PlayStation Stars reward points now expire after a year and will no longer be given for purchasing subscriptions
Sony’s previously announced changes to its PlayStation Stars reward program have been introduced, which include a 12-month expiry date for all unspent reward points, and no points will be given to players for purchasing any subscriptions.
The details:
PlayStation Stars is Sony's reward program that allows players to earn "points" through purchases and specific challenges, which can then be redeemed for rewards such as virtual collectible items and, most notably, PlayStation Store credit. The program has become popular among users as it is completely free through the PlayStation app, and its store credit rewards were easily attainable by those who frequently purchase new games.
Starting October 24, 2024, points earned by players will expire after only 12 months, rather than the previous 24 months. Sony has also confirmed that as of March 1 next year, purchasing or renewing a subscription will no longer grant points, resulting in users losing out on a significant number of points, particularly those subscribed to services such as PlayStation Plus' Premium tier. Existing points will retain the original 24 months expiry, which began from the date they appeared in your account balance.
Players have accused Sony of anti-consumer behavior, with reports that credit rewards have been changed to prevent frequent redemptions. Previously, users could redeem $5 or $20 in store credit, but this appears to have been changed to a single $10 reward. While the points required seem to have remained unchanged, this means that players will have to spend more in a shorter period of time to redeem their rewards.
Others have reported that the store credit options have been completely removed, though it is unclear whether this was intentional. It also appears that new games have been added to its rewards list, which has included a variety of popular indie and full-price AAA titles in the past.
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