If you play hard to get, you could get Xbox Game Pass for cheaper; at least that is what numerous users are reporting on a Reddit thread. One Xbox Game Pass subscriber shared a screenshot of Microsoft offering them the Ultimate plan for $16.09 for a month, 30% lower than the standard $22.99. Their secret? Cancel Xbox Game Pass almost every month.
Dynamic win-back discounts are perhaps the oldest trick in the book, but they remain widely used because of their effectiveness in re-engaging customers who have stopped buying a product or, in Microsoft's case, canceled their Xbox Game Pass subscription. These targeted offers, often disguised as "We Miss You" or "Welcome back" deals, aim to win back lost customers with exclusive or time-limited discounts.
According to the Redditor, they have used Xbox Game Pass on and off for about two years. However, instead of committing to an annual plan, the user frequently paused and resubscribed. In the Redditor's words, they were "not doing any sort of tricks lol...just got the offer randomly because I cancel gamepass almost every month, so maybe this was their way of keeping me."
This kind of customer behavior is not uncommon among subscription services, since buyers seek to maximize value and avoid unnecessary spending. Apparently, Microsoft seemingly noticed this user and proactively offered a 30% discount, dropping the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price from $22.99 to $16.09 for a year. And it worked. The Redditor confirmed that they took the offer and locked in for the entire year.
Got Offered a Game Pass Annual Subscriptionfrom r/XboxGamePass
At least one other Redditor confirmed they also received the same $16.09 offer. The thread quickly filled with additional posts as users shared their experiences with Xbox Game Pass discounts. For example, one Reddit user said that when they logged in with a secondary account on their Xbox console, they saw an $18 offer for 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Their main account allegedly never receives offers like this. Meanwhile, other users chimed in to report receiving $ 20-per-month offers.
It is unclear what criteria Microsoft uses to distribute these win-back discounts. Many speculate that the company may be considering activity, subscription history, or even multiple accounts. The discounts do not seem limited to the U.S., where the Redditor lives. Users in the thread have reported similar discounts in regions like México.
Despite Microsoft slashing Xbox Game Pass pricing earlier this year, many gamers still resort to digital key marketplaces such as Eneba, G2A, or Loaded, where one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can cost as little as $9.28. By running targeted annual promotions, Microsoft can encourage subscribers to stick with Xbox Game Pass, secure long-term revenue, and avoid the risks of month-to-month cancellation.
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However, these targeted discounts raise an important question: should Microsoft not reward loyal Xbox Game Pass subscribers with similar exclusive discounts? Win-back promotions are great for bringing back former subscribers, but long-time users will feel overlooked and see no reason to commit, since the generous deals go to those who cancel and return.
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Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
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dion_ I built my gaming PC at the end of June. My plan was to subscribe to PC Game Pass and try every game from my Steam wishlist that happened to be included. As a new subscriber, I was offered PC Game Pass for $1 for the first 14 days, after which it would renew at $8.99 a month. I paid the $1 and cancelled shortly afterward so I wouldn’t be charged once the trial ended. Two weeks later, I was considering resubscribing at the full price when I noticed that the $1 offer was still available. So I clicked it again, paid another dollar, and got another 14 days. Long story short, I somehow managed to do this five times in a row. The last subscription expired on the 1st of September. Haven't turned the PC on since then so something might have changed.Reply -
SHaines I've always been bothered by the use of incentives to lure people back, but absolutely nothing for people who have been consistently giving financial support. Giving someone a big discount for every X years as a member, or whatever the case may be.Reply
There's no reason a company can't do both. The reason they choose not to do both is because every company has to be lazer focused on every dollar they can claim to be making and discounting the price for people who would be willing to pay full price doesn't make business sense.