The Ultimate Guide To Game Rewards
/With GAME Rewards, you earn points which you can redeem for in-store or online credit. So, what’s the points-earning rate and how do you redeem them? The full, complete guide, plus FAQs and a review of GAME Elite.
Bottom Line: GAME Rewards and free and equate to a 1% future discount. GAME Elite costs £3/month and even breaking-even will be difficult - Andrew Cunningham (Capital Matters Editor)
Related: Boots Advantage | Co-Op Rewards | Costa Club | LEGO Insiders | M&S Sparks | Microsoft Rewards | Morrisons More | Nandos Rewards | Nectar Points | Subway Rewards | Tesco Clubcard
How To Join GAME Rewards
Head to the GAME Rewards Sign Up Page and hit register. Alternatively, you can join in-store where you’ll be given a GAME Rewards card. You can link the card to your online account via the ‘My Account’ section when you log in.
Earning GAME Reward Points
You earn 1 Reward point per 25p spent in-store or online.
You’ll be auto-credited with points when you shop at GAME online. When in-store, just make sure you present your GAME Reward card or the QR Code on the GAME Reward app. The QR code can also be added to your smartphone wallet (eg. Apple Wallet) via the app.
Are There Any Purchases You Don’t Earn GAME Reward Points On?
There are some exclusions, yes. You don’t earn Reward points when you buy gift vouchers, mobile game downloads, membership codes. GAME Elite membership fees, delivery costs and buying through GAME’s EBay store also don’t earn you any points.
When Are Points Added To Your Account?
Points should be added to your account immediately but they can take up to 24 hours to show.
How To Redeem GAME Reward Points
The only option you have with your points is to put them towards online or in-store GAME purchases. They can be redeemed pro-rata so you might as well spend them when you make your next purchase.
The minimum redemption is 400 points (that’s worth £1) and they’re redeemed at checkout (whether you’re shopping online or in-store).
Similar to how you can’t earn points through GAME’s EBay store, you also can’t redeem points there either.
What Are GAME Reward Points Worth?
1 GAME Reward point is worth 25p
If you take into account the points-earning and points-redemption rate, that means you’re effectively getting 1% back on your GAME purchases using GAME Reward points.
Eg. £25 Spend = 100 Points = 25p (1% of £25)
GAME Reward Points Value Calculator
Enter your GAME Rewards Point Total in the calculator below and you’ll see what your GAME Rewards Points are valued at. 1 GAME Reward point is worth 25p.
Do GAME Reward Points Expire?
Yes but they only expire if there’s been no activity (eg. no earning/no redemption) in your account for 12 months.
GAME do state (according to their T&Cs) that your points may be “reinstatable” but there’s no guarantee. To attempt to get lost points reinstated, you have to contact them.
What Is GAME Wallet?
Game Wallet allows you to combine your points, gift card balance and trade-in credit. You can access your wallet through the GAME app or through the GAME Wallet website (separate from GAME’s normal site).
Your Wallet balance will be used up automatically when you buy online. If you’re shopping in-store, you need to present the GAME app QR code. A Reward card won’t be able to access your entire Wallet balance (eg. gift cards, trade-in credit), only your Reward points.
Here’s where I’d make a two recommendations:
Game Trade-In Credit Isn’t Worth It - GAME trade-in values are notoriously low. You’re likely to get much more for a used game by selling online (via Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or Music Magpie - Referral: Get £5 Music Magpie Selling Credit)
Don’t Top-Up Your GAME Wallet With Money - There is no point. All you’re doing is adding your own bank balance to that of GAME’s. You can part pay with your Wallet balance, so there really is no need.
How To Add GAME Gift Cards To GAME Wallet
Sign in to GAME Wallet > Funds > Manage > Add Card PAN Number (10 digits) + PIN (4 digits)
This doesn’t wipe the balance of the physical gift card. It just links it your Wallet account. So, you can still use the physical card if you’re shopping in-store. But you might as well add the balance to your wallet and then shop using the GAME app.
What Is GAME Elite?
GAME Elite is GAME’s higher tier, £3 per month loyalty programme which offers the following benefits:
10% points back on physical games, merchandise and accessories
2% points back on consoles, PC, VR, phones and tablets
2% points back on trade-in and digital
£5 birthday gift (2000 points)
Exclusive monthly offers/competitions (eg. bonus points, discounted PS Now/ PS Plus, win gear)
Is GAME Elite Worth It?
Simply put, no! First of all, the £3 per month cost means you have to gain £36 in value over the year before you see any return on that investment. If you don’t get £36 in value, GAME do credit you the difference in points but then all you’re effectively doing is swapping the money you spent on fees for GAME credit.
You’d have to buy £310 worth of physical games to earn £31 in points. You make up the other £5 with your birthday credit but that’s a high minimum spend before you see any return on your Elite membership.
| GAME Rewards | GAME Elite | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Cost | Free | £36 Per Year |
| Birthday Points Bonus | 0 | 2000 = £5 |
| Min. Point Redemption | 400 = £1 | 400 = £1 |
| Buy Games & Accessories | 1% Back In Points | 10% Back In Points |
| Buy Digital & Hardware | 1% Back In Points | 2% Back In Points |
| GAME Spend To Justify | - | £310 (Games/Accessories) or £1550 (Digital/Hardware) |
| Point Expiry | 12 Months | 12 Months |
If you only bought digital games, which isn’t unlikely considering the massive move to digital seen in the past decade, you’d have to spend 5 times that amount since you only get 2% back on digital games. £1550 per year!
You’re also effectively locked in to buying at GAME. You can save a lot on games by shopping around (eg. shopping on Amazon). But with GAME Elite, the only way you’re going to see an ROI is if you keep your spend locked in with them. It’s always better to save elsewhere than to buy at GAME simply because you have Elite.
I’d suggest saving yourself the trouble and avoiding it completely, it’s simply not worth it.
If you only bought digital games, which isn’t unlikely considering the massive move to digital seen in the past decade, you’d have to spend 5 times that amount since you only get 2% back on digital games. £1550 per year!
You’re also effectively locked in to buying at GAME. You can save a lot on games by shopping around (eg. shopping on Amazon). But with GAME Elite, the only way you’re going to see an ROI is if you keep your spend locked in with them. It’s always better to save elsewhere than to buy at GAME simply because you have Elite.
I’d suggest saving yourself the trouble and avoiding it completely, it’s simply not worth it.
If you only bought digital games, which isn’t unlikely considering the massive move to digital seen in the past decade, you’d have to spend 5 times that amount since you only get 2% back on digital games. £1550 per year!
You’re also effectively locked in to buying at GAME. You can save a lot on games by shopping around (eg. shopping on Amazon). But with GAME Elite, the only way you’re going to see an ROI is if you keep your spend locked in with them. It’s always better to save elsewhere than to buy at GAME simply because you have Elite.
I’d suggest saving yourself the trouble and avoiding it completely, it’s simply not worth it.
GAME Delivery Options And Costs
The costs below are the same for purchases made from the Scottish Isles, Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man or the Isle of Wight. But bear in mind delivery times may be longer for those areas.
Standard - 2 Working Days - £4.99
Pre-Order - 1 Working Day - £4.99
Next Day - 1 Working Day - £7.99 - £11.99 (Dependent on Courier Option)
Saturday - Order Thurs/Fri - £10.99
Click & Collect - 1-2 Working Days - £4.99 (Get £5 In Store Voucher)
Click & Reserve - 2 Hours From Order - Free
Remember, you can boost your savings wherever you buy using a cashback or points-earning debit or credit card like the American Express MR card (referral: boosted 6,000 MR sign-up bonus).
Do you have any questions or comments about GAME Rewards, Wallet or Elite Membership? Comment below for a fast reply or tag me on Twitter @AndrewYBlogs or Instagram @capitalmattersblog.
Related: Boots Advantage | Co-Op Rewards | Costa Club | LEGO Insiders | M&S Sparks | Microsoft Rewards | Morrisons More | Nandos Rewards | Nectar Points | Subway Rewards | Tesco Clubcard
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