Sony closes PS Plus ‘stacking’ loophole ahead of relaunch

By Cristina Alexander April 29, 2022

Sony has confirmed that it is closing a loophole that enables PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscribers to “stack” their memberships ahead of the launch of the new PS Plus. In an update to its growing FAQ page, the company said it is temporarily disabling the ability for subscribers to stack their prepaid cards, but that codes will still work once their current membership expires.

“As we prepare to launch the new PlayStation Plus membership service, we are doing some work behind the scenes to make the transition as smooth as possible for all of our existing members,” Sony says. “As part of this work, we’ve temporarily disabled stacking memberships for existing customers until after the launch. Rest assured that your voucher code is still valid, and you will be able to redeem your code either when your existing membership expires and deactivates, or after the new PlayStation Plus service launches in your area, whichever happens first.”

Stacking is the practice of using prepaid cards to extend the time of a subscription before it expires, especially when there is a discount code or other special promotion. As Push Square reported, when Sony revealed on Wednesday that those subscribed to PS Now and PS Plus will automatically be upgraded to the Premium Tier of PS Plus for the duration of their longest subscription, fans took advantage of the opportunity and began stacking their current subscriptions so that they could receive the upgrade at no extra cost to them. However, Sony put a stop to it despite the lack of communication that it would be doing so.

Meanwhile, PS Now subscriptions have been unavailable for purchase for the last four weeks, as Sony removed all the subscription options for the service before the new PS Plus tiers were announced. Sony has provided a conversion chart for people who redeem their voucher codes after the new PS Plus launches. For example, one month of PS Plus and/or PS Now will give three weeks of PS Plus Extra or two-and-a-half weeks of PS Plus Premium.

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