Toys R Us revamps loyalty rewards program [Joystiq]

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Toys R Us' loyalty program will undergo a few changes starting July 1, as announced in a press release today. The Rewards "R" Us system rewards buyers with points for each dollar spent online and in stores. Points no longer expire in the revised system, and there are no more exclusive periods of time (like holidays) where points cannot be earned.

In the new program, every dollar spent on entertainment products (such as video games) is rewarded with one point. Members receive a $5 certificate every time they reach 500 points earned.

To put that into perspective, rewards program members get $5 in "R"Us reward money for purchasing 17 Nintendo DS games at $30 apiece. Totally worth it, right?Continue reading Toys R Us revamps loyalty rewards program (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/28/toys-r-us-revamps-loyalty-rewards-program/)
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[kupomogli]

To put that into perspective, rewards program members get $5 in "R"Us reward money for purchasing 17 Nintendo DS games at $30 apiece. Totally worth it, right?

While the points don't expire and if you're going to get an item here for the exact same cost you'd be getting it somewhere else or less, then it's worth it, but that $5 reward is going to be very infrequent. Toys R Us usually doesn't have as many good deals, so it's mostly a waste of time even bothering with them. The new rewards program is a joke.

[Kitsune Sniper]

While the points don't expire and if you're going to get an item here for the exact same cost you'd be getting it somewhere else or less, then it's worth it, but that $5 reward is going to be very infrequent. Toys R Us usually doesn't have as many good deals, so it's mostly a waste of time even bothering with them. The new rewards program is a joke.

You're right, those 3DS games that were half off at launch aren't good deals at all.

[kupomogli]

You're right, those 3DS games that were half off at launch aren't good deals at all.

Exactly. The 3DS launch line up was garbage.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Exactly. The 3DS launch line up was garbage.

Oh snap I fell for it.

[mailman187666]

and here i was thinking that my neighborhood butcher shop rewards card was garbage (every $200 spent gets you a $10 gift card.) Of course when my friends and I pool our money together and drop $50 at a time buying marinated steaks and potatoe salad, it adds up pretty quick. Thats a free pound of marinated steak. What kind of worthwhile game can you get at Toys R Us for $5 :/

[Bojay1997]

The TRU loyalty program has been by far the worst I have ever been a part of. Games on clearance only counted as 50% of the value of whatever you actually paid and during the past year, you couldn't even use whatever reward certificates you got on video games. The time windows to use the certs were ridiculously short and the "coupon book" you were supposed to get for hitting a certain number in purchases last holiday season turned out to be the same stupid X% off of junk most of us never buy that previously they sent to everyone. Toys R Us does on occasion have some good game clearance prices and sales, but I can't see myself spending more than a few hundred a year there, even with the occasional toy purchase for the kids.

[The 1 2 P]

I've been saying this for awhile now but Toys R Us has the absolute worst program of all time. And the two main reasons are:

1. You can get points for buying video game software and hardware but you can't spend the points on any video game software or hardware

2. They give you the certificate whenever they decide to issue it(you have no say) and you have exactly two weeks to spend it or it expires

With all the money I've spent on video games there over the last two years I think I've only gotten two $5 certificates. But now that you have to spend $500 I'm sure I'll never get one again because I only buy their clearance or sale video game items.

If Toys R Us or any other store wants to learn the "right" way to do a loyalty/rewards program they just need to copy what Best Buy does. Best Buy has the greatest loyalty/rewards program of all time. Period.

[Gameguy]

If Toys R Us or any other store wants to learn the "right" way to do a loyalty/rewards program they just need to copy what Best Buy does. Best Buy has the greatest loyalty/rewards program of all time. Period.
Getting a $5 certificate that expires quickly for every $400 you spend is the best program available?

[Bojay1997]

Getting a $5 certificate that expires quickly for every $400 you spend is the best program available?

It might be different in Canada, but here Best Buy gives $5 for every $250 spent and you get double points for games, so it's really $5 for $125 spent, plus there are other ways to earn points like their dining reward program, their credit card, etc....

[BetaWolf47]

Any rewards program is meh. Buying all of your stuff at one store pretty much ensures you're going to miss out on some great deals somewhere.

