The Customer Appreciation Sale begins this weekend after Nintendo recouped $300 million in customs duty refunds.
Rather than returning customs duty refunds obtained from the U.S. government to gamers, Nintendo opted to hold a Customer Appreciation Sale. The sale, which Nintendo says is one of its “biggest promotions ever,” begins at midnight ET on September 13 and will run until September 26.
“The Customer Appreciation Sale is our way of thanking Nintendo players for their continued support and is made possible in part through pricing-related refunds,” the company said. “While Nintendo absorbed most of the pricing costs, the refunds helped make promotions like this possible.”
The sale will take place on the eShop, Nintendo Store and retailers. It includes 30% discounts on dozens of digital games and deals, as well as DLC, physical games, Amiibo, accessories, and other products.
The company increased prices for the Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States, Canada, and Europe last week due to “changes in market conditions.” It raised prices for the Switch and other products in August 2025 for similar reasons following the imposition of tariffs on imports to the United States.
Earlier this year, Nintendo took the U.S. government to court to try to recoup tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s global levies were illegal. In an earnings report last month, the company said it received about $300 million in duty refunds, adding that “tariffs related to the refunds were primarily borne by the company rather than passed on to consumers through product prices.”
Like Sony and Amazon, PlayStation’s parent company, Nintendo is facing a consumer lawsuit after refusing to pass on price refunds to customers. In a motion to dismiss filed by Nintendo in July, the company argued that it was not legally required to return those refunds to consumers, saying the plaintiffs “received exactly what they bargained for and paid for” when they purchased its products following tariff-induced price increases.
Presenting the sale as a thank you to gamers – whose money Nintendo wants to get its hands on during said event – while touting price refunds as a reason to make the discounts possible is deeply rude. Panic, on the other hand, did the right thing by simply refunding the rates to Playdate owners.
