Microsoft and Yahoo fight promo wars

Well, its time for yet another promotional offer, this time from Microsoft AdCenter. These things are becoming rather run-of-the-mill now with Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! announcing promotional offers every other month.

This time around, its a continuation of the previous offer of the $50 per new signup from Microsoft’s AdCenter. Although they had mentioned last month that the offer would be closed in the month of August, it seems they have come around and extended the offer. The new offer has the same caveats as before, to put it in Microsoft’s own words,

Offer valid only through 9/30/07 (midnight Pacific Time), while supplies last. Promotional credit is valid only for new advertisers opening a new account with Microsoft® adCenter. The $50 promotional credit does not apply to the one-time $5 activation fee required to open a new adCenter account. Promotional credit not redeemed in click spend will expire 90 days after sign-up. Advertisers will be charged for advertising that exceeds the $50 promotional credit. Advertisers will need to suspend their ads if they do not wish to receive additional charges beyond the free credit amount, or after 90 days from sign-up, whichever occurs first. Promotional credit good only to residents in the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. Limit: one promotional credit per customer. Promotional credit may not be combined with any other offer or discount, separated, redeemed for cash, transferred, sold, or bartered. There is a minimum bid requirement of $0.05 per click-through. Search listings are subject to editorial review. See Advertiser Terms and Conditions for more details at sign-up. Other terms and conditions may apply.

Although they require you to pay $5 as one-time activation fee, you are left with $45 of advertising money, not bad I would say! The sad part is that this offer is only for US residents, a pity. Please keep in mind that this promotional offer is only for new users.

Yahoo! on the other hand seems to have had the global market in mind when they announced a promotional offer of $25. Although, its only half the amount that Microsoft offers, its an offer global users may find difficult to pass up. Yahoo!, as expected, seems to have similar restrictions as Microsoft,

Offer open to new Sponsored Search advertisers only. (A new advertiser is one who has not advertised with Yahoo! Search Marketing for the past 13 months). Each account requires a nonrefundable $5 initial deposit. Advertisers signing up for Self Serve will receive a $25 credit into the account. Advertisers signing up for the Assisted Setup service will receive $50 off the $199 service charge. In each case, initial credits are nonrefundable and will be applied to click charges. There is a minimum bid requirement of $0.10 per click-through. Limit one offer per customer, and one use per customer on a single account. Sellers of certain legally restricted products may require third party certification at extra cost. Search listings subject to editorial review. Offer may not be combined with any other offers or discounts, separated, redeemed for cash, or transferred. Other terms and conditions may apply; see Advertiser Terms and Conditions when you sign up.
Each account requires a nonrefundable $5 initial deposit. There is a minimum bid requirement of $0.10 per click-through. Sellers of certain legally restricted products may require third-party certification at extra cost.

This should give some respite to all those who missed Bidvertiser’s no-catch $20 promotional offer, so hurry up and signup while the offers last! As they say, “Make hay while the Sun shines.”

Update: Yahoo! offers 60 pounds for UK customers, $100 for US customers and Google offers $50 coupons for all. Please note that for each of these offers you would have to create new accounts and MUST read the fine print.