PRICE COMPARISON METHODOLOGY
How PriceSpawn compares game prices
The smallest number is not automatically the best offer. Our method keeps official licences, reseller keys, gifts, accounts and regional restrictions separate before deciding what to highlight.
From store feed to comparison table
STEP 01
Collect the source offer
We import prices and availability from connected store feeds or storefront data. We keep the original product URL and store identity attached to each offer.
STEP 02
Match the exact game
An offer must resolve to the correct title, platform and edition. Ambiguous or unmatched records are not silently attached to the nearest-looking game.
STEP 03
Preserve the restrictions
Key, gift and account listings remain distinct. Global, EU-only, RU/CIS and other activation limits stay visible beside the price.
STEP 04
Compare like with like
Official stores and marketplaces are shown as separate groups. The lowest broadly redeemable offer is highlighted instead of crowning a cheaper key that is blocked for most visitors.
What “best price” means here
We first compare redeemable offers. A Global key can be highlighted ahead of a numerically cheaper RU/CIS listing when the restricted key will not activate for most of the audience. Restricted offers are not removed; their limitation is displayed so an eligible buyer can still assess them.
Official stores and key marketplaces answer different buying questions, so game pages separate them and identify the cheapest offer in each group. See the current source list on the stores page.
Price, fees and freshness
The displayed amount is the latest price exposed by the source. Marketplace checkout fees are included only when the connected data exposes them reliably. Payment, currency conversion and optional protection charges may therefore change the final total.
The catalogue is rebuilt daily and each game page reports its source check time. A store may change an offer between updates; the destination page remains the final authority for price, availability, tax and activation terms.
Editorial and commercial independence
Some store links can earn an affiliate commission. Commission does not convert a marketplace into an official store, suppress a restriction or determine whether an offer qualifies as the best price. Any future paid placement will be labelled as sponsored and kept outside the default price order. Learn more about the editorial team.
Methodology questions
- Does an affiliate commission change the ranking?
- No. Offers are ordered by the comparable price and the safety rules described on this page. An affiliate relationship does not remove a key-type or region warning.
- Do displayed prices include every checkout fee?
- Not always. Some marketplaces expose a product price in their feed but add payment or optional buyer-protection fees later. We state that limitation and treat the store checkout as the final authority.
- Why can the cheapest visible number differ from the highlighted offer?
- A lower listing may be region-locked or a materially different product type. We keep it visible, but do not label it the best broadly usable price.
- How often are prices checked?
- The catalogue is refreshed daily. Individual stores can change a price between refreshes, so the final amount and availability must always be confirmed on the store page.