Barnes and Noble's answer to special offers?

[soondai]

B&N Buzz

got an email:

http://i.imgur.com/YcKC0.jpg

with a pointer to this today:

http://www.visa.com/barnesandnoble/?...il-blast-feb-1

Not so clear from that link, but this appears to be an app giving you special offers and rewards at Barnes and Noble for in-app purchases.

Not sure if it's savvy or desperate. Lean towards the latter

[tubemonkey]

The problem with B&N discounts is that they always exclude digital related content, devices, and accessories.

[Kali Yuga]

Yeah, I don't think so... looks more like a typical cross-promotion to me.

To match the Amazon "special rewards" model, they'd have to really integrate it into the Nook somehow.

[sufue]

I've been signed up for Buzz for a few weeks, and so far, all I've gotten are offers good in store. Nothing so far for e-books or that I can use without going in. I think it's an attempt to drive traffic to their B&M stores, and not to compete with KSO.

So far, if memory serves, I've had offers for things like a cup of coffee free while I'm in the store, and 20% off of a single in-store purchase. There weren't a lot of details in the text message, so I don't know if that could have been used on Nook or Nook accessories, and since I don't need any, I didn't go try it out.

I did get one right around the holidays that was 30% off a single item, and I used it on a CD box set I was getting for a (late ) gift. That worked out to a pretty hefty discount, and I also got my BN credit card discount on the balance. At that time, the store staff had no clue what to do with the offer on my phone - I must have been their first one - but they figured it out pretty fast.

If you get charged for text messages, and only buy e-books and Nook stuff, it might not be worth your while. I'll come back and update if I ever get one that says it is good for digital content or on Nook/Nook accessories.

One thing I do have to say, though, is that that they promised not to send too many messages, and it's been maybe 1-2 a week, which I consider not too many...YMMV.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by sufue

So far, if memory serves, I've had offers for things like a cup of coffee free while I'm in the store, and 20% off of a single in-store purchase. There weren't a lot of details in the text message, so I don't know if that could have been used on Nook or Nook accessories, and since I don't need any, I didn't go try it out.

Nook stuff always gets excluded from these types of discounts:

(iii) not eligible for purchases of the following products and services: Barnes & Noble Memberships, Gift Cards, eGift Cards, gift-wrapping, textbooks, video games, digital content (including but not limited to NOOK Books, magazines, and periodicals), NOOK Tablet™, NOOK Color™, NOOK®, and their related accessories, other hardware and electronics, software, products available for pre-order, products from the Rosetta Stone Series, products available for in-store ship-to-home orders, or products marked as not eligible for "coupons or promotional discounts,"

[toddos]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Nook stuff always gets excluded from these types of discounts:

Not always always. Just usually.

Personally, I prefer to use my Discover card when buying from Barnes & Noble, because:

• 10-15% cashback depending on the current promotion (must go to bn.com through the Discover cashback portal). Currently it's 10%, but has been as high as 20% for holiday promotions. This includes Nook books.
• I can spend my cashback balance on B&N gift cards at a 10% discount ($45 cashback for $50 gift card). Gift cards can be spent on anything you like, and you can even get electronic gift cards now so there's no waiting a week to get a physical card in the mail.
• As long as my Discover card is the primary credit card on my Nook account and I visit bn.com through the Discover cashback portal, any gift card balance I spend gets the same cashback amount as if I'd charged it on the card.

The upshot is that all my Nookbook purchases are at least 20% off (and up to 30% off depending on time of year). And as long as I continue to use my Discover card, I will continue to earn cashback, which effectively means free books for me. I literally have not spent real money on Nook books in over a year.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by toddos

Not always always. Just usually.

Personally, I prefer to use my Discover card when buying from Barnes & Noble, because:

• 10-15% cashback depending on the current promotion (must go to bn.com through the Discover cashback portal). Currently it's 10%, but has been as high as 20% for holiday promotions. This includes Nook books.
• I can spend my cashback balance on B&N gift cards at a 10% discount ($45 cashback for $50 gift card). Gift cards can be spent on anything you like, and you can even get electronic gift cards now so there's no waiting a week to get a physical card in the mail.
• As long as my Discover card is the primary credit card on my Nook account and I visit bn.com through the Discover cashback portal, any gift card balance I spend gets the same cashback amount as if I'd charged it on the card.

The upshot is that all my Nookbook purchases are at least 20% off (and up to 30% off depending on time of year). And as long as I continue to use my Discover card, I will continue to earn cashback, which effectively means free books for me. I literally have not spent real money on Nook books in over a year.

I hope you are paying the card off every month, or else the Interest rate will nullify your savings.
Apache

[toddos]

Originally Posted by Apache

I hope you are paying the card off every month, or else the Interest rate will nullify your savings.
Apache

I think I know how to handle my credit cards

(in other words, yes. I pay it off every month. It's "free" money that I can use for a month while maximizing the amount of interest my real money makes before I have to give it away. Plus, free books!)

[jhempel24]

Really annoys me that I can't use the discounts on a case for my Nook Color/Tablet/Simple Touch. It's not like publishers are setting the prices for those

[Apache]

Originally Posted by toddos

I think I know how to handle my credit cards

(in other words, yes. I pay it off every month. It's "free" money that I can use for a month while maximizing the amount of interest my real money makes before I have to give it away. Plus, free books!)

It was nothing against you. In my business so many people buy using one year same as cash, and end up not paying off in time. The credit companies rack up huge amounts of interest income because of this. And they get it from both ends. When I offer the One Year Same As Cash I pay the Finance Company a higher percentage than my normal rate. A lot higher. So anyone not paying it off just increases the Finance Companies bottom line. They sure do not refund the extra they charge me when the customer misses the deadline. And yes Sorry if this is
Apache