Xbox surprises some users with free balance cards: follow these steps and review

An unexpected credit has started to appear in Xbox accounts after a December promotion.

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Over the past weekend, numerous Xbox users were surprised to find free credit added to their accounts, in the form of digital gift cards. The detail caught attention because, in many cases, there was no prior notice or recent evident action that explained the gift.

• You might be interested: Get a new free game from Steam, which cost 10 euros yesterday

The origin of this credit lies in a promotion active during the Xbox Countdown Sale in December, although its application has not been as clear as expected and is generating a lot of conversation among the community.

A December promotion that is now starting to yield results with free Xbox credit

When the Xbox holiday deals started on December 18, Microsoft launched a discreet promotion: the purchase of certain EA Sports and 2K Sports games included a $5 gift card, in addition to in-game content. The promotion went largely unnoticed at the time.

What’s striking is that some users have now received this credit without remembering having purchased any of these titles, which has opened the door to several interpretations. Among them, that the system has rewarded past purchases, that the promotion was applied more broadly than announced, or even that certain Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers were included automatically.

• So far, Microsoft has not provided an official explanation to clarify why some profiles have received the credit and others have not, but the notifications are already arriving on consoles around the world.

How to check if you have a free gift card on Xbox

If you want to clear up any doubts, the process is very simple from the console itself:

• Open the Store tab

• Access the left sidebar menu

• Enter your profile

• Select “Offers and credits”

• Check if you have any available balance

Several users have confirmed that the credit appears directly there, ready to be used on games, DLC, or digital content. It’s worth taking a look, because you might have a surprise waiting for you without knowing it.