DNA Sales Abound for St. Patrick's Day, You Do Not Have to be Irish to Save

Updated: Originally posted at 2:59 p.m. on March 12, 2018.
Genealogy DNA testing companies are having DNA sales for St. Patrick's Day. So if you have been thinking about testing yourself of someone else, now is good time to buy.

Family Tree DNA
It is a St. Patrick's Day sale over at Family Tree DNA until March 18, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Shipping and taxes are extra which vary depending on where the test is shipped. From a while back the shipping cost to Michigan was about $12.95 for one kit which covers the receiving and sending the test.

FamilyFinder (autosomal for male or female) regular price $79 ... now $59
FamilyFinder and Y-37 bundle (for one male) regular price $248 ... now $199
FamilyFinder and Y-67 bundle (for one male) regular price $347 ... now $299
FamilyFinder and mtFull Sequence bundle (for one male or female) regular price $278 ... now $229
FamilyFinder with Y-67 and mtFull Sequence bundle (for one male) regular price $546 ... now $473

Family Tree DNA provides an ethnicity (admixture) report, list of DNA matches, chromosome browser and allows DNA matches to contact a match directly if that match allows it. Once tested, DNA samples are stored so that additional test types (upgrades) can be added if desired. Family Tree DNA is the only genealogy DNA testing company that offers all three DNA test types: autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA. No subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features.

Family Tree DNA also offers autosomal DNA transfers. So if you have already tested at another genealogy DNA testing company you can upload your RAW DNA data to get your test into another "pool" of potential DNA matches. The transfer is initially free which lets you see all your matches and use the FamilyFinder-Matrix to compare up to 10 matches. To access additional FamilyFinder tools the cost is just $19 to unlock them.

Family Tree DNA currently accepts autosomal transfers from:

• Ancestry DNA (V1 and V2 chips)
• 23andME (V3 and V4 chips) but not its V5 chip in use since Aug. 2017
• MyHeritageDNA (Transfers from kits tested directly at MyHeritage are completely free with no unlock fee.) 

One thing to note is that transfers of tests on the AncestryDNA V2 chip and the 23andMe V4 chip receive all but the most speculative matches (6th cousin to remote cousins) because these chips are not fully compatible.

AncestryDNA
As of Thursday, March 15, Ancestry is now having a St. Patrick's Day DNA sale. Now the AncestryDNA (autosomal) test regularly $99 is $69, a savings of 30 percent. Shipping and taxes are extra. This sale ends March 19, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET. (For Canadians, the ancestry.ca website is offering a similar sale until March 18. AncestryDNA kits have a different regular price in Canada.)

AncestryDNA provides ethnicity/admixture reports, a match list, matches in common, and an internal member messaging system. It does not provide a chromosome browser tool. Also, if you do not have a data/records membership subscription you will not have access to some DNA features/tools such as member trees and the internal messaging system. Ancestry offers an AncestryDNAInsights subscription for about $49/year as of 2016 which would give access to all of the DNA tools but not any data/records.

We are not sure if the FREESHIPDNA code will work with this sale but it does not hurt to try it.

AncestryDNA also sells its test kits on Amazon.com and at sale prices when it is having a sale. Non-AmazonPrime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon; prime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free. 

23andMe
It is a 20 percent off sale for St. Patrick's Day over at 23andMe until March 18, 2018. An Ancestry Service (autosomal) test regularly $99 is now $79 and the Health + Ancestry Service test regularly $199 is now $159. Shipping and taxes are extra.

23andMe provides an ethnicity (admixture) report, list of DNA matches, chromosome browser and an internal member messaging system. No subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features.

23andMe also sells its test kits on Amazon.com and at sale prices when they are having a sale. Non-AmazonPrime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon; prime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free.

MyHeritage
MyHeritage has also put its autosomal DNA test on sale too. MyHeritageDNA (autosomal) tests regularly $99 each are on sale for $69 each. Shipping and taxes are extra.

MyHeritageDNA is one of the newer players in the DNA and genealogy testing niche. Its customer base is more international. As of earlier this year, the company has added a chromosome browser feature and has made its internal member messaging feature free. It also offers an ethnicity/admixture report and a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features.

MyHeritageDNA is still offering free DNA transfers so if you already tested at another DNA testing company you can download your RAW DNA data from that site and upload it to MyHeritage. MyHeritageDNA accepts raw DNA data from Family Tree DNA, AncestryDNA (V1 and V2 version chips), and 23andMe (V2, V3 and V4 chips.)

Testing in as many "ponds" as possible is the advice genetic genealogists often give because you never know where someone has tested. Sale times and DNA data transfers are ways to make it easier to fish in multiple ponds to find your DNA matches.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE