TechRadar Gaming has obtained exclusive information that UK video game retailer GAME will no longer be accepting deposits for in-store pre-orders as of August 1, 2024.
An internal staff memo revealed this decision, stating that as part of the integration into Frasers Group, GAME will cease taking deposits for future releases in-store. From August 1 onwards, customers will not be able to place any further deposits at GAME stores.
However, customers will still have the option to pre-order new releases through GAME.co.uk for home delivery or purchase in-store once the products are released. Existing deposits and pre-orders for products released up until January 31, 2025, will be honored and remain unaffected by this change. Customers with pre-orders for products scheduled beyond that date will receive a refund for their deposit.
The memo also instructs staff not to comment on this announcement to the press and mentions upcoming changes to in-store marketing displays. TechRadar Gaming has reached out to GAME’s parent company Frasers Group for further comments on this matter but has not received a response yet.
This news adds to a series of recent policy changes at GAME, including the discontinuation of trade-ins for pre-owned games earlier this year and the upcoming closure of the customer reward program and Elite membership scheme by the end of the month.
The decision to stop taking in-store pre-order deposits is likely linked to the implementation of new Enactor till systems across all stores. These new tills are the same systems used by other Frasers Group brands like Sports Direct, prompting the phasing out of Reward cards as the previous functions are no longer compatible.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the old GAME tills required customer details or sign-ups for Reward cards during pre-orders, but the new Enactor tills process pre-order deposits as regular transactions without customer information. As a result, shifting pre-orders to online-only ensures more reliable tracking and fulfillment without relying on manual processes.