# New Ifpa / Stern Rewards Scheme

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2012-08-29  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/sternrewards.html

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball and IFPA launched a rewards program in August 2012 offering annual discounts on Premium model purchases to top-ranked competitive players (top 250 IFPA rankings, top 3 'Biggest Movers' monthly, or 'Player of the Month'). The program is limited to fewer than 300 players annually with plans to expand to additional tiers and wider eligibility.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Program limited to top 250 IFPA-ranked players, top 3 'Biggest Movers' monthly, or 'Player of the Month' designation — _Official program eligibility criteria_
- [HIGH] Fewer than 300 players will be eligible each year — _Explicit statement about program scope_
- [HIGH] Rewards earned in 2012 calendar year valid until August 15th, 2013 — _Official timeline for first year cohort_
- [HIGH] Program intended to expand to additional discounts and wider player base — _Stated future expansion intent_
- [HIGH] Discount amount not publicly announced; qualifying buyers must email IFPA for pricing details — _Official disclosure policy_

### Notable Quotes

> "The programme is only open to qualifying players who are either in the top 250 in the IFPA rankings, those who are in the top 3 'Biggest Movers' listing each month, or anyone who is crowned 'Player of the Month'"
> — **Pinball News/Official Program**, August 29, 2012
> _Defines eligibility criteria for the rewards scheme_

> "In practice, fewer than 300 players will be eligible each year, with many of the same players qualifying year-to-year, but it is hoped to expand the rewards programme to include additional discounts and make them available to a wider number of players."
> — **Pinball News/Program Statement**, August 29, 2012
> _Acknowledges limited scope and signals future expansion ambitions_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball Inc | company | Pinball manufacturer partnering with IFPA on rewards program |
| IFPA | organization | International Flipper Pinball Association; administering rewards program and player rankings |
| WPPR | organization | World Pinball Player Rankings; metrics used for 'Player of the Month' designation |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Competitive player incentives and sponsorship, IFPA/Stern partnership and official recognition
- **Secondary:** Premium machine sales channels, Player rankings and competitive structure

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — News is presented as beneficial development for competitive pinball community; however, sentiment is tempered by very limited eligibility (fewer than 300 players) and undisclosed discount amounts creating lack of transparency

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball investing in competitive player engagement through official IFPA partnership and direct purchase incentives (confidence: high) — Joint rewards program directly linking IFPA rankings to machine purchase discounts
- **[community_signal]** Manufacturer recognizing and rewarding top-tier competitive players as part of broader player retention strategy (confidence: high) — Program explicitly targets top 250 rankings and monthly achievement designations
- **[market_signal]** Premium model availability being controlled through selective distribution to qualifying players rather than open retail (confidence: medium) — Discount program requires direct email to IFPA and Stern for pricing; fulfillment through Stern rather than standard retail channels

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## Transcript

Date: 29th August, 2012

Stern Pinball Inc and the IFPA have joined forces to introduce a new rewards programme which offers discounts on new Stern pinball machine purchases.

The programme is only open to qualifying players who are either in the top 250 in the IFPA rankings, those who are in the top 3 'Biggest Movers' listing each month, or anyone who is crowned 'Player of the Month' for earning the most WPPR points.

Those who fit into any of those categories can order one Premium model game a year direct from Stern and receive a discount on the regular retail price. Players will also need to fill in their full profile details on the IFPA website, including a picture and e-mail address to qualify.

The discounted price is not being publicly announced, but qualifying buyers can e-mail the IFPA to get details of models currently available and their prices.

Rewards earned in the 2012 calendar year will be valid until August 15th, 2013 and orders will be fulfilled directly by Stern, with shipping costs and taxes added as appropriate. International orders will also be arranged by Stern, though fulfillment is expected to be handled by a national distributor.

The scheme is to start immediately, with retrospective entitlement given for all players who would have qualified since the start of the year. The scheme begins again at the start of each calendar year, when players become eligible to buy another machine at the discounted price.

In practice, fewer than 300 players will be eligible each year, with many of the same players qualifying year-to-year, but it is hoped to expand the rewards programme to include additional discounts and make them available to a wider number of players.

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_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 65627fc4-4ee5-4f40-a687-1d7299b59d75*