In Japan, You'll Need A Store-Specific Credit Card To Preorder The Switch 2

Summary

• The Switch 2 preorder window closely resembles the next-gen console launch of 2020, with units being hard to come by.
• In Japan, in an effort to stop scalpers in their tracks, retailers are putting in very specific restrictions on who can preorder a console.
• At one retailer, you'll need to have the store-specific credit card with a minimum amount of purchases to enter the lottery.

At this point, it's no secret that preorders for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 have been anything but easy. Even with a pricepoint that had fans demanding price drops, preorders went up in the United States and promptly sold out, though not without a few technical hitches along the way.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders Feel Like The PS5 Debacle All Over Again

Getting your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 shouldn't feel like pulling teeth.

Shortly after, GameStop announced it would cancel bot and duplicate orders in an effort to get more consoles to actual gamers and not scalpers. In other words, it's been a madhouse that is very reminiscent of the 2020 next-gen console launch.

That said, Japanese retailers are taking an entirely different approach to preorders.

May I Interest You In Our Store-Specific Credit Card?

As first reported on by IGN, retailers are putting very specific restrictions in place for their individual Switch 2 preorder windows, all in an effort to stop scalpers right in their tracks.

For instance, at Bic Camera, a major electronics store, the in-store lottery is limited to those who have the Bic Camera credit card and have spent 30,000 yen between March 2023 and now. The online version of the lottery requires customers to have spent over 50,000 yen.

Its competitor, Joshin, has limited its lotteries to Platinum and VIP members of its rewards programs, according to the report. A Platinum level is reached after spending 150,000 yen in the last year. That's about $1,040 in purchases. Other retailers are seemingly putting to use ID checks and other lottery systems.

It's worth noting that Nintendo received over 2.2 million lottery entries for its first Switch 2 order window. Those entries were more than what Nintendo had in stock to sell, making third-party retailers a last-ditch hope for those looking to secure a launch-day unit. However, it seems like those hopes could be dashed for consumers who don't meet the listed requirements.

The hype for the Switch 2 is as real as it gets, folks.

Nintendo Switch 2

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