Pre-ordering with Newegg - Customer Care Gift Cards and Rebate prepaid cards

[DiscostewSM]

To explain what these Customer Care Gift Cards are, they are gift cards (ID + Security code) that are given out when resolving issues with purchases such as those with missing rebates or last-minute price changes. The ones given to me (and I assume to others as well) expire 90 days after being issued.

Ok, with that out of the way, I'm planning on pre-ordering Mario Kart 8 (yes, I know this is the Computer Games and Technology forum, but this involves Newegg). Currently I have it pre-ordered with Amazon and haven't been charged yet, but I have a few of these gift cards from Newegg from mid February and just got a decent amount from a recent gift card. I thought about cancelling my order from Amazon and using these gift cards and recent rebate cards towards the pre-order on Newegg.

Now is the question. Because these gift cards expire 90 days after being issued, my earlier ones will have expired by the time this game releases. Does Newegg charge you when you make the pre-order, or when the item becomes available? If the latter, then would I be able to use those earlier gift cards, or would I be out of luck there?

Another question. I also have Rebate pre-paid cards with a set amount on them. Would I be able to use multiple cards of this type for one order? How would I do that?

 

[trumpet-205]

You should ask Newegg for this. I never pre-ordered on Newegg before. But my experience tells me that Newegg charges credit card before shipment.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Well, got my answer from them.

The preorder will only be charged after it has been transferred to normal order, and by that time, if the gift carrs expire, the amount will be deducted from your credit card.

So they won't make any charges until the pre-order is moved to a normal order at the time of release, in which case my gift cards that expire prior to this point in time cannot be used. Guess I'll stick with Amazon (or get it elsewhere locally on day of release if I can take my prepaid cards to my bank and transfer their amounts to my account).