XBOX points expiring 1 year after conversion to local currency

[Ryukahn]

This is absolutely ridiculous. I haven't had an Xbox 360 in a few years (haven't had time for much gaming, which is why I sold it). There was like 8000 points on my account that I have been slowly using on Zune for a song every now and then. I guess I will be purchasing a lot of overpriced music on Zune Marketplace in the very near future.....

P.S. Would be nice if I could gift the points on my account to friends, as I have a bunch that still play their 360s

that's what you get for using zune tbh

It's either use Zune or see the points go poof. The points are from when I had a 360. I would never purchase MS points for the crappy Zune marketplace lol.

 

[doubledown]

It sucks, but it is not the end of the world.  I think I have maybe 9,000 points and I would just use it to purchase a full game as a Day 1 release or something.  Honestly, I will keep trying to buy point cards at a discount while I can. 

It actually lessens the burden of buying a XBOX ONE and 2 NEW games at launch.  I can just use my points.....plus, I have a year to redeem them. 

 

[AngryNerdJosh]

You have like 18 months so quit whining people. How many points can one have that this becomes a problem? I have around 6000 and I'm not worried.

Here is the official page:

http://support.xbox.com/en-US/billing-and-subscriptions/account-management/microsoft-points-retire-faq

Some tidbits:
How does this change affect me? [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]You will begin using local currency or an Xbox Gift Card (denominated in your local currency) to buy music, games, videos, and more from your favorite Xbox stores. When you use your existing Microsoft Points to initiate a purchase or redeem a Points card with your Microsoft account later this year, we’ll deposit into your account an amount of money equal to or greater than the marketplace value of your Microsoft Points, and your Microsoft Points will be retired. The purchased funds you deposit into your account after the transition will not expire. However, the funds we deposit into your account at the time of the transition will expire one year from the deposit date.[/font]

Am I going to lose my Xbox LIVE Rewards? [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]No. Microsoft Points that you've earned through Xbox Live Rewards will remain in your Xbox account and will transition to your local currency with the rest of your Microsoft Points. Prior to the transition, all your earned Pending Points will be deposited into your account. Be sure to stay up to date with all the latest Xbox Live Rewards news at [/font]Xbox LIVE Rewards[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]or by following [/font]@XboxLIVErewards on Twitter[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif].[/font]

What will happen to Microsoft Points Cards?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]Microsoft Points Cards will continue to be redeemable on your console and on Xbox.com throughout 2014 and for a limited time thereafter but will be discontinued after the launch of Xbox Gift Cards this fall. Please note that any funds we deposit into your account at the time of the transition will expire one year from the deposit date. Xbox Gift Cards, which will be denominated in your local currency, will be available for purchase in retail stores and through online retailers.[/font]

What if I have codes and/or Microsoft Points Cards that I haven’t redeemed?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]Go ahead and redeem them! Even after your account transitions, we’ll still accept purchased Microsoft Points Cards and codes through 2014 and for a limited time thereafter, and we’ll credit you an amount of currency equal to or greater than the Marketplace value of those points as we phase out the Microsoft Points program.[/font]

Which tax locale will be used in calculating my purchases?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]We will not apply taxes when you purchase digital content using funds that [/font]we[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif] deposit into your account at the time of the transition. However, when you use funds that [/font]you [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]deposit into your account [/font]after[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif] the transition (including from Xbox Gift Cards, which will not be subject to tax at purchase), all appropriate taxes will be applied to those purchases based on the ship-to address for your account.[/font]

Here is the official page:

http://support.xbox.com/en-US/billing-and-subscriptions/account-management/microsoft-points-retire-faq

Some tidbits:
How does this change affect me? [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]You will begin using local currency or an Xbox Gift Card (denominated in your local currency) to buy music, games, videos, and more from your favorite Xbox stores. When you use your existing Microsoft Points to initiate a purchase or redeem a Points card with your Microsoft account later this year, we’ll deposit into your account an amount of money equal to or greater than the marketplace value of your Microsoft Points, and your Microsoft Points will be retired. The purchased funds you deposit into your account after the transition will not expire. However, the funds we deposit into your account at the time of the transition will expire one year from the deposit date.[/font]

Am I going to lose my Xbox LIVE Rewards? [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]No. Microsoft Points that you've earned through Xbox Live Rewards will remain in your Xbox account and will transition to your local currency with the rest of your Microsoft Points. Prior to the transition, all your earned Pending Points will be deposited into your account. Be sure to stay up to date with all the latest Xbox Live Rewards news at [/font]Xbox LIVE Rewards[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]or by following [/font]@XboxLIVErewards on Twitter[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif].[/font]

What will happen to Microsoft Points Cards?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]Microsoft Points Cards will continue to be redeemable on your console and on Xbox.com throughout 2014 and for a limited time thereafter but will be discontinued after the launch of Xbox Gift Cards this fall. Please note that any funds we deposit into your account at the time of the transition will expire one year from the deposit date. Xbox Gift Cards, which will be denominated in your local currency, will be available for purchase in retail stores and through online retailers.[/font]

