I deduct it from the purchase I use it on. Simply because it's not a credit if I don't use it. This is also the correct way of doing it.

I see your logic, but would argue that combining both transactions is just as correct.

You can't combine both if there isn't a 2nd one.

True, but there is no credit to use without the first one. (insert dog chasing tail smiley here)

I think of it of calculating what you paid when the deal involves a trade-in. Technically, you should include whatever you originally paid for the titles you traded in.

I don't really care, but whenever anyone says, 'this is the correct way', I must argue. There is no black and white. (insert smiley of most overrated game ever here)

I personally don't buy a game solely because it has future credit. If it's the best deal (and Amazon usually has a leg up with prices, no tax, and free prime shipping) and it has future credit, sure I will. Even if you do buy a game now because it has future credit, that credit isn't real until you use it. However you want to split it is up to you, I guess, but using the credit in May on Alan Wake doesn't mean that your purchase of Mass Effect 2 in January is retroactively cheaper.

However you justified the first purchase must stand on it's own. If you count the "future" credit as a discount on the "present" purchase, you're simply deluding yourself. It's not a prize in the cereal box, it's a coupon on your next cereal box purchase.

I deduct it mentally from the first purchase, always. I buy a majority of my games on Amazon, so the credit will be used eventually. Once it's sitting in my account, I think of it as real money, so in my mind it doesn't get deducted from the game I actually use it on, even though it...er...does. If I'm paying $59.99 for a new release, I'm paying $59.99 for a new release, regardless of where the funds come from.

The only time you can deduct a future credit from a purchase is if you're paying in credit. For example, I just recently pre-ordered Red Dead Redemption for $57, plus a $10 gift card. Since I paid that full amount with credit, I really only paid $47 since the $10 will be going right back into my account once they remove the $57.

Otherwise, I usually mentally deduct half like Trevor stated above.

With Amazon, I mentally deduct from the original purchase. After that, the credit is just in my pool of money, and since it's Amazon, it will definitely get used.

My only variation from this thought process is with something like a Toys R Us where I don't shop often.

Exactly.

Basically, if I buy Heavy Rain today and receive the $10 credit, and then use that credit on Alan Wake next month, I don't think of it as a "discount" on Alan Wake. I'm still paying the full asking price for Alan Wake. The $10 comes from my available pool of funds that I can use on anything, not just Alan Wake. It's money sitting in my account. Money that came with the purchase of Heavy Rain.

I think maybe we're all overthinking here, regardless of our position on this critical issue. Perhaps we need a new thread: "How Do You Mentally Justify Your Excessive Video Game Purchasing Habit?"

But see, that's not how your credit card company or Amazon sees it. You are charged full price on the first game and the discount is on the second game.

10 buck gift cert on a purchase Now, doesn't affect the purchase price of the Now item at all. If, worst case scenario, you never use that gift cert, you paid regular price for the Now item. I know that's not an issue for most of us here, but that's exactly what they hope for most "free gift card with purchase" offers.
A cash rebate, if you get it, then yes, that lowers the price of the original item. But a discount on a future purchase is only a benefit on that future purchase.

I'm interesting in FFXIII, but I think I'm going to wait to see if the Kmart thing is for real. Plus i"m still working on Mass Effect 2 and I just got Bioshock [paid "full price" for it, but it was Goozex points].

Just to be argumentative, if Best Buy had a deal where you bought a game for $60 and they handed you $20 in cash, your credit card company wouldn't see it as you paying $40. Same with mail-in rebates, which should be counted against a purchase price, but don't affect what you pay upfront. Granted, neither of these are entirely the same, but I think people are just saying they buy so much from Amazon that it's like getting cash back. And it is applied automatically, so if you're a regular purchaser, it's not like you can lose it or forget about it.

Personally, when it comes to Amazon credit, I mentally count half towards my current purchase and half towards a future one. So if Amazon has a game for $60 with a $20 credit and someplace else has it for $45, I'll pay the $45. That's assuming I don't have another Amazon credit already sitting in my account, half of which I'd count against the purchase price.

So does this credit ever expire or is it valid indefinitely?

Get out of here with your facts and logic. The topic is how we mentally justify things to ourselves.

The amazon $10 credit means you're saving $10 when you spend $120 on video games. It really is that simple.

Not at all, since the games are on sale and aren't $60 each, and the $10 credit can go towards a cheaper game too.

Fair enough - i was just thinking of how it's always worked out for me. Nonetheless, the same basic equation works regardless of the games you're buying. You save $10 on your combined purchase price of two games, which is a much different sounding deal than "Get a $10 credit when you buy this game", which makes a lot of people feel like they're getting $10 off when they buy one game AND $10 off when they use it towards the next one.

Yeah, well what do you do when spend credit on a game that gives new credit? How many ways do you divide it? I sure as fuck don't want to keep a running arithmetic series.

((P1 + P2 + P3 + ... PN) - (C1 + C2 + C3 + ... + C(N-1)))/N

That's the correct formula. Motion to ratify?

I was wondering this as well. And if you can stack them.

Aw man. I just bought Demon's Souls for $39.99 the day before they listed a $10 credit- of course, I used a $10 credit from SSFIV to bring that price down to $29.99 and I'll have it tomorrow for the weekend- but $4 less, plus another credit would've been awesome.

credit's definately expire
my $10 credit from God Of War III expires today 4/30

New Super Mario Bros (Wii) + $10 Video Game Credit = $36.99

There's a combo deal with the Prima Game Guide for $48.73

It's really not that complicated. Whatever price shows up on your credit card statement is what you paid. Period.

There is no retro discount on purchases or what not. You order Galaxy 2($50) with a $10 credit and get $10 on a future purchase, then you spent $40. Not $30, because that's certainly not what you send your cc company at the end of the month. Of course they'd prefer it if you sent in less than you actually paid. So it doesn't really matter how you justify it in your head, you are at the mercy of reality and what you actually paid.

Justifying it as a retro discount is absurd, IMO.

I completely agree.

However, that wasn't the original argument/admonishment, which was: don't justify the purchase by mentally applying the discount twice.

I think we've proven that we're all sharper than that, despite our various formulae for dealing with the issue.

Also, an Amazon video game deal for this Amazon Video Game Deals thread: Demon's Souls dropped again and is now $32.99 with a $10 credit. So $22.99 essentially . By next week I expect them to actually be giving it away. For anyone who's on the fence, it's a great game and most definitely worth it at that price point.

And Splinter Cell Conviction dropped $3 to $46.99.

re: Demons' Souls...they are going to force me to buy that damn game aren't they?

It's like they have a gun to my head!

I almost want to buy it just to check it out...then flip it for a small profit down the road. The only problem is that I'm pretty sure I'll hate it.