[Gameguy]

It might be different in Canada, but here Best Buy gives $5 for every $250 spent and you get double points for games, so it's really $5 for $125 spent, plus there are other ways to earn points like their dining reward program, their credit card, etc....
That is different to how it is here, we only signed up for it when we bought new computers a few years back. Really not worthwhile here at all, you can't even save up the rewards as you're issued a certificate as soon as you've earned enough points and it expires soon afterwards.

As for credit card rewards, I have one tied in with a theater chain in Canada. You earn points that can be redeemed for theater tickets or DVDs from their online store, it's way better and easier than anything I've dealt with at Best Buy and they have a better selection of DVDs at better prices from what I've seen compared to Best Buy. It's not as good of a selection compared to Amazon but it's better than what local retail stores carry.

[joshnickerson]

I only got the damn card so they'd stop asking me if I wanted to sign up every time I checked out. I don't even know if I ever had earned anything.

[The 1 2 P]

Getting a $5 certificate that expires quickly for every $400 you spend is the best program available?


That is different to how it is here, we only signed up for it when we bought new computers a few years back. Really not worthwhile here at all, you can't even save up the rewards as you're issued a certificate as soon as you've earned enough points and it expires soon afterwards.

Unfortunately it sounds like yall are getting the bootleg version of what we get. It takes 250 points to get a $5 certificate and as Bojay said theres many ways to earn points. And notice how I said it takes 250 points, not dollars. As a gamers club member I get double points on any and all video game purchases, meaning games, consoles, points cards, accessories, etc. That means a $60 game would be 120 points. I also use my Best Buy credit card because you get double points for that too. So a $60 game would be 180 points and I'd only need 70 more for a certificate. They also do several other promotions to get more points quicker and easier and every year on my b-day I get a certificate that entitles me to get triple points on a single purchase if I use my BB credit card(or double points if I don't use it), on top of the double points I'll get if it's a video game related purchase.

When I first joined they would issue the certificates whenever I reached a sales milestone but I always had atleast 3 months to spend it. Now that I'm a premiere member I can bank my points as long as I like(I'm currently up to $45 in certificates) and when I decide to issue them(in whatever amount I choose) I will still have 3-5 months to spend them unlike the measly two weeks Toys R Us currently gives you.

Beyond that the gamers club is always running discounts on games and with the coupons from the magazine(you get a free year subscription for being a gamers club member) you can get alot of current gen games for as little as $5-10 each but because the coupons count as cash it still counts as if I paid $20 for Bulletstorm even though I only paid $5 for it and that $20 will still equal 60 points because of the double gamers club points and double credit card points. Theres really no better rewards program than Best Buy's because you never have to spend a full $250 for a $5 certificate or $500 for a $10 certificate(I bought a $50 4000 Microsoft points card with my triple points coupon on my b-day last year and with the double points from my cc and double gamers club points I earned my $5 certificate with that one $50 purchase). It's too bad they aren't giving their Canadian customers the same level of deals and point oppurtunity but down here in the US Best Buy's rewards program is as close to perfect as you can get and no other store even comes close, especially if your main purchases are video game related.


Any rewards program is meh. Buying all of your stuff at one store pretty much ensures you're going to miss out on some great deals somewhere.

Being a rewards member doesn't mean you have to buy all your games from one place. I still get lots of clearance games at Target every month, among other stores. But my money goes alot further at Best Buy for my gaming purchases when they have so many deals and sales that don't even include their clearance sales.

[Flashback2012]

It's about time. I never saw any benefit to being part of the Rewards R Us program before and I shop there infrequently for more than just video games. I looked at my purchasing history since signing up and figured I should have at least got a $5 certificate by now but it appears that the spending is calculated month to month in order to qualify instead of cumulatively overall (or something...seemed confusing to me).

I generally tend to shop there around Christmas and Easter though they had a sweet deal on Lego Batman 2 this week that included the strategy guide with purchase that I had to pounce on. I tend to clean up when they put Lego, Mega Bloks, and Fisher Price Little People toys on their BOGO 50% off sales so hopefully under the revamp I might see a certificate once in a blue moon or so. :)

[Esquire Fox]

The only rewards program I really bother with is Club Nintendo. They've got some cool swag for this grizzled Nintendo fan.