What if I have codes and/or Microsoft Points Cards that I haven’t redeemed?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]Go ahead and redeem them! Even after your account transitions, we’ll still accept purchased Microsoft Points Cards and codes through 2014 and for a limited time thereafter, and we’ll credit you an amount of currency equal to or greater than the Marketplace value of those points as we phase out the Microsoft Points program.[/font]

Which tax locale will be used in calculating my purchases?
[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]We will not apply taxes when you purchase digital content using funds that [/font]we[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif] deposit into your account at the time of the transition. However, when you use funds that [/font]you [font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif]deposit into your account [/font]after[font='Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif] the transition (including from Xbox Gift Cards, which will not be subject to tax at purchase), all appropriate taxes will be applied to those purchases based on the ship-to address for your account.[/font]

 

[parkerwilson]

Looks like I will have $913 in currency when the points convert, I am gonna have to go all digital the first year to even have a chance to spend all that. Not gonna bitch and moan too much considering what I paid for the points but one year doesn't seem like adequate time.

 

[pjb16]

Looks like I will have $913 in currency when the points convert, I am gonna have to go all digital the first year to even have a chance to spend all that. Not gonna bitch and moan too much considering what I paid for the points but one year doesn't seem like adequate time.

I have like 1/10th what you have and I agree, lol. However, you are going to have to buy pretty much every game that comes out in order to get rid of those points lol.

 

[AngryNerdJosh]

It looks like you will be gifting a ton of digital games for Christmas. How did you accumulate $913 of ms points?

Looks like I will have $913 in currency when the points convert, I am gonna have to go all digital the first year to even have a chance to spend all that. Not gonna bitch and moan too much considering what I paid for the points but one year doesn't seem like adequate time.

Looks like I will have $913 in currency when the points convert, I am gonna have to go all digital the first year to even have a chance to spend all that. Not gonna bitch and moan too much considering what I paid for the points but one year doesn't seem like adequate time.

 

[deadofnight]

People wonder why nobody trusts Microsoft. It's things like this. Why if they convert points to cash does that cash expire? It makes no sense and it just another one of Microsofts many cash grabs. And then we are supposed to trust them on all aspects of pricing in a closed system?

The converted points will expire after the same amount of time as promotional MSP we get from places like Xbox Live Rewards. So I think the converted credit we get is technically promotional credit instead of real credit. Since the credit expires I'm almost certain it's not considered real money.

I'm guessing they're giving us promotional credit instead of real credit because if they gave us real credit then it would count towards how much they spend. Giving us fake money as credit won't effect their books.

 

[panda911]

The simple solution to this problem is don't redeem any msp until you're ready to use them, no?

 

[Gideon68]

The simple solution to this problem is don't redeem any msp until you're ready to use them, no?

You'll have to redeem them all by early 2015 even if you're not ready to use them. I hope this changes.

 

[panda911]

You'll have to redeem them all by early 2015 even if you're not ready to use them. I hope this changes.

Even then, they'll be good for another year so early 2016. Unless you went absolutely insane during the $10 off glitch, that seems like an ample amount of time.

 

[Gideon68]

Even then, they'll be good for another year so early 2016. Unless you went absolutely insane during the $10 off glitch, that seems like an ample amount of time.

I did buy some during the Target Black Friday sale/glitch. But even then I get a lot for Xmas and Bdays. I'm still working on the 1840 left from the 4000 pts I got as a Xmas gift, then I have the others still to redeem. Sure there are a lot of things I could buy but I usually wait for a sale (got a discount on the card and another discount for the sale, it's the CAG in me). I don't like having to redeem them until I actually need them. Is it possible to use them, sure, if I start buying games at full price but I shouldn't have to just because MS decides they don't want to use MSP anymore. There's a right way to phase out the cards and points and IMHO this isn't it.

 

[panda911]

I did buy some during the Target Black Friday sale/glitch. But even then I get a lot for Xmas and Bdays. I'm still working on the 1840 left from the 4000 pts I got as a Xmas gift, then I have the others still to redeem. Sure there are a lot of things I could buy but I usually wait for a sale (got a discount on the card and another discount for the sale, it's the CAG in me). I don't like having to redeem them until I actually need them. Is it possible to use them, sure, if I start buying games at full price but I shouldn't have to just because MS decides they don't want to use MSP anymore. There's a right way to phase out the cards and points and IMHO this isn't it.

Not disagreeing but from now until the end of 2015, if you only bought a $5 arcade game that is on sale once a month, you'd spend $750 worth of points.

 

[Gideon68]

Not disagreeing but from now until the end of 2015, if you only bought a $5 arcade game that is on sale once a month, you'd spend $750 worth of points.

I hope you're right.