How the 'Buy Now?' Stamp Is Decided
By Lowstamp Editor · 2026-06-18
The game is in your cart and you hesitate. Is this actually a good price, or will it drop if I wait? Lowstamp puts a one-line stamp on every game to take some of that hesitation away. People ask what the stamp is based on, so here's exactly how it's decided.
Not the discount. The distance from the low
A common assumption is that 70% off must be cheap. But the discount off list price can't tell you that on its own. A game with an inflated list price can be 70% off and still have sold for much less before, while a title that rarely discounts can be at its real bottom at just 40% off. That's why Lowstamp looks at how close today's price is to the lowest price we've tracked before it looks at the percentage.
The number driving everything is how far above the low today's price sits. If a game once bottomed at $20.00 and sells for $21.00 today, it's 5% above the low. At $23.00 it's 15% above. The smaller that gap, the friendlier the stamp.
The five tiers
Lowstamp's stamps come in five tiers. Higher means a stronger 'buy now' signal. Lower means 'you can wait'.
- At its lowest tracked price: today's price matches or beats the lowest we've tracked. If today's check confirmed it's still sitting at that low, the stamp reads 'Lowest as of today' with a gold ★. There's no guarantee it goes lower, so if you've wanted this game, now is the time.
- Near its lowest tracked price: no more than 5% above the low. Think a $20.00 low with the game at $20.80. Not worth waiting to save eighty cents.
- Around its recent low: within 15% of the low. Buy now if you're in a hurry. If you can wait, a big sale might shave a little more.
- Decent discount: some distance from the low, but still 50% or more off list. The discount itself isn't bad, but the game has sold for less.
- Small discount, or full price: a small discount or none at all. Unless you're in a rush, wishlist it and wait for the next sale.
The exact thresholds: within 5% of the low is 'near', within 15% is 'around its recent low', and 50% or more off list is 'decent discount'. The text label is what matters. Color is just a hint.
An example
Say a game lists at $59.99 and its tracked low is $14.99. At $14.99 today it's 'at its lowest tracked price', a clear buy. At $15.49 it's about 3% above, so 'near its lowest tracked price'. If that same game is $17.99 (70% off list), the badge looks flashy, but it's 20% above the low, so it stays at 'decent discount'. It's easy to be dazzled by the 70%. It just means the game has been cheaper.
The reverse: a game that rarely goes on sale might be only 40% off and still show 'near its lowest tracked price', if that's roughly where it has bottomed before. What matters isn't whether the number is big. It's whether, for this particular game, today's price is close to its floor.
Using the stamp
If it's a game you genuinely want and would play right away, there's little reason to hesitate at 'near its lowest tracked price' or better. When the gap from the floor is a couple of dollars, waiting months to save that much isn't worth it. For a game that's more 'I'd like to try it someday', at 'decent discount' or below you're better off wishlisting and waiting for a big sale.
Knowing the sale calendar helps. Valve publishes the dates in advance, and summer and winter are the deep ones. If a game is only at 'decent discount' and you're on the fence, check how far away the next big sale is and decide whether to hold out.
The low on Lowstamp is the lowest price since we started recording in June 2026, not since the game came out. And a low is only the record so far. As a game ages, a new low can appear; a popular title may hold its floor for a long time. The stamp is a compass for where today's price sits, not a promise about tomorrow.
Five tiers by distance from the tracked low, not by how flashy the badge is. Find a game you want, read the stamp first. 'Near its lowest tracked price' or better, buy with a clear head. Below that, wishlist it and wait. That's the whole idea.
The stamp asks one question: how close is today's price to the lowest this game has been?