• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Sony should really stop with this whole $5 min to add to wallet bullshit.

CrazyDude

Member
Kind of stupid that I want to buy something that's 5.32 with tax, but have to pay $10 dollars in their stupid wallet system because they won't allow exact payments. I don't get the purpose of this other than to swindle people out of money.
 

Giolon

Member
But they do allow exact payments over $5, including the $5.32 example you just posted.

In theory it's bc of CC transaction fees (really though interest on the float most likely).
 
This was the worst when I had a Vita for like two years. Loved it, but it wouldn't except two different debit cards from two different banks despite all the info being put in so many times and correct as possible. Have to use PayPal and you can only buy the increments. And I'm not the only one who's debit card works everywhere else but Sony stuff. So dumb.
 
But they do allow exact payments over $5, including the $5.32 example you just posted.

In theory it's bc of CC transaction fees (really though interest on the float most likely).

That's what I always thought. Not sure where the OP is having an issue with.
 

CrazyDude

Member
But they do allow exact payments over $5, including the $5.32 example you just posted.

In theory it's bc of CC transaction fees (really though interest on the float most likely).
I added $5 dollars to my wallet. It now tells me only 32 cents will come from my wallet and the remaining 5 dollars will come from my account.
 

Solo Act

Member
At least on PS3, there was also a problem of not being able to add more than $100 or so (first world problems I know). But sometimes I had a list of games I wanted to buy at once but couldn't, so I'd preload my credit, purchase some games, then repeat.

Not sure if that's fixed with PS4.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Pretty sure they do allow exact payment OP, but it depends on where you are and what your downloading.

I'm in the US and i've had exact payment before, but other times it would not let me
 
At least on PS3, there was also a problem of not being able to add more than $100 or so (first world problems I know). But sometimes I had a list of games I wanted to buy at once but couldn't, so I'd preload my credit, purchase some games, then repeat.

Not sure if that's fixed with PS4.
It's limited to $150 now. Not sure if that's what it's always been or not.
 
It's fine to complain about $5 minimums, but it would be more sensible to take the complaints to Visa (and rest of credit card lobby). They set the fee tables. Have any of you read the credit card POS terms of use for businesses? It's quite sad to read really.
 

thelastword

Banned
Kind of stupid that I want to buy something that's 5.32 with tax, but have to pay $10 dollars in their stupid wallet system because they won't allow exact payments. I don't get the purpose of this other than to swindle people out of money.
That is incorrect, you don't pay 10.00 when you had to pay 5.32..
 

Trojan

Member
This is the same practice a lot of businesses do with $5/$10 minimum purchase. It sucks, but I wouldn't single out Sony for it. Transaction fees from credit cards are the real issue.
 

Persona7

Banned
I don't see a big problem with them having to cover transaction fees. A lot of shops will add an extra fee if you buy something for under $10 with your card.
 

Sage00

Once And Future Member
This is probably what OP did and why people are confused:

I added $5 dollars to my wallet. It now tells me only 32 cents will come from my wallet and the remaining 5 dollars will come from my account.
Why did you add $5 to your wallet instead of just buying the game directly from the shop? That's your problem.

If you bought it from the shop directly it would have taken whatever is left in your wallet balance (presumably $0) then taken the rest from your account, which can be any amount over $5 ($5.32).

Since you added $5, now when you try to buy it from the shop it uses your wallet amount ($5) and the rest from your account, which has to be an amount over $5 (so charges $5).
 

Syntsui

Member
I don't understand what's happening here. It was always possible to buy anything for its exact price, be it under 5 dollars or above. Unless something specific to some state in the USA or whatever country you are from is being considered.
 

Seil

Member
You pay the exact amount for things if the purchase process would end up requiring you add $5+ to your wallet.

By adding money to your wallet on your own, you screwed yourself.

Go through the process procedure without money in your wallet and it'll end up prompting you to charge the exact amount.

Judging from your posts, the reason this didn't happen is because you'd already charged $5 to your wallet. This means you need to charge a few cents to cover taxes. Since you can only charge a minimum of $5, you have to charge $5 to cover those cents.

If you'd had nothing in your wallet, you would've been prompted to charge the exact amount instead.

Edit: A probable reason for the minimum fund limit is credit card transaction fees. Every time they make a transaction, they have to pay a fee and if the charge is too small that fee can be too large a percentage of the cut to be worth it. Because of this, many companies will enforce a minimum charge.
 

farisr

Member
Adding $5 to the wallet first is where the fuck up happened. That $5 transaction has already happened. Now OP needs 32 cents for the game. But obviously, there's a $5 minimum for a transaction. Hence he'll need to do an additional $5 transaction now.

Basically, lesson learned the hard way OP (which is still not so bad seeing as it's not like those $5 are gone altogether). Next time you have something $9.68 or above to buy, you'll be able to pay exact. And then from that point onwards, just don't add credit to your wallet manually by yourself, the system will automatically do that when you do a checkout. It'll either add $5 if the transaction is under $5, or pay the exact amount without any funds left over in your wallet.
 

Persona7

Banned
Op is confused. You don't have to add anything to your wallet. Sony can charge an exact amount to your account. Not a problem.

