Facebook Offers Drastic Discount to Turn Players into Payers

February 13, 2012

Facebook is offering an 80% discount on Facebook Credits — the currency used for in-game purchases throughout its network — as a means for convincing casual gamers to give its payment system a try.

Users can purchase 50 Credits (a $5 value) for the price of 10 ($1), explains Inside Facebook. Despite the offer’s low dollar value, Facebook hopes the promotion will convince a significant number of users to input payment information into the system, making future Credits purchases easier — and thus more likely.

Related: Nintendo Makes Move to Revolutionize Digital Console Sales

Roughly 50 percent of Facebook’s 845 million users play games while using the social network, according to Inside Social Games. Of that group, between two and six percent have made an in-game purchase, Inside Social Games estimates, giving Facebook a user base of roughly 30 million paying game players.

Facebook has offered similar discounts on Credits in the past, Inside Facebook says, and says it will continue its aim “to better grow our ecosystem” of payments and games.

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