Google Play Points is a reward program that lets you earn credits for every purchase you make in theGoogle Play store.- Play Points is free to join and if you make enough purchases you can climb tiers to get more points and benefits from the program.
- You can apply these points within the Play Store to in-game purchases, movie rentals, and other items.
If you have an Android phone or tablet, you are probably very familiar with the Google Play store — it's where you can browse, purchase and install countless apps, games, movies, and other content. And like many retailers, Google has a rewards program that lets you earn credit for every purchase you make. It's free and easy to sign up for Google Play Points, and depending upon how many points you accrue, you can qualify for higher levels that help you earn points faster.
What are Google Play Points?
Play Points is Google's rewards program that earns you points for every dollar you spend in the Google Play store. The points are assigned to your Google account, not a specific device, so all your points are pooled no matter which Android device you use (as long as you use the same Google account).
You don't earn Google Play Points automatically; you need to sign up for the free program. After doing that, you are automatically assigned to the lowest rewards tier, called Bronze, where you earn one point for each dollar you spend on purchases on anything in the Google Play store, including apps, games, movies, ebooks, and subscriptions. During special promotional events, you can earn up to four points per dollar, depending upon the rules of the promo.
Google has divided the program into four tiers:
Bronze
- Earn one point for every dollar spent
- Up to 4x points on in-game purchases in games each week
- Up to 2x points on books and movie rentals during monthly events
Silver
- Earn 150 points per year to maintain Silver level
- 1.1 points for every dollar spent
- Up to 4x points on in-game purchases in games each week
- Up to 3x points on books and movie rentals during monthly events
- Weekly Silver level prizes can earn you up to 100 points every week awarded
Gold
- Earn 600 points per year to maintain Gold level
- 1.2 points for every dollar spent
- Up to 4x points on in-game purchases in games each week
- Up to 4x points on books and movie rentals during monthly events
- Weekly Gold level prizes can earn you up to 200 points every week
Platinum
- Earn 3,000 points per year to maintain Platinum level
- 1.4 points for every $1 spent
- Up to 4x points on in-game purchases in games each week
- Up to 5x points on books and movie rentals during monthly events
- Weekly Platinum level prizes can earn you up to 500 points every week
Points expire one year after your last purchase, so if you have a lot of points, you should use them before they expire (or make a new purchase to extend their life). In addition, once you earn a new tier status, you keep it for the remainder of the current and the following calendar year, after which your current points determine your new tier.
How to sign up for Google Play Points
You can sign up for Google Play Points from your Android device or from the Google Play website.
Using an Android device
1. Start the Google Play app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap your account icon at the top-right corner.
3. Tap Play Points.
4. Tap Join for free.
5. If you don't already have a credit card or other payment method on file with your Google Store account, you'll need to enter one now.
Using the Google Play website
1. Open Google Play in a browser.
2. On the left side of the page, click Play Points.
3. Click Join for free.
4. If you don't already have a credit card or other payment method on file with your Google Store account, you'll need to enter one now.
How to redeem Google Play Points
Once you have accrued some Google Play points, you can use them at any time. You can use your points to make purchases within the Google Play store or within apps and games. You can also use points to get coupons or get Google Play credit.
1. Using the Google Play app on your phone or tablet, tap your account icon at the top-right corner.
2. Tap Play Points.
3. You should see your available points. Tap Use.
4. In the tabs at the top, choose whether you want to apply points to in-game purchases in Your apps & games, Play Credit that goes toward purchases on apps, movies, and other media, or Donations (to give your credits to charity).
5. In the list below, choose the item you want to purchase with your points.
Quick tip: If an option is gray and can't be tapped, you don't have enough Play Points to afford that item.