Amazon launches new service that discounts past purchases of actual books

Amazon on Tuesday unveiled another Kindle promotion, a service called Kindle MatchBook .

It works this way. If you’ve purchased hardcover or softcover physical books from Amazon, the company will give you at least a 69 percent discount on a Kindle ebook version of that book.

The Kindle prices will be from $2.99 all the way down to … free. That’s what they say.

Only a certain portion of the Amazon bookstore qualifies for the MatchBook option. The list of those titles is here .

Since these are all Kindle ebooks, you either need a Kindle device or the free Kindle app on your PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet, and mobile phone.

The general view is that this is another tactic by Seattle-based Amazon to keep customers interested in the Kindle family of readers. The timing is right, as Amazon keeps contending for a decent share of the upcoming holiday gadget shopping list.