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Man Discovers a GameStop “Infinite Money” Glitch—But It Was Store Credit, Not Cash

A short-lived GameStop trade-in promotion briefly offered more store credit than a Nintendo Switch 2’s new retail price. It was not unlimited cash, and GameStop said it patched the loophole.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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A January 2026 GameStop trade-in promotion briefly let customers receive more store credit for a Nintendo Switch 2 trade-in than the console’s new retail price, according to the company’s explanation. YouTube creator RJCmedia publicized the loophole, and GameStop said it had patched it. The story was about a short-lived store-credit mismatch—not an ongoing way to make unlimited cash.

What was the GameStop “infinite money glitch”?

The promotion involved buying a Nintendo Switch 2 and trading it back with a pre-owned game. GameStop’s system briefly assigned the pre-owned trade a value greater than the console’s new retail cost, creating a window in which a customer could repeat the transaction for additional trade credit. The “infinite money” label was a catchy description of that loophole, not a literal promise of cash or unlimited profit.

Futurism reported on January 21, 2026, that RJCmedia posted a video about the promotion on January 17. According to the report, the creator visited several stores over two days and said he made $150 in value. That figure is RJCmedia’s reported result; the coverage does not independently audit the transactions or establish net earnings after costs. Futurism’s report

How did the trade-in math work?

GameStop’s explanation, reproduced by Dexerto, gave an example of a $414.99 console purchase followed by $472.50 in trade credit after the customer added a pre-owned game. Subtracting the purchase price from the credit gives a $57.51 difference, but that is not verified net profit: it does not account for the game, taxes, transportation, or other costs. Trade credit is also not the same as cash.

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The figures describe one example in GameStop’s reported statement, not a guaranteed valuation for every customer or store. Dexerto reported the company’s example on January 20, 2026. Dexerto’s report

Did GameStop patch the loophole?

Yes. GameStop said the promotion had been patched effective immediately and that trade promotions were updated. The company’s reported explanation was: “In short, our system briefly valued the pre-owned trade more than the new retail cost of the console itself, creating a narrow window where customers could repeat this transaction over and over again to amass infinite trade credit.”

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That statement addresses this specific loophole at the time GameStop responded. The available reporting does not establish the current terms of other GameStop trade-in offers, so the incident should not be treated as a strategy readers can still repeat.

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What the story does—and does not—show

  • It shows: A reported trade-in promotion briefly produced store credit above the console’s stated new retail price in GameStop’s example.
  • It does not show: That customers received unlimited cash, that every transaction produced the same value, or that the creator’s reported $150 was independently audited net profit.
  • It does not establish: How widely the promotion was used or the current terms of unrelated GameStop offers.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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