Did you know you can earn platinum points on Nintendo Switch and redeem them for digital and physical rewards? Here’s how it works.
Nintendo has a reward points system in place for digital purchases across its suite of games on both the Switch and mobile devices (iOS, Android). You can earn both gold points and platinum points.
What are gold points?
Gold points are a rebate that Nintendo gives you on digital purchases. You earn 5% of your digital purchase price back in gold points. Gold points are worth one cent. That means if you spend $59.99 on a game, you get 300 gold points. Physical purchases only earn 1% back, unless Nintendo offers a special gold points promotion.
Gold points are a great way to earn some money back on future purchases on the Nintendo eShop. They expire within 12 months from the time you acquired them, so it’s smart to use them from time to time to avoid losing them.
Gold points on physical rewards can only be redeemed for up to one year after a game’s release. That means purchasing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2022 would not earn you gold points. Digital purchases automatically apply the earned gold points after you buy the game, DLC, or Nintendo Switch Online membership.
What are platinum points?
Platinum points are Nintendo’s reward currency for loyal gamers. Platinum points are granted for performing activities on Nintendo consoles, reviewing games, and playing mobile games. You don’t have to buy anything to earn platinum points. You can redeem platinum points for both physical and digital rewards. Platinum points also expire on a 12-month rolling schedule, so it’s best to spend them frequently.
Digital Platinum Points Rewards
Some of the digital rewards you can redeem with your platinum points include wallpapers for your desktop and phone. There are fun packs from a variety of games, from Pokemon Legends: Arceus to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo regularly adds new content to redeem for platinum points, so check back frequently.
You can also spend your platinum points on digital avatar rewards in the Nintendo Switch Online app on the Switch itself. These rewards rotate on a weekly and monthly basis. So far, Animal Crossing rewards are tied to icons of villagers who were born in a certain month. So if you want an avatar of Azalea who is born on December 18, you have to wait until then to buy her with platinum points.
Nintendo also rotates the avatar rewards according to what released recently. In March, when the new system was introduced you could buy Super Mario Odyssey inspired icon items. For April, the icons are Splatoon 2 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which released at the end of March.
Physical Platinum Points Rewards
The My Nintendo Store also has a rotating rewards list that changes on a month to month basis. You can save up your platinum points (12 months to do so) to buy a physical reward with them.
You can see some examples of the physical rewards that were available in the store when I took the screenshot. Nintendo does ask that you pay $5 for shipping and handling, but otherwise you can spend as many platinum points as you want per order.
How to Earn Platinum Points on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo offers several different ways you can earn platinum points on your account. Doing the monthly and weekly Nintendo Switch Online quests are just one way earn the points. You can also earn 30 platinum points per survey you complete after you buy a game. So be sure to look out for an email from Nintendo asking, “What do you think about your new game?”
The surveys expire around two weeks after you receive the email, so be sure to fill them out to receive those points. The emails will go to the address you used to register your Nintendo account. You can also earn a boat load of platinum points by playing Nintendo’s suite of mobile games.
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