.mac subscription renewal

[slackersonly]

i searched the forums without luck finding a straight answer on this.

i know you can get discounted .mac from amazon, ebay, etc. for the initial purchase. but... what happens at the annual renewal? does apple require a credit card # and then auto-bill you? can you keep purchasing from other vendors while retaining your data or client id# or whatever is assigned at initial signup.

 

[jsw]

When you buy it, there's a subscription (for lack of a better word) [edit: "activation"] number inside the box. When you enter that into your MR account, it'll use it at renewal time. So, yes, you can buy elsewhere (or, like me, get a discounted version when you buy a new Mac) and use it to renew!

 

[Applespider]

If you buy a boxed copy of .mac (discounted or not), you'll find an activation number inside.

When you log into your .mac account, there's an option to enter the activation code in lieu of your card details to extend your membership (and keeping the same username etc)

 

[slackersonly]

ok. so you are buying an activation number not a constant client #.
thanks so much.