Sony Dishes The PSN Pre-Paid Card Release Info

[bambam50]

Riteade LOL

link (http://kotaku.com/5042780/sony-dishes-the-psn-pre+paid-card-release-info)

Sony Dishes The PSN Pre-Paid Card Release Info (http://kotaku.com/5042780/sony-dishes-the-psn-pre+paid-card-release-info)

http://kotaku.com/assets/images/kotaku/2008/08/pscard_01.jpgSo those PSN pre-paid cards aren't hitting GameStop until 2009 (http://kotaku.com/5042308/gamestop-wont-have-psn-cards-until-2009)? Screw GameStop. Sony have announced that, in addition to the stores currently stocking the cards (Pamida, Meijer (http://kotaku.com/5018684/psn-cards-finally-hitting-stores)and Speedway), come September three more chains will be selling them. Those three are Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Riteaid. Which is all well and good, but I'm getting the feeling there are people outside the US - like me, for example - more interested in these cards than Americans. Mostly because it'll make buying stuff like Rock Band DLC that much easier.

[XMW]

I hate Sony, almost everyone above the age of 18 has a CC in the US. Tough not that many people in the EU have them. Are they ****ing stupid or what? If they want more money they should release it here.

[bambam50]

I hate Sony, almost everyone above the age of 18 has a CC in the US. Tough not that many people in the EU have them. Are they ****ing stupid or what? If they want more money they should release it here.

I totally agree with you man.

[cool6611]

man this sh*t should have been out in 06 itself ,,,,, Lazy Sony :(

[Mana Knight]

man this sh*t should have been out in 06 itself ,,,,, Lazy Sony :(First off, Sony isn't lazy.

Sony had zero plans to a downloadable store when designing PS3, which is why PSN Cards were not there early on and why the old PS Store design was terrible. MS and Nintendo had plans for an online store way before their respective consoles came out, which is why they were able to have them. SCEA and SCEE never had a pre-paid card setup before, and they had to spend time setting up a system (Japan somewhat had something before, which is why SCEJ was able to issue them out sooner). Because the PS Store was put together at the last minute, SCEA had to scramble to get something up, but it takes over a year to start something.

Once SCEA got a system in place, it was released to limited retailers as a beta phase you can say (like when Meijer was the only retailer to have them). I posted a thread about it here on how I got the first PSN Card (or one of them, my picture taken was all over the net) and how I had many issues trying to get it to work (so did many others):
http://www.psu.com/PSN-cards-beginning-to-hit-major-retail-stores--a0003974-p0.php (PSU news story on it, that was my picture too). There was an issue with people buying a PSN Card, with a retailer not activating it properly, the system Sony having in place not being in place to activation until after some PSN Cards were sold, and previous redeeming code information being stored causing you to get "invalid card" entry. I was on the phone with SCEA PSN support for a long time trying to get the cards working (SCEA wasn't new to this and didn't know all possible problems), but I eventually got it to work and now they should be fine. If SCEA released these on a larger scale instantly, they would have been in deep trouble if retailers weren't allowing people to take back PSN Cards that didn't work (Once a PSN Card is bought and activated, it cannot be returned), and SCEA telling you there's nothing they can do because the cards were sold too early and such (where you'd be out $20 or $50).

However, PSN Cards work very differently from MS point cards and Wii point cards. They are not in clam shell packaging and sold like accessories. They are actually sold like debit cards (only that they can only be used on PSN). If a retailer will be selling PSN Cards, SCEA has to set up a retailers pre-paid activation card setup with a central server provided by SCEA. Once a PSN Card is bought, it's swiped at the register to activate it. A signal is sent to a server saying there is money in a card with a particular account number (the receipts of a PSN Card list an account number with tons of X's and a 4 digit code at the end) and it can be used. Once the message gets to SCEA, the card can now be redeemed on PSN. There will be a slow roll out of PSN Cards since SCEA has to setup retailers individually for them (drug stores and gas stations tend to have the best setup for these types of cards, which is why they are getting them). Once you redeem a card on the PS Store on PS3 or PC, you MIGHT have to remove your cookies and cache, since at times it may store previous information of another PSN Card (which was already redeemed) and consider your new PSN Card invalid (Not sure if SCEA solved the issue, but it was an issue early on and whenever I buy a PSN Card, I have to do the following steps before redeeming it, according to someone at SCEA I talked to).

