Black Friday Sales

I don't remember "free after rebate". I've used Quicken since 2000, but I can remember back to when online institution access, like Direct Connect, was good for 3 years after which usage was limited to manual unless you bought an update. Did online access at one time work indefinitely after purchase? I'm not a fan of subscriptions (is anybody?), but most of the software I use has converted to that model.

For no useful reason, I have some saved backups going back to 2001, but the 3-year pattern I've got backups for goes 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, then annual backups starting in 2020, so I guess the 3-year pattern started around 2008 and the annual subscriptions must have started in 2020? Something like that.

The rebates were usually because Intuit just sold you TurboTax.

As for going down memory lane, I remember when Direct Connect or any import method didn’t exist.

And you can still use Quicken Subscription for as long as you like if you are willing to enter transactions manually. In fact, with Quicken Windows you can still do QIF imports. And Quicken 2013 is available for free for anyone.

I personally first bought Quicken in 1992, the lowest edition cost between $25 and $27 at the time. If you believe the CPI numbers (I don’t I think they are too low) the inflation adjusted value is $55 to $65.

I will report back once I get my product key, should be later this week. Folks on Reddit were reporting on the office depot codes being successful. I don't have OD near me so Walmart with free shipping was best for me.

And I will add that I don't think it is confirmed, but the rumor is that the keys are only good for a year so don't buy it if your subscription is more than a year from expiring. That is the reason I'm not buying it at this time. The last time I bought my Quicken subscription I held it till just into 6 months before the subscription was to end. The result is the I was extended to almost a year and a half.

I will have to see if someone has a discount after December 12.

Frankly for me this is more of a game, than a need.

Best Buy online has Quicken discounted too. It doesn't mention for new subscribers only. Deluxe is $41.93 and I just bought Premier for $57.53. I've been a user since 1990. It's a disc shipped to me. I just enter the activation code right in from Quicken. Go to Help, Mange Your Subscription, Enter Activation Code. I've been doing that way for years.

Walmart, Best Buy, and Newegg routinely have an annual sale, usually around Black Friday, on the Quicken product line. Walmart and Best Buy are happening now. ~$45 for deluxe. Not just new subscribers.

Quicken Inc has nothing to do with what price Walmart sells it at. The retailer decides if they want to discount it.

I think it was @Jon gave a good explanation why Quicken Inc wouldn't give a discount to "long time users" but will to new users on their website.

What do you think the percentage of new users to existing users is?

I think the percentage of new users is tiny. Let's face it, Quicken Classic is called Classic because it is dying.

If they give a discount to existing users, they have basically just lowered the price for basically everyone. And the trend isn't to make Quicken less expensive it is the opposite, well sort of. If you take inflation into account, it really hasn't gone up that much.

The discount for new users on the other hand is no more than the same thing Intuit did years ago with trial versions and such. They hope to hook new users in.

I was curious about past pricing. Intuit did offer a discount to upgraders in 1997. Here is from a stock holder's message from that time:

Pricing and Availability

Quicken and Quicken Deluxe are available for Windows 3.1 as 16-bit applications and Windows 95 as 32-bit applications. The anticipated street price for Quicken is $29.95 less a $10.00 rebate for upgraders; for Quicken Deluxe, $59.95 less a $20.00 rebate for upgraders. Both products will be available at leading retail stores in the United States in October 1996. Quicken and Quicken Deluxe are also available directly from Intuit by calling 1-800-624-8742.

I do note though that $39.95 (the discounted price for Quicken Deluxe) is about equivalent to $80.65.

And if you had paid the original $59.95 it would have been $121.05.

Note the original price of Quicken was $49.95, and that was to undercut the prices of the business software at the time that were going for $200 to $300.

Rec'd my Quicken premier today from Walmart purchase, activated my renewal with no issue. Now good till 2026.

Resellers like Walmart, New Egg etc discount stock to move inventory like any retailer. MAYBE they have a contract with Quicken to purchase a certain # of inventory each year and 2025 is almost over. Maybe they want to increase their holidays sales figures. If it's still on sale in a month I may buy another copy.