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FYI if you buy digital games from Target

Yasuke

Yasuke

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,817
Keep your receipts. I don't know how it's done elsewhere (I only ever buy digital games directly from PSN/Nintendo, or else from Amazon), but Target's digital game cards don't actually contain the code you redeem to download your game; their receipts do.

This seems dumb to me, as I'm sure a ton of people trash their receipts, thinking the card they walk out of the store with contains the code, but it's actually just a useless piece of paper.

I found out about this because my son was gifted digital Switch games from Target yesterday, and in each case, the receipts were trashed, so he didn't get his games 😕 I'm especially annoyed that a Target employee apparently knew enough to suggest that my mom buy the digital code instead of a physical card (otherwise sound advice), but neglected to let her know she absolutely needed the receipt.

Is this how it's done at other retailers?
 
xxracerxx

xxracerxx

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
31,222
Wait....the code is activated on purchase, but don't you still have to scratch off the covering for the code itself?
 
NLCPRESIDENT

NLCPRESIDENT

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,969
Midwest
Damn that sucks..

Did you at least get a copy of the receipt to get your games back? They have to have it.

Ive never bought a digital game at a retailer.
 
Curler

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,596
The little cards are just UPCs to ring up at the register. Best Buy, GS, etc. all do this.
 
logash

logash

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,713
Yeah, despite GameStop being an over all terrible retailer, they at least always highlight digital codes on receipts and explain before letting you go.
 

Deleted member 12323

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,962
Yasuke said:
Keep your receipts. I don't know how it's done elsewhere (I only ever buy digital games directly from PSN/Nintendo, or else from Amazon), but Target's digital game cards don't actually contain the code you redeem to download your game; their receipts do.

This seems dumb to me, as I'm sure a ton of people trash their receipts, thinking the card they walk out of the store with contains the code, but it's actually just a useless piece of paper.

I found out about this because my son was gifted digital Switch games from Target yesterday, and in each case, the receipts were trashed, so he didn't get his games 😕 I'm especially annoyed that a Target employee apparently knew enough to suggest that my mom buy the digital code instead of a physical card (otherwise sound advice), but neglected to let her know she absolutely needed the receipt.

Is this how it's done at other retailers?
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Wife ran into this at Xmas. She's dealing with it now at target
 
PopsMaellard

PopsMaellard

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,359
They can look up your receipt with the card info and name.

I reaaaaaaally doubt the employee didn't mention the receipt thing, they're very hardline about it to the point that even seasonal cashiers know to mention.
 
DrForester

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,645
It's usually just the dollar value cards ($10, $25, etc) and maybe the subscription cards that have a scratch off.

Game cards are almost all print-on-receipt now.
 
xmonkeyofevil

xmonkeyofevil

Member
Jun 9, 2019
476
xxracerxx said:
Wait....the code is activated on purchase, but don't you still have to scratch off the covering for the code itself?
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Nope, it prints off on the main receipt and then a separate gift receipt portion at the bottom. Us electronics team members should know better to tell anyone buying on of the cards to hold onto the receipt (there's also signs posted next to the digital code cards.) The real problem is that you don't have to buy those cards at electronics, you can take them to the front lanes or even self checkout and buy the game but never be told the receipt contains the code.

PopsMaellard said:
I reaaaaaaally doubt the employee didn't mention the receipt thing, they're very hardline about it to the point that even seasonal cashiers know to mention.
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You'd be surprised with what seasonal cashiers and even people that work the guest service desk on a daily basis don't know.
 
PopsMaellard

PopsMaellard

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,359
xmonkeyofevil said:
Nope, it prints off on the main receipt and then a separate gift receipt portion at the bottom. Us electronics team members should know better to tell anyone buying on of the cards to hold onto the receipt (there's also signs posted next to the digital code cards.) The real problem is that you don't have to buy those cards at electronics, you can take them to the front lanes or even self checkout and buy the game but never be told the receipt contains the code.



You'd be surprised with what seasonal cashiers and even people that work the guest service desk on a daily basis don't know.
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Also fair. Starting to think the store I work at is not the norm.
 
OP
OP
Yasuke

Yasuke

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,817
PopsMaellard said:
They can look up your receipt with the card info and name.

I reaaaaaaally doubt the employee didn't mention the receipt thing, they're very hardline about it to the point that even seasonal cashiers know to mention.
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Yeah, a Google search told me the same, so I'm gonna try to get it handled tomorrow.

But nah, my mom's usually pretty good about keeping receipts anyways, so if she'd received that warning, I believe she would've heeded it. She just figured "well, I know he wants this Pokemon game and here's the card, fuck I need a receipt for? It can't be faulty like a disc/cartridge" lol
 
headspawn

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,605
It's almost essential at these massive stores where someone could just walk in, grab some cards and disappear with them, enter them and then leave... I'd imagine it's not much of a problem at small stores like Gamestop because they design their layout so they can easily see every single person at all times.
 
Aztechnology

Aztechnology

Community Resettler
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
14,134
xxracerxx said:
Wait....the code is activated on purchase, but don't you still have to scratch off the covering for the code itself?
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As soon as the code is rung up the digital code on the scratch off is activated. There's people that look at the combos and run scripts to redeem codes. If you wait to activate codes, they often can be used as a generator will have figured it out.

You couldn't just steal a code off a rack at a store, it's not an active code until they ring it up. It would be an unmitigated disaster otherwise.
 
dom

dom

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,439
headspawn said:
It's almost essential at these massive stores where someone could just walk in, grab some cards and disappear with them, enter them and then leave... I'd imagine it's not much of a problem at small stores like Gamestop because they design their layout so they can easily see every single person at all times.
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Currency cards that have the code under some small security scratch off don't work unless activated. It wouldn't change a thing.
 

TimPV3

Member
Oct 30, 2017
631
logash said:
Yeah, despite GameStop being an over all terrible retailer, they at least always highlight digital codes on receipts and explain before letting you go.
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The one thing they did right when it comes to digital codes, is if you purchase with your Powerup Rewards account, they're added to your "Digital Locker" so if you lose the receipt you can just pull the codes up in the app.
 
xxracerxx

xxracerxx

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
31,222
Aztechnology said:
As soon as the code is rung up the digital code on the scratch off is activated. There's people that look at the combos and run scripts to redeem codes. If you wait to activate codes, they often can be used as a generator will have figured it out.

You couldn't just steal a code off a rack at a store, it's not an active code until they ring it up. It would be an unmitigated disaster otherwise.
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I know, that is why I am confused by the OP and the code not being on the gifted card.

I am just used to console store credit and not game cards, I guess.
 
Aztechnology

Aztechnology

Community Resettler
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
14,134
xxracerxx said:
I know, that is why I am confused by the OP and the code not being on the gifted card.

I am just used to console store credit and not game cards, I guess.
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Oh right, sorry I think I quoted the wrong person or didn't fully read that. Because I do that sometimes. Yea it's a weird situation. I think the store can pull up old receipts and purchases though if you go there. Obviously this is still a crappy situation, especially during COVID. And yea, weird that there's no card anymore. But I guess that makes sense tbh.
 

Deleted member 5189

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
347
Regardless how the game code is distributed. I always keep the receipts till the code has been redeemed successful. Just in case something with the activation at the store didn't work.
 
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