Book Cash Headed to Consumers with the New York Times

Beginning in August, as many as 20,000 consumers nationwide will receive a special Book Cash promotion designed to send book buyers into bookstores nationwide. The latest version of Book Cash certificates, good for $10 towards payment for any book purchase, will be sent to certain new subscribers to the New York Times.

As in previous Book Cash promotions, the certificates should be handled as if they were regular checks or traveler's checks: they should be deposited in the store's bank account.

All Book Sense stores are automatically included in this promotion; no sign-up is required. The $10 Book Cash checks are a component of the Book Cash nationwide promotional program, coordinated by The Properties Group, to increase consumer traffic and sales at a variety of places, including independent bookstores. Click here for more stories about Book Cash.

According to Ed Hepner, Properties Group director of client services and account executive for the New York Times program, the Book Cash checks are part of a retention effort for new Times subscribers. All those new readers who begin a special half-price, 12-week trial subscription to the Times will be contacted after eight weeks to upgrade to a full subscription. These trial subscribers will be offered the $10 Book Cash check as a gift with the upgraded subscription. Certificates including the checks will then be mailed to eligible subscribers.

Hepner told BTW that The Properties Group has had great success with past New York Times promotions distributing checks for other products including Music Cash, Software Cash, and Video Cash.

The subscription promotion began in July, and the Book Cash certificates with checks have been delivered to the New York Times fulfillment house. Booksellers might start seeing the Book Cash certificates in mid-August. The expiration date for all checks is January 31, 2003. The Times anticipates a distribution of as many as 20,000 certificates nationwide.

Click here to view the Book Cash certificate as a PDF file.

Jill Perlstein, Book Sense director of marketing services, will be sending stores cashier handling procedures for the Book Cash checks and Book Cash FAQs in the August white box.

Perlstein noted the importance of informing all frontline staff about the program to avoid confusion and ensure a smooth consumer transaction.

For more information, e-mail Perlstein at jill@bookweb.org or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 1283.