Amazon Prime members will no longer receive 20% off new games when they pre-order, the company revealed today. Starting August 28, one of the membership's biggest games-related perks will shift from being a discount to an Amazon-specific bonus; instead of taking dollars off the price tag of a game, you'll get $10 back in Amazon credit when you pre-order from a select catalog of titles.
There are a few other caveats to be aware of with this change as well, namely: it will take up to 35 days after a qualifying purchase has been made to apply the credit to your Amazon account, the credit will expire 60 days from the date that it is applied, and the credit can only be used on items sold by Amazon (third-party items which are "fulfilled by Amazon" are not eligible).
This marks the third major games-oriented loyalty program shift this year, after Best Buy announced it was discontinuing Gamers Club Unlocked immediately and GameStop announced it was cutting its Elite Pro membership as of August 1.
Best Buy's GCU was the most comparable to Amazon's, as it also previously let customers take 20% off new games in exchange for a two-year paid membership. It now offers a $10 store credit bonus on select games under the more general (and free) My Best Buy rewards program. GameStop's Elite Pro tier, meanwhile, basically doubled everything the longstanding PowerUp Rewards program did, the biggest of which were 20% off used games and 20% extra back in trades.
With three major retailers walking back their loyalty programs, you might wonder where you can still get games for cheap. We here at GamesRadar will let you know when we see a particularly great deal of course, so check back here frequently. We're always updating to help you find the best PS4 bundle, best Xbox One bundle, best Nintendo Switch bundle, and more.
And if you're absolutely determined to get the most out of your Prime membership as it currently exists, Amazon still has a list of games eligible for 20% off.
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