Amazon’s Kindle MatchBook is a service that lets authors offer cheap Kindle eBooks to customers that have already purchased a physical copy of their book from Amazon.

For customers, this means that you could buy a paperback or hardcover book from Amazon and pay an extra $1-3 to read it on your Kindle… assuming you purchased books that are enrolled in the program.

Amazon launched the Kindle MatchBook program in 2013. And the company is shutting it down on October 31st, 2019.

While the company isn’t saying why it’s ending Kindle MatchBook, Nate at the Digital Reader speculates it may have something to do with the fact that few customers actually took advantage of the promotional pricing — I guess if you buy a physical book, maybe you plan to read it in that format rather than on a Kindle.

Anyway, if the idea of picking up cheap eBook versions of books you already own does appeal to you, then you’ve got until October 31st to check for eligible titles you’ve already purchased.

Just login to Amazon and visit the Kindle Matchbook website and Amazon will let you know any of the books you own qualify for Kindle MatchBook pricing.

Anything you’ve already paid for before the program shuts down will still be available in your Kindle library even after Halloween. Spooky, eh?

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7 replies on “Amazon is killing Kindle MatchBook (cheap eBooks for print titles you’ve purchased)”

  1. I read both printed and e-books. I usually don’t get both versions of the same book. it sounds good but how many – like myself – get both versions of the same book?

  2. Shame they are getting rid of that. Kindle books do not have page numbers and when you are doing academic references you need page numbers (which the physical books obviously have)

  3. yeah, I never used it. What I do use, is the option when you buy a Kindle version of a book to pay an extra couple bucks to get the Audio version of the book as well. Now that’s a sweet deal
    Several times I went to buy an audio book and found it much cheaper to buy the kindle version and pay a couple extra for the audio version as well.

    1. Yeah, and I find that I’m more likely to make use of the eBook + audiobook combo. I get motion sick when I try to read on a bus, so sometimes when I’m making the 2-hour commute from Philly to NYC, for example, I’ll listen to a few chapters of a book I’m already in the middle of reading. Then when I’m stationary I’ll go back to reading the eBook version.

      1. Audio is the future. Just voice friendly linux terminal so you dont get eystrain and carpal tunnel

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