Interesting Use For Promo Codes on the App Store

[Vincent Ferrari]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/12/11/app-store-lessons-creative-uses-of-promotional-codes' target='_blank'>http://arstechnica.com/journals/app...omotional-codes</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"For the first 20 purchasers who send in an iTunes receipt showing a Hexy purchase, Fifth Ace will generate free promo codes allowing buyers to gift the second copy of a game to a friend. It's a pretty small marketing push in an arena where sales need to be in thousands, not tens, but it's a move that is built to attract attention by its cleverness more than its reach."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//at/auto/1229088911.usr18053.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>As Erica points out, this is a small push, but in reality it demonstrates a very good example of the kind of outside the box thinking that distances good developers and great developers from the rest of the pack.&nbsp; There are many uses for the new promo codes aside from giving a copy of your app to Apple Thoughts (although I wouldn't object to receiving them from any app developers out there) so use your imagination!</p>

[karthur]

Sounds great to me, except I receive my iTunes receipt at least a day after I make a purchase. Anyone else have that lag? Would the playing field be level for all purchasers??

[ucfgrad93]

Same here, I get my receipt at least a day after I purchase anything on iTunes. But I applaud Fifth Ace for creativity.

[Vincent Ferrari]

You get your receipt late depending on when they charge the card. Apple batch charges to make the fees more reasonable on their end.

For example: If you charge a 99 cent song, they don't bill you right away in the hopes you'll buy a few and make the $0.25 transaction fee a smaller percentage overall. $0.25 off of $4.00 is a lot easier to swallow than $0.25 off of $1. Of course, this varies depending on the bank, but that's why it's delayed.

But yeah, that lag time would definitely suck if you needed that receipt to get some kind of bonus, etc.