Nintendo isn't giving back any tariff relief money it received from the United States government, if it has its way in court. But it is, the company announced today, having a sale it's calling the Customer Appreciation Sale, brought to you "in part by tariff-related refunds." You won't get any money back from Nintendo's tariff-fueled price increase, but you could just buy more stuff—just 30% cheaper.
Nintendo sued the U.S. government earlier this year looking for tariff refunds. That was shortly before the government was ordered, in a different case, to give back the inflated taxes it charged companies; the Supreme Court found that the tariffs were illegal. Since then, various companies have received billions of dollars back in refund money. Fedex, for instance, is passing that back to customers. But other companies, which include Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, are not. Several different people have filed lawsuits against all of these companies to ask the courts to force them to pay out.
How much did Nintendo receive back from the government? The company reported in a 2026 earnings document it got a $300 million return. It said at the time that "tariffs related to the refunds were primarily borne by the company rather than passed on to consumers through product prices." Net sales were down by 9.5%, Nintendo reported, but its operating profits grew by 150.5%. Nintendo reiterated that it bore the brunt of the tariffs in its sale announcement: "While Nintendo absorbed most tariff-related costs, the refunds helped make promotions like this one possible."
Two Nintendo customers sued the company in April, arguing that buyers should get some money back. Nintendo, in subsequent filings, said it had no obligation to do so, and asked the court to dismiss the case, which is a proposed class action. Since Nintendo's motion to dismiss, one original plaintiff voluntarily dismissed his own individual claims; the next step is whether this becomes a class action lawsuit or not.
Response online is mixed. A lot of people are happy to see Nintendo games go on sale; it doesn't happen all too often. There's some surprise at the transparency of the statement—that it's related to the refund. And others are disappointed that Nintendo's only response, besides saying it has no obligation to refund money, is a sale in which buyers must spend more money. As for the sale, Nintendo hasn't said what will be included, save that it'll be 30% off "Nintendo Switch digital games and bundles, plus savings on select physical games, downloadable content, accessories, amiibo, and apparel."
This sale will run from Sept. 13 to Sept. 26 in both the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Store, as well as some physical stores.
