Facepalm: GameStop is undergoing a massive restructuring, and customers aren't making it any easier to balance the books. One YouTuber even discovered a "glitch" that subtracts a small amount from every trade-in transaction – a bug that could potentially be exploited to gain hundreds or even thousands of dollars in profit.

YouTuber RJCmedia recently revealed an "infinite money glitch" in GameStop's systems, uncovering a way to exploit the retailer's trade-in policies in an unexpected manner. The struggling company acted quickly, closed the loophole, and attempted to turn the situation into a low-cost marketing opportunity in the process.

According to a recent GameStop Twitter post, RJCmedia first purchased a Nintendo Switch 2 console for $415. The YouTuber then immediately traded it back while buying a pre-owned game at the same time. This additional purchase triggered a promotional bonus that raised the Switch 2's trade-in value to $472.50.

GameStop's system valued the pre-owned game higher than the retail price of Nintendo's latest console. As a result, users could theoretically exploit the glitch repeatedly, performing the trade-in process over and over to accumulate potentially limitless trade credits.

On January 20, GameStop announced that the glitch had been patched "effective immediately." The retailer also updated its trade promotion policies, ensuring that resourceful customers can no longer exploit the system to turn simple arithmetic into an endless revenue stream.

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GameStop acknowledged RJCmedia's creative approach to exploiting the trade-in system, while reminding the public that its stores are not designed to generate infinite money for customers. The statement comes across as a half-hearted attempt to spin an embarrassing security incident into a marketing opportunity now that the glitch has been fixed.

Before the patch, RJCmedia managed to collect a brand-new Nintendo Switch 2, $150 in store credits, and several other games through multiple trade-in transactions. Altogether, the YouTuber reportedly earned a net profit of around $600 before GameStop changed its policies.

Looking ahead, the retailer will likely avoid approving such "crazy" bonus programs in the future. That said, GameStop is in the middle of a painful restructuring process, having recently closed hundreds of stores across multiple US states – a move intended to help the once-iconic retail brand stay relevant in an era dominated by digital downloads and cloud gaming services.