When it was released, critics and industry "pros" derided the credit card-like download albums as a step backward (you could easily download an album from iTunes without the cards), overpriced (the set price of the cards is $12.99), and a complete misstep in a market and economy obsessed with environment-friendly products (the cards are only available from physical retailers). Nevertheless, and these problems aside, the cards do offer those music listeners who are shopping for groceries or out buying other goods the chance to buy a downloadable album without the hassle of the CD.
Critics overlooked the mass appeal and sale capability of the cards in grocery stores and other stores since the target groups are not listeners who go out to simply buy an album, etc. Additionally, the platform only offers music from Sony's artists, which limits its catalog capabilities, but it does offer the highest quality MP3 tracks at 320 kbps MP3. By comparison iTunes's music files are generally 128 kbps in the regular store and 256 kbps in the iTunes Plus store.



