Back in 2013 Amazon introduced Kindle Matchbook, a promotional deal where you can get discounted Kindle ebooks when purchasing certain printed books.
Sometimes the Kindle edition is even free when purchasing the paper book version, but qualifying titles are usually priced at $2.99 or less.
Kindle Matchbook rarely gets mentioned to the point that it’s easy to forget it exists.
On the landing page for Kindle Matchbook Amazon says to check back for updates as more titles will be continually added, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Back in 2013 when the new program first went live, I noted that just over 74,000 books were available in the catalog.
It’s been over three years now and the number of titles available through Kindle Matchbook is still just over 74,000.
The concept of buying two copies of the same book is kind of odd to begin with so I guess that’s why you never hear much about Kindle Matchbook these days.
I use it. For my favorite authors, I like to have a hardcover for my shelf and an ebook to read. But I’m not willing to pay almost as much again for an ebook.
I think I’ve used it once or twice. I would use it more if it was more ubiquitous.
I have used it a few times and might use it more if it was available in the books I want to buy. Sadly, that is rarely the case.
I used it to pick up Kindle versions of print books I already owned. I have since stopped buying print.
As someone who buys paper from amazon.co.uk and ebooks from amazon.com (forced to, as in european country without its own amazon), there is no point.
That peculiarity aside, it IS something that should be implemented better.
The whole thing reeks of publisher greed. Wrong to assume, but I think amazon would have improved it if publishers went along.
Please bring Kindle Matchbook to Amazon.co.uk. There are books I bought years ago (2003) that I am desperate to have on Kindle but the store has them in languages other than English and when series of books are put on Kindle, please can you put the whole series on and not randomly start with book 3, some of us like to buy our books on Kindle so that we can keep the paper version in new condition.