Google Play Points launches in the U.S.

In September 2018, Google launched Google Play Points, a program that rewards Google Play Store customers with points that can be put toward purchase and rental credit. It later expanded to Korea (in April), and in a blog post today, Google announced the launch of Play Points stateside.

Play Points, which is free to join, extends not only to apps and games but to movies, TV shows, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and subscription content. Android users can earn discounts and credit or donate their earnings to a rotating list of nonprofits and charitable organizations, including Doctors Without Borders USA, Save the Children, and the World Food Program USA.

“Since 2012, Google Play has been a one-stop shop to find and enjoy apps, games, movies, TV shows, and books,” wrote product manager for Play Points Winston Mok. “More than 2 billion people in 190 countries use Google Play to discover new experiences … To show our appreciation, we created [Play Points to let] you earn points and rewards for the ways you already use Google Play.”

Purchases aren’t required to earn points, at least in the case of Play Points’ free featured apps and games. Weekly events boost the earning rate on select movie, book, and game titles, starting this week with a three times bonus on all Google Play content. And in partnership with several developers, Google is affording enrollees the choice of special in-app items like characters and currency with points.

Play Points is a tiered system. There are four levels (bronze, silver, gold level, platinum), each corresponding to a certain number of lifetime accumulated points, and higher levels confer perks like weekly prizes.

• Bronze: 1 point for every $1 spent. Up to 4 times points in games during weekly events and up to 2 times points on movie rentals and books during monthly events.
• Silver: 1.1 points for every $1 spent. Up to 4 times points in games during weekly events and up to 3 times points on movie rentals and books during monthly events, plus up to 50 points every week in weekly silver level prizes.
• Gold: 1.2 points for every $1 spent. Up to 4 times points in games during weekly events and up to 4 times points on movie rentals and books during monthly events, plus up to 200 points every week in weekly gold level prizes.
• Platinum: 1.4 points for every $1 spent. Up to 4 times points in games during weekly events and up to 5 times points on movie rentals and books during monthly events, plus up to 500 points every week in weekly platinum level prizes and premium support with faster responses and dedicated agents.

To enroll, launch the Google Play app on your Android device, then tap the menu and the Play Points shortcut. (You’ll be asked to add a payment method if you haven’t already.) If you choose to leave the Play Points program by filling out this form, you’ll be able to use any remaining coupons or items you’ve exchanged with your points and you’ll receive promotions until your request is processed. Plus, if you rejoin Play Points within 30 days of leaving, you’ll recover all your points, level, benefits, and perks.