Google Play Points: How to Earn and Use in New Zealand
Google Play Points is a rewards programme that lets you earn points and rewards with the Google Play Store. While they launched in 2019, they only kicked off their programme in New Zealand in late 2021.
You’ll be familiar with the Google Play Store if you have a mobile or tablet that has Android, or you’re like me and use the Google Play Store to download movies and stream them to your TV via Chromecast.
It costs nothing to join, and if you’re already making purchases, it can over time help you save money through the rewards that you can earn.
With Google Play Points, you can:
Earn points for purchases of digital content, in-app items, and downloads from the Google Play Store.
Use points to get discount coupons, in-app items, or Google Play Credit.
Get more benefits, rewards, and points as your level goes up.
Please note that this guide is specific to New Zealand. The Google Play Points programme is different depending on the country you sign up in, so this guide might not be of use to you if you’re reading from elsewhere.
How to earn Google Play points
You’ll start by earning 1 point for every 1 NZD you spend with Google Play.
For the first week after you join, you'll receive a welcome offer of 3x bonus points on every purchase.
When you collect enough points within a calendar year, you’ll level up, which earns you more points and benefits. The higher your level, the more points you earn.
You can earn points in the following ways:
Buying apps or games on the Play Store
Purchasing games on the Stadia Android app
Subscribing to Google One from Android - extra data for your phone
Make in-app or in-game purchases and subscriptions
Buy books, movies, TV shows or episode purchases with Google Play or the Google Play Movies app
Note: You won’t earn points for any YouTube purchases.
Things to know about points
Even if you’ll only be able to sign up to Play Points on your Android device, you’ll still be able to earn points with Google Play purchases that you’ve made using your computer or smart TV.
You can’t purchase points or convert points to cash.
You can’t transfer points between accounts or to someone else, even if they are a part of your family group.
If you have Google Play Points and change your billing country, your points are lost, and your level isn’t carried over to the new billing country. This is important to note for anyone in New Zealand that plans to leave at some point. Make sure to use your points first!
Points & benefits per level
When you earn points in a calendar year, your points add up to put you at a certain level. The more points you earn, the higher your level becomes. The higher your level is, the more points, perks and benefits you can get.
Here’s me starting off at Bronze, with a few points earned from a movie rental:
Here’s an example of how your level might change from 2021 to 2022:
In the calendar year January 1, 2021 - December 31st, 2021, you reach the Gold level. You’ll stay at Gold until the end of the next calendar year (December 31st, 2022), even if you don’t earn any points.
From January 1st, 2022 to December 31st 2022, if you earn:
150 points, you’ll start January 1st, 2023 at the Silver level.
600 points, you’ll start January 1st, 2023 at the Gold level.
3,000 points, you’ll start January 1st, 2023 at the Platinum level.
Here’s a table showing the points and benefits for each of the Google Play Points status tiers:
If you work your way up to Platinum status, you’ll see that you benefit from what is called “Premium Support”. This means that you can (potentially, with no guarantee from Google):
Jump ahead of the waiting list for Play issues. When you call or chat with our support team, you’ll automatically be prioritized and get less waiting time.
Chat with an expert from a dedicated support team. If you have Platinum or Diamond status, you’ll immediately get matched with specially selected agents from a team dedicated to support Platinum or Diamond status users.
How do I know how many points I’ll earn?
To calculate the number of points earned for a purchase, you’ll need to multiply the item’s price by the base earn rate for your status level (which will start off at Bronze for most). The number of points you’ll earn is rounded up or down to the nearest whole number.
You’ll only earn points for the price of the item, not including any taxes paid.
For example, at the Bronze level, you earn 1 point per 1 NZD on all purchases. If you spend 5 NZD, you’ll get 5 points.
When you move up to the Silver level, you earn 1.10 points per 1 NZD. If you spend 5 NZD, you’ll get 6 points, rounded up from 5.50.
Tip: At the start of each calendar year, your level may change based on how many points you earned the year before. The higher your level, the more you earn per 1 NZD on all purchases.
What your points count towards
The points you earn will count towards both Play Points balance and level progress.
Play Points balance: Use these points to unlock special items in apps and games or exchange them for Google Play Credit. When you use or