Quicken offering 40% off for 2-year membership - worth it?

[Carpediem]

I received an offer from Quicken for 40% off for a 2-year membership. I used to use Quicken many years ago (pre-online bank account updates) and loved it. I tried Quicken again a couple years ago and it would not recognize all my Wells accounts so I couldn't add them. I gave up on it at that point.

What are your thoughts about this special offer? Is it worth it? Has anyone else experienced issues with adding accounts and if so, have the issues been resolved?

[OldShooter]

If you are not locked into Quicken because of a large history database as I am, I would avoid it and any other subscription software. The name of their game is lock-in.

[Carpediem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter If you are not locked into Quicken because of a large history database as I am, I would avoid it and any other subscription software. The name of their game is lock-in.

Exactly. And after the 2-year period, the price for another 2-year period reverts to: $100 (Deluxe), $150 (Premiere), $200 (Home & Biz). Seems too expensive to me.

I'm starting to lean toward Ace Money mentioned in the other Quicken thread.

[Gotadimple]

There is nothing wrong with subscription software as a service, if it is priced reasonably and they continue to update the software at no additional charge. Think of the automatic updates you get on your phone from Android/Apple.


But it depends on the competition. MoneyDance for example costs $59.95 and is updated by the company. At the next version (usually 2-3 years out), your cost if you feel you need the upgrade is 50% of the full price. If your version is older than 3 years, and you want to upgrade, you pay the full cost. It works very similar to Quicken and holds up well in the long term.

So, work the numbers. Is a subscription worth it?

[zinger1457]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem Exactly. And after the 2-year period, the price for another 2-year period reverts to: $100 (Deluxe), $150 (Premiere), $200 (Home & Biz). Seems too expensive to me. I'm starting to lean toward Ace Money mentioned in the other Quicken thread.

My Quicken just expired in April and I get the same 40% off offers to renew, my guess is in two years you would get similar offers. The Quicken.com web site has the 1 year version of Quicken Deluxe on sale for $29. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee, that should be enough time to determine if all your accounts will import and give it a test drive.

[Carpediem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotadimple There is nothing wrong with subscription software as a service, if it is priced reasonably and they continue to update the software at no additional charge. Think of the automatic updates you get on your phone from Android/Apple. But it depends on the competition. MoneyDance for example costs $59.95 and is updated by the company. At the next version (usually 2-3 years out), your cost if you feel you need the upgrade is 50% of the full price. If your version is older than 3 years, and you want to upgrade, you pay the full cost. It works very similar to Quicken and holds up well in the long term.

Good point and MoneyDance looks like another good option. Btw, the price is $49.99, not $59.95 so that makes it an even more intriguing option.

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotadimple There is nothing wrong with subscription software as a service, if it is priced reasonably and they continue to update the software at no additional charge. ...

True enough. Please let me know when you get that as an ironclad guarantee from any vendor.


The key point here is that once the subscription model is introduced, revenue is guaranteed and upgrades become optional. Also, to the extent that the vendor is successful in locking in his customers, price increases are unbridled.

[Gotadimple]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter True enough. Please let me know when you get that as an ironclad guarantee from any vendor. The key point here is that once the subscription model is introduced, revenue is guaranteed and upgrades become optional. Also, to the extent that the vendor is successful in locking in his customers, price increases are unbridled.

Well, that's an opinion, but I'm not sure it's a fact. As a matter of fact, Microsoft sells its Office software in two flavors, buy it off the shelf and install it, or subscribe to it. In both cases, software is installed on your PC.

But when you buy it, you own it, and you need to buy a new version for updates. Cost: $249.99 + tax. New versions come out every 3 years or so. For one device the annual cost is about $85 after tax.

When you subscribe, you get all interim updates and new versions when they are ready. Cost: $69.99 per year + tax (for a single device). BTW the price 3 years ago was $79.99, and has come down each year.

-Rita

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotadimple Well, that's an opinion, but I'm not sure it's a fact. As a matter of fact, Microsoft sells its Office software in two flavors, buy it off the shelf and install it, or subscribe to it. In both cases, software is installed on your PC. But when you buy it, you own it, and you need to buy a new version for updates. Cost: $249.99 + tax. New versions come out every 3 years or so. For one device the annual cost is about $85 after tax. When you subscribe, you get all interim updates and new versions when they are ready. Cost: $69.99 per year + tax (for a single device). BTW the price 3 years ago was $79.99, and has come down each year. -Rita

A career in management and executive management has taught me how pricing, aka revenue maximization works. Vendors are still experimenting. Don't extrapolate from today.


Re upgrades I don't know anyone crazy enough to buy every upgrade. I am on 2007. That is every vendor's problem. They can no longer produce upgrades compelling enough to extract revenue from the base, so they have to extract it some other way.

[pb4uski]

+1.... I remember in the first 5 or so years that Quicken was on the market that I would look forward to each year's new version and the new features that the new release would bring... then it sort of stopped and there was no longer any compelling need to upgrade.