What is Kindle MatchBook and Why Should You Care?

kindle_matchbookAre you one of those individuals who likes to read across different media, i.e. do you want to read the same book in print and on a digital device? If so, the world of booksellers is ready to serve your needs. If you have a Kindle reader or software and an Amazon account, finding out if the print books you own have discounted e-book versions for you to purchase is amazingly simple.

Just open your browser and head to this link: Kindle Matchbook. If you are not automatically logged in to your account, log in now. Here you will find a description of the Kindle Matchbook program, a listing of available titles you might like, and a great big button to check to see which books in your current Amazon Kindle library are eligible for the program. Push the button. When I did, the system found about half a dozen books that qualified. But the price for each one on Kindle was $2.99, a clear savings, and heck, I am not even sure where some of those print books are right now.

But that handful of eligible books tells me that the publishers aren’t crazy about the program. As with so many items in the Amazon catalog, you can only do it if the publishers say you can do it. A good example is book sharing; the publisher has to enable the option for you to let your sister-in-law read a book you bought on your own Kindle. A lot of books have sharing disabled as well.



Now if you told me that millions of dollars of ebooks are being sold this way, I wouldn’t be surprised either. It is an intriguing, if rare, option. Assuming that we all will keep better track of our Amazon account in the decades to come than we will of every single paperback we purchased from them, this could be a good way to keep transitioning your physical library to a digital one.

Matchbook Caveats:

  • You can’t use the Matchbook Program to give someone a gift of the Kindle edition for a print book that you purchased.
  • Selection is limited, and does not apply to used books or books purchased from other sellers, even if you used Amazon to initiate the purchase.
  • If you try to get a reduced price on a Kindle book by ordering the print copy and then returning it after purchasing the Matchbook option, Amazon will charge you the full price of the Kindle edition. So don’t get cute…;-)

Related article: Manage Automatic Book Updates on Your Kindle