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If you run out of credits, you can also buy 3 extra for £18 (I'm not sure what the USD price is). That's significantly cheaper than buying 3 audio books at full price.

Credits with frequent 2-for-1 sales, £3 sales and £1 sales, there is just no reason to ever pay retail price on Audible.

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I suspect the retail price is just there as a psychological suggestion to make you think you are getting a good deal with the credits.

Back in the 90's I bought several audiobooks on tape for long car journeys; the retail prices listed on Audible seem similar to the price I actually paid back in the day. A lot of the titles are also available on iTunes as well, and the prices were comparable to the retail price listed on Audible. Audible really is a good deal.

Interesting, thanks! I guess both perspectives can be right: the prices are in some sense real, but at Audible they function mostly to tell you what a good deal you are getting (in return to committing to a subscription).

Yes, also because then it feels less like you're committing to buying N books per month from a particular vendor.

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