Auto Renewal versus buying a new subscription each year from Costco

jamdeuce

I've been a quicken user for 25+ years. When the subscription model came into being, I thought that would be a good thing since everyone would be on the same version, and quicken could focus on updates/bug fixes for only one version. However, the subscription prices keep rising and Costco as well as other big box stores and internet sites offer quicken at prices up to 40% off the subscription rate. Question I have is can I drop the subscription and just buy the discounted version and enter the product code in my quicken account to continue to use quicken?

Ps56k2

Costco as well as other big box stores and internet sites offer quicken at prices up to 40% off the subscription rate.

Be CAREFUL - those prices are usually for NEW users - and not existing users…. lookout for the "New Users" printed on the box -

jacobs

When you purchase at a retail store, you are not "dropping the subscription" — you're buying a one year subscription.

As noted above, you need to check carefully to make sure the version sold at Costco is not restricted to new users, as is often the case. But there definitely are discounted boxes available in some retail stores at times which are not restricted to new users. If you find one of those, then yes, you can remove the auto-renewal from your Quicken.com account and instead use the activation code in the box you purchase to extend your subscription. Activation codes can be entered any time you have 6 months or less remaining in your subscription. Activation codes supposedly expire after two years (which is likely to prevent someone from buying a bunch of boxes on sale and using them for years into the future).

Palace

Sam's Club has Quicken on sale at discount until Feb. 17th, 2024. NOT restricted to new users only. Sam's Club Plus Members have free shipping.

Chris_QPW

You can definitely get some good deals by buying from a retailer at times. Back in November Newegg not only had the 40% for a few days they had another coupon that saved even more. That is when I bought it to extend my subscription that was expiring in January.

Activation codes supposedly expire after two years (which is likely to prevent someone from buying a bunch of boxes on sale and using them for years into the future

I would be extremely cautious of this; I wouldn't trust an activation code to be valid more than about a year into the future.

That still leave a lot of flexibility. Between being able to extend your subscription 6 months in advance and certainly the activation codes being valid for more than 6 months, that should mean that anyone should be able to shop at whatever time of the year gets them the best price.

Chris_QPW

Note that I have never bought Quicken from Quicken.com and wouldn't suggest it for anyone that has a choice (Quicken Windows Canadian can only be bought from their website), with MAYBE the exception for a person that gets a great deal for being a new user. If you buy from their web site it activates immediately. That by definition means that you can only buy within 6 months of your subscription expiring on their website.