Good Deal on Sony PlayStation 3 (Update)

I talked about the $150 rebate you can get on a Sony PlayStation 3 in Good Deal on Sony PlayStation 3 and again in Getting My PlayStation 3 $150 Rebate. Now I'd like to try to clear up some of the confusion the rebate offer (and my coverage of it) has generated.

You qualify for the $150 rebate on either a PS3 80GB or a PS3 160GB if you:

• apply for a new Sony PlayStation Card (which is a VISA card from Chase Bank) before 12/31/08
• using the card, buy a PS3 from an authorized Sony retailer by 03/07/2009

Some of the confusion came from the fact that more than one entry point to the rebate offer exists. I have concentrated on two particular entry points in my posts; there may be others. One of these entry points (click here) is for the Sony Rewards website. I'll refer to that website as SR. The other (click here) is for the SonyStyle website. I'll refer to that one as SS. I'll talk more about the SS entry point later on.

The SR entry point is unique in that from it you can "apply now" for the PlayStation Card, and, if you get instant credit approval, return to the offer and click on "redeem now." That will take you to the SR site, where you can use your new card to buy a PS3 and get the $150 rebate right away. To use the new card (which you haven't yet received in the mail) you must print out the confirmation page you got upon receiving approval online, or at least write down the account number, expiration date, and CVV2 code of the card. With this information, you will be allowed by the SR site to buy a PS3 on the new card right away, and the $150 rebate is (supposedly) applied immediately to your purchase.

If you don't "redeem now," I gather you can "redeem later" by going back to the original SR entry point and belatedly clicking "redeem now." As long as you have the card account number, expiration date, and CVV2 code, you should be good to go.

I ran into a problem because I didn't "redeem now," nor did I retain the crucial info that would allow me to do so later. Days later, when the new card came in the mail, I went back to the SR site and bought my PS3 on that card. That by itself did not allow the $150 rebate to be applied immediately.

Instead, I had to wait about two weeks more for an e-mail to show up in my inbox which told me how to obtain the rebate. You can click here to see a similar set of instructions. I'll reproduce them here:

To claim your $150 rebate:

1. Register your new PlayStation Card at www.sony.com/playstationcard/register

2. Complete the Rebate Form, under Your Account

-- Rebate Name must include ‘PS-PS3 $150 Rebate’

3. Submit Rebate Form online

4. Print out and mail the completed Rebate Form with copy of your PS3 sales receipt to the address as indicated within 60 days from date of purchase

You can learn more about these instructions and dealing with the actual Rebate Form in Getting My PlayStation 3 $150 Rebate. When I posted that entry, I was going under the assumption that the same instructions/form might be used by anyone taking advantage of the rebate. But, no. You have to — (a) buy the PS3 — (b) at the SR site — (c) using the new PlayStation Card — to go this route.

As for the other entry point, the SS site, it does not offer a "redeem now" option, just an "apply now" link. That offer's fine print says:

PlayStation Card is issued by Chase Bank USA, NA, and is subject to credit approval. To qualify for this offer, you must apply for your new PlayStation Card by 12/31/08. In some instances an application may require additional processing, in which case instant approval will be unavailable. To qualify for the $150 card credit, you MUST purchase a PLAYSTATION 3 system with your new PlayStation Card ("PS3 Purchase") at an authorized Sony retailer such as Sony Style store and SonyStyle.com. Complete instructions will be sent upon your approval for the PlayStation Card via email. To receive card credit, your account must be opened by 01/31/2009 and PS3 Purchase must be made by 03/07/2009. Card credit will be posted to your PlayStation Card Statement within 8-12 weeks after PS3 Purchase. This promotional offer is available to new PlayStation Card accounts only and only one $150 card credit may be earned per PlayStation Card account. Existing PlayStation Card account holders or accounts are not eligible.

So you have until 12/31/08 to apply. You don't have to get approval by that date. If you "require additional processing" before approval is granted, and then get approved after 12/31/08, you're fine. Just create an account at SonyStyle.com prior to 1/31/09 and use your new card to buy a PS3 on that account at that site by 3/7/09. Need more information? "Complete instructions will be sent upon your approval for the PlayStation Card via email."

Notice that the same logic applies if you fail to get instant credit approval when you use the SR entry point. If approval and the card itself don't arrive until 2009, you can still get the rebate. You can do this at the SR site, as my own experience attests, or you can do it at the SS site.

A few more words to the wise:

• Unless you go the instant "redeem now" route at the SR site, your rebate will be delayed until after the credit card bill comes due for the PS3 purchase itself. If you pay off that bill in timely fashion, the $150 rebate will offset future purchases on the PlayStation card, not the PS3 purchase per se.
  
• Using either the SR site or the SS site to buy the PS3 will incur shipping/handling charges above and beyond the nominal price of the PS3.
  
• If you have to wait until after your PS3 arrives before the instructions for the rebate show up in your e-mail, be aware that the Rebate Form you eventually fill out will probably want you to enter the 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC) printed by the scanner bar code shown on the PS3 box. If you throw out the box, write down the UPC code. I failed to do that, so I had to "borrow" the UPC code shown on this web page: 711719801306. I later visited my local Best Buy and saw UPC 711719801504 on PS3 80GB boxes there. I don't know why there are multiple UPC codes, and I don't know whether failure to use the "right" UPC code will bollix up the rebate.