such a big deal?
A: That's because on the back, you can see a
$5 off any video game or game accessory $19.99 or up coupon. This is the sole reason that the Gift Card is so popular.
Q: Can I use the Gift Card on something that is not priced at $19.99?
A: Only if the employee is not paying attention. From what I've heard, the price stipulation is not set into the coupon itself. In other words, if you scan it and buy a game/accessory that is less than $19.99, it would scan.
Q: Where are they located?
A: First off, remember this is at Best Buy only. Once you enter the store they can generally be found in the games section or near the check-out counter. They come in CD cases, you can't miss it.
Q: How do I use the Gift Card?
A: You take the Gift Card, go to the cash register, and ask the person to activate it. You can put whatever amount on it, but I've been told that the minimum that you can put now is $5, but I have put 1 cent on it before. It depends on your employee.
Q: Can I use the Gift Card at the same time as when I buy the game?
A: Yes. Sometimes the employee will get irritated, but you are allowed to. In this situation this is what you ask the employee to do:
You have the game and the card and go to the checkout. Ask the employee to activate the Gamer Gift Card. Then ask them to scan the coupon.
The alternative is to buy the gift card, walk out of the store, walk back in, pick up the game, and use the card and coupon. In fact, you don't have to even walk out of the store, just go back to the games section.
Q: How much money should I put on the card?
A: Put whatever amount of money on the card, but I wouldn't put more than the cost of the game with the $5 subtracted, so you don't have credit left over.
So in general, if the game is $19.99, the coupon is $5 off, so the price is $14.99. You do not want to put on more than $14.99, otherwise you'll have money left over, and you could just as easily come back another time and buy another card (with a brand new coupon) than use the card with a few dollars and no coupon.
Q: Can I buy multiple Gift Cards?
A: Yes. I assume that they will get suspicious if you buy a whole stack and put on 1 cent each. And if you put on $1 each they probably will think you are a cheap ass for giving someone a $1 gift. But obviously put less than the prospective cost of the game.
Q: So what does the current Gift Card look like, and when does it expire?
A: The current $19.99 Gift Card is lime green with a generic controller as the cover. It expires at the end of
this year (12/31/06).
A: In 2005, there were multi-console GGCs as well, but they were $5 off games $29.99 or higher.
What to tell the Cashier:
Q: What if the cashier gets suspicious when I want to put on a low amount?
First off, don't necessarily put on very low amounts like 1 cent if you can avoid it. People might get wise to the fact that the cards are only good for the coupon, so try to put something like $5 or more. It'll be used towards the price of the game anyway.
A: Tell them that there's a coupon on the back and you are using it for that.
Q: What if they say that you can put a minimum of only $5/$10/etc?
A: This may be the case now, so I would do it to avoid the hassle. You can simply use whatever amount towards the purchase of the game, so it doesn't really matter what you put on. Read the Long Answer for my old opinion on the matter, and read the Short Answer to try to put on very low amounts of money (i.e. 1 cent, 10 cents, etc).
Long Answer: I had put on one cent on multiple occasions. I went to a different Best Buy and asked them to do the same. The cashier, and then another higher up person said that the minimum was $5. I had said that I already put on one cent at another Best Buy. They said that "The policy must have changed." I subsequently went to that Best Buy and a few months later, I put on ten cents and it worked just fine. The card was simply not activated yet, so it can be used at a later time.
Short Answer: Tell them that you have put on a lower amount before, and it works just fine. [Although I would avoid doing this now]
If you can't use the GGC on the same purchase as the Game, just buy the GGC by itself, walk out, walk back in, pick up the game, use it. It takes more time, but at least it gets the job done.
Well, that's it for now, again, feel free to ask any more questions, and as always, post your experiences.