If you have five dollars in your account and the game is $5.99 you can't add just 99 cents. You have to add five dollars because that is the lowest amount you can add.
 

Seil

Member
Adding $5 to the wallet first is where the fuck up happened. That $5 transaction has already happened. Now OP needs 32 cents for the game. But obviously, there's a $5 minimum for a transaction. Hence he'll need to do an additional $5.32 transaction now.

Basically, lesson learned the hard way OP (which is still not so bad seeing as it's not like those $5 are gone altogether). Next time you have something $10 or above to buy, you'll be able to pay exact. And then from that point onwards, just don't add credit to your wallet by yourself and only do the payment process when checking out rather than manually adding funds to your wallet. It'll either add $5 if the transaction is under $5, or pay the exact amount without any funds left over in your wallet.

He'd actually only need to do an additional $5 charge, not $5.32.
 
I added $5 dollars to my wallet. It now tells me only 32 cents will come from my wallet and the remaining 5 dollars will come from my account.

That... makes sense though? In moving money from your credit card to your wallet, they have to move a minimum $5. So in buying a thing that costs more than you have in your wallet, they have to move a minimum $5. So they move the $5, charge the $5.32 on the $10 on your wallet, and you're left with $4.68 in your wallet.

Am I crazy?

Adding $5 to the wallet first is where the fuck up happened. That $5 transaction has already happened. Now OP needs 32 cents for the game. But obviously, there's a $5 minimum for a transaction. Hence he'll need to do an additional $5 transaction now.

Basically, lesson learned the hard way OP (which is still not so bad seeing as it's not like those $5 are gone altogether). Next time you have something $10 or above to buy, you'll be able to pay exact. And then from that point onwards, just don't add credit to your wallet manually by yourself, the system will automatically do that when you do a checkout. It'll either add $5 if the transaction is under $5, or pay the exact amount without any funds left over in your wallet.

Nope nevermind beaten.
 
If you have five dollars in your account and the game is $5.99 you can't add just 99 cents. You have to add five dollars because that is the lowest amount you can add.

There's no way this is true. At least not in Indiana (where I live). I've purchased games during a PSN flash sale that were under $5 for the exact amount, with no money in my wallet at the time.
 

Seil

Member
There's no way this is true. At least not in Indiana (where I live). I've purchased games during a PSN flash sale that were under $5 for the exact amount, with no money in my wallet at the time.

It's absolutely true, though it could certainly vary by region. The $5 minimum has been around and controversial for years.
 

Seil

Member
OP is trying to add funds instead of just putting the game in his cart and buying it.

Not quite, he's trying to buy it, but after having already added $5 of funds. Since he still has 32 cents remaining, and the minimum funding he can charge is $5, he has to add a full $5 to cover those 32 cents.

If he'd had $0 in his wallet when trying to make the purchase, he would've been able charge the exact $5.32
 

joecanada

Member
It's absolutely true, though it could certainly vary by region. The $5 minimum has been around and controversial for years.

I believe people are talking about two things though so it's true and not true.

Add to wallet - 5 dollars

Buy something outright - exact amount even 3.99
 
I believe people are talking about two things though so it's true and not true.

Add to wallet - 5 dollars

Buy something outright - exact amount even 3.99

Yeah, this.

I'm not surprised at all that Sony requires a minimum of $5 if you want to add funds to your account before your purchase something and I actually don't see an issue with that at all.

But, for me personally, if I have $5 in my wallet and I want to buy something for $6, I can use the $5 and have the additional $1 charged to my debit card. That's odd if this isn't the case everywhere.
 

Seil

Member
I believe people are talking about two things though so it's true and not true.

Add to wallet - 5 dollars

Buy something outright - exact amount even 3.99

No. In his case it works like this:

if $0 in wallet: product costs $5.32 and he can charge exact amount, because this charge is larger than $5

if $5 in wallet: product costs $5.32, the wallet covers $5 and he needs 32 cents. The purchase process will not allow him to make a charge lower than $5, meaning he has to spend $5 to get the necessary 32 cents.

Edit: The moral of the story is don't pre-charge your wallet. And maybe hope you're able to avoid the minimum charge.
 

mrk8885

Banned
Looks like this one is more on you TC. Stop adding funds to your wallet and start paying exact amounts.


Also how often do people really spend less than $5?
 

Persona7

Banned
Looks like this one is more on you TC. Stop adding funds to your wallet and start paying exact amounts.


Also how often do people really spend less than $5?

Maybe when you buy themes and avatars that cost very little? I don't know if you can rent movies on the PS4 but I get a lot of rentals through amazon for under $5. TV show episodes are also under $5.
 
That's a US feature, so the problem isn't Sony.

What? How did you draw that conclusion?

Correlation = / = causation, as in, it's clearly not that simple.

Also who cares about <$5? It'll go towards the next thing you buy anyway.

Maybe someone doesn't want to buy anything else. Maybe they'd rather spend that money on something else. I don't think it's especially difficult to understand.
 

Shahed

Member
Is this a thing? I just bought something earlier today for £1.30 and I paid the exact amount. My balance was empty at the time as well
 
Top Bottom