The other trick about PSN Cards is that you MUST have a U.S. address listed somewhere (not sure if it's required for billing). If you don't, it will not work (those in Canada CANNOT use a U.S. PSN Card since it's in USD). Those who live in another country, but imported a U.S. PS3 and have a U.S. PSN Account (but no U.S. address listed), it will NOT work. Since the PSN Cards are basically U.S. debit cards, purchases can only be made in the U.S. and your address is needed so SCEA knows whether they should apply tax to your PSN purchases (some states require a sales tax when buying stuff online). I still recommend using credit/debit cards on PSN instead because you DO get taxed for purchasing a PSN Card at a retailer store (my state it's 7% tax). If you buy off of PSN, there's no tax unless your state requires it. You will probably NEVER see PSN Cards available at online retailers because they need activation at a cash register, and SCEA is only selling these at particular retailers who are authorized to (and they pretty much figure if you make online purchases, you have a debit/credit card anyway, so there's no need to sell them there).

If anyone wants any kind of explaination about the PSN Cards, I know them pretty well, since I live in the midwest and buy them at Meijer (see them at Speedway Gas Stations also).


I hate Sony, almost everyone above the age of 18 has a CC in the US. Tough not that many people in the EU have them. Are they ****ing stupid or what? If they want more money they should release it here.There's a problem. Since the PS Stores in Europe use varying currency, SCEE is trying to figure out how they will handle this. That's the main reason there's a hold-up.

[SillyHatMafia]

man this sh*t should have been out in 06 itself ,,,,, Lazy Sony :(
Gamestop and some places required an update needed to sell these.
With these cards, they must be activated at regitser, but with 360 cards and Wii ones, they dont. Some places, such as gamestop, can't do this yet, so they can't tell PSN cards. Its no SOny is lazy, its some places can't do it.

[ManaBurnX]

I'd love to get my hands on some U.S. PSN cards. At the moment we don't have any PSN cards over here and not sure we ever will though we do have tons of 7Elevens everywhere.

[pizzamonkio]

after reading mana knights post it seems that sony should have adopted a universal point system like wii and xbox. sure its kinda copying nintendo and microsoft, but they would have a greater number of satisfied customers and probably saved millions not having to find solutions for card activation/currency/tax/region issues.

[SamuraiClarke]

Oh Sony, why must you constantly take ages to release such simple stuff?

[hisame]

It's just stange when PSN card/ticket are every where in Japan.
You can buy these from print out vendoring machines in all super market or conbini in Japan.
They still won't do it in US and EU, I really don't think it's the system problem.
Personally I think it's the deal between the retailers in US/EU and SCE is not settling well.

[night_life]

so you are saying that we are not going to get them? my blockbuster here in FL won't be selling them?

[javelinpr]

i want them, i have a CC and psn is not accepting it so i have to buy a prepaid CC to be able to buy on the store. havent done it yet.

[hisame]

The thing is they will work it out some way or another. It just take time.
Technically it's no different ffrom buying a pre-paid ticket for your cell phone in a patrol station.

[Genesis-]

You do realise that MS overcharges for their point cards. e.i. $20.00= 1600 MS points= $15.00 worth of content. Not sure about Nintendo(don't really care), but at least Sony isn't trying to rip you...

[night_life]

man thats a big rip off if you ask me.

[TheSkeptik]

My local Pamida (like wal mart on a smaller scale) has these. I went there for the first time in years and they had a bunch of them. Not sure when they got them in. That was 2 weeks ago.

[bfd_josh]

hmmm might import some of these so i can buy off the american store, so its cheaper then pal sotre

[Mana Knight]

It's just stange when PSN card/ticket are every where in Japan.
You can buy these from print out vendoring machines in all super market or conbini in Japan.
They still won't do it in US and EU, I really don't think it's the system problem.
Personally I think it's the deal between the retailers in US/EU and SCE is not settling well.Actually, a lot of it has to do with the U.S. having technology that isn't up to date in Japan, such as being able to activate cards at the register (some retailers have them, some don't, not as universal as Japan). The biggest video game retailer in the U.S. can't do it due to lacking the system in place.

Partially, but not really. Dealing with retailers in the U.S. especially, is a bit harder (they are the most sensitive over things where someone can purchase a digital download cheaper than their actual store, which is why SCEA has to price the same or higher in the PS Stores, or just forget about a Physical Copy (like for Siren and R&CF: QFB).


Oh Sony, why must you constantly take ages to release such simple stuff?Read my post. They aren't so simple actually.

[VASHKRATOS]

i wish these cards came out sooner hate using my debit cards cant wait untill i get my hands on it

[Mopey.]

I understand ppl who dont have access to CC's

But to those of you in Canada and US, why dont you guys just get a prepaid MasterCard? You know, a card you load money onto. I use one and it works great.

Plus It feels safer because if someone ever got my info they would only be able to spend what I loaded onto it. And I usually only load 30$ at a time.

[Evoking1230]

sweet!

about time!

theres a Rite Aid down the block from me :D

[RuiyJR]

i'm with you guys who wants psn cards :lol:

[night_life]

so are they out now? at any block busters yet?

[R3D D3V!L]

Just get a pre-paid debit card if you want to buy off the PS Store.

[Strudel]

Never bothered me, Entropay and a standard bank account with debit card has done me just fine the past year and it will continue to be the way I conduct business with Sonys PSN.

[PS3GamerKyle]

Hm, looks like I'll be getting the cards at BlockBuster/RiteAid.

Sucks though that they aren't in a nationwide store, like GameStop.

[SDiablo123]

Realease them in cannaaadddaaa noooowwwww sooonnnyyy!!!!

[SDiablo123]

I understand ppl who dont have access to CC's

But to those of you in Canada and US, why dont you guys just get a prepaid MasterCard? You know, a card you load money onto. I use one and it works great.

Plus It feels safer because if someone ever got my info they would only be able to spend what I loaded onto it. And I usually only load 30$ at a time.

Sorry for double post but,

Myself, i am 14 and i can only have a Debit Card, and if i did get one my mom would NEVER let me put that info on the ps3.
So the Pre-Paids are more easier for me to get, cuz i only have to drive 30 mins to 7-Eleven.
OR an hour n some if the other drive doesnt have them.

[Seahawkk]

wow this has taken them long enough

[Gamebudda]

dude can't wait for these!11

[night_life]

I got 2 of them already but thats not worth it because you have to pay $2 to load it then its $1 for every charge ! Where the PSN card should only be $20 then i dont lose money using it.

[ved_shed]

I hate Sony, almost everyone above the age of 18 has a CC in the US. Tough not that many people in the EU have them. Are they ****ing stupid or what? If they want more money they should release it here.

Umm... Your response, although a little franctic, makes perferct sense.

I live in the US and as soon as I turned 18, with the little money I had, the first thing I did was open up a bank account and got a Debit Card, which I now use today, 3 years later, to buy from the PSN.

I personally don't believe in Credit Cards, but Debit Cards are a must.
Electronic money FTW.
Plastic > Paper.

[Mana Knight]

Actually, you still have to pay sales tax on PSN Cards. <br />
<br />
Blame GameStop for not having a system in place to accept the cards. I heard someone that SCEA even offered them to GameStop, but they...