Quick Answer:
Amazon Coins are a digital currency used to purchase games, apps, and in-app items on Amazon’s Appstore. Introduced on July 13, 2013, the coins have a value of 1 cent each, with 100 coins equating to one dollar, and they can’t be exchanged for cash. While they never expire, promotional coins have a 12-month expiration date.
This currency is particularly aimed at parents who want to give their children a way to buy digital items without constantly needing to use a credit card. Amazon Coins can be checked and reloaded by visiting the Appstore on a smart device, where the balance is displayed in the upper right corner or beneath the price on a product page.
Users can buy Amazon Coins using a credit card or debit card, often with discounts for first-time users. While the coins are designed to encourage more spending on the Amazon platform, they offer convenience and potential savings for frequent in-app purchasers.
Money has become increasingly digital during the last decade with the crypto sector steadily increasing, led by Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as the most prominent cryptos. If you’re a gamer or buy loads of in-app items, you’ve probably heard of Amazon Coins, yet another digital currency alternative.
The main target audience for Amazon Coins are parents of young children – and we’ll soon tell you why.
Amazon is essentially here to encourage users to download more apps, but in a simple way. Amazon Coins can indirectly provide you with discounts on purchases and save you time, as you won’t need to bother providing credit card info or filling out forms every time you want to buy one of the items eligible for AC purchase.
In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of the Amazon Coin and then show you how to check your AC balance.
Background
Amazon primarily makes a profit out of physical items, while the majority of cryptocurrency trading platforms impose a commission fee for buying, selling, and trading digital assets. But due to its expansion into the Kindle and Android spheres, Amazon is becoming increasingly digital. Now, the e-commerce giant wants consumers to pay for their virtual Android goods with a new currency called Amazon Coins.
Following the example of Microsoft and Nintendo, on July 13, 2013, Amazon introduced Amazon Coin, a virtual currency for games, apps, and in-app purchases. Once the coin was launched, Amazon gifted 500 free coins worth $5 to all Kindle Fire customers.
The e-commerce giant promoted the coin as a means for developers to generate more money by making it easier for customers to buy applications and games.
In 2014, Amazon allowed all Android users residing in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States to earn, purchase, and spend Amazon Coins on the Appstore.
What are Amazon Coins?
As we’ve already covered, Amazon Coins are a digital currency basically like Google Play Store credit that users can utilize to purchase Amazon games, applications, and in-app purchases.
Some popular games which are bought using Amazon Coins are Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
What Is The Value of Amazon Coins?
Amazon Coins are valued at one US cent per coin, thus 100 Coins are equal to one dollar. They cannot, however, be exchanged for cash, as is the case with most coupons, too. You can transfer Amazon Coins to other accounts or gift them as you’re making the purchase, but you can’t transfer coins that have already been added to an account.
In addition, coins can be acquired through any Amazon platform – on the website, on a Fire Tablet, or through the Amazon Appstore on your Android phone or tablet.
A cool thing about these coins is that they never expire. However, promotional coins earned by purchasing certain items (such as a Fire tablet) expire 12 months after they are received. It’s also worth noting that Amazon Coins can only be used to make full purchases, not partial ones. The purchase will not be completed if you only have 30 coins left and the cost of the application is 99 coins.
Why Was the Amazon Coin Introduced?
You might wonder why these Amazon-specific coins were introduced when Amazon already accepts two popular payment methods for purchases on Kindle, i.e. credit/debit cards and gift cards. One explanation is that because cryptocurrency isn’t traditional money, it takes the sting out of purchasing for users, pushing them to spend more.
These digital currencies also make it simple for youngsters to purchase games and eligible apps on Kindle Fire without bothering their parents for fiat money — at least not till their coins run out.
But while Amazon did not elaborate as to why it believes customers will embrace this crypto coin, it stands to reason that the company would target children and parents. Amazon understands that more and more kids use tablets such as the Kindle Fire and that their parents don’t want to constantly fill out forms to purchase apps and features.
On the other hand, if you wish your kids to stay away from your credit card on Kindle, you could buy an Amazon gift card and load the coins into the devices they use from the Amazon Appstore.
Checking Your Amazon Coin Balance
For a long time, Amazon didn’t provide a way for users to see their Amazon Coins purchases and earnings history. Luckily, that is no longer the case. Amazon now provides a page where you can see your current Amazon Coin balance as well as the history of all your previous Amazon Coin transactions.
Amazon divides your credit balances into various categories based on how they were obtained. Unfortunately, to complicate matters further, it doesn’t provide a single location where you can check your Amazon coin balances.
To check your Amazon Coin balance, visit the Appstore through your smart device. You can view your Coins balance in the upper right corner of the Amazon Appstore.
You can also view your Amazon Coin balance by clicking the product page of any paid app. Your Amazon Coin balance will be showcased on the right-hand side, beneath the app’s price. From there, click on the Buy Coins button and it will display how much it costs to buy more coins and how many you can get free of charge.
The more Amazon Coins you buy, the more free coins you’ll receive. It may take a few minutes for the changes in your balance to get updated. You could also immediately reload your balance by going to any paid app, or in-app item. When you buy certain apps, they will actually give you free coins. These coins can only be spent on apps and games in the Appstore.
How to Increase Your Amazon Coin Balance
To boost your balance you could buy Amazon coins with a credit card or debit card from Amazon.com or Amazon underground and purchase as many coins as you like. Just choose the amount you would like to buy and then tap the orange “Buy” icon in the lower right corner. Next, you’ll need to “Confirm Your Purchase” and coins will be added to your balance.
Bonus Tip: If you are a first-time user, you could get a discount code on the website that will allow you to earn more coins.
A Few Words Before You Go…
Amazon Coins were introduced to change the way people buy apps and games, as well as speed up the in-app buying process. These coins are created to mimic a virtual currency, but also function as gift cards.
The ability to spend these funds on Amazon has some cool advantages. You can make rapid purchases, and locate the items you desire much faster than if you had to go via a regular retail shop. Once you’ve found a product that you like, all you have to do is click on it and buy it, either on your account with Amazon or you can use Amazon Coins.
Whether it’s worth your while to dive into the Amazon Coin ecosystem largely depends on how interested you are in in-app purchases on Amazon Appstore applications. If you make a lot of in-app purchases, Amazon Coins is an easy-to-use method that can save a little money and time.
About The Author
James Page, previously the lead writer at Crypto Head and a registered psychologist, brings a unique perspective to the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
His extensive experience in the industry and ability to present complex concepts in an understandable manner make his articles a valuable resource for readers seeking to navigate the ever-evolving crypto landscape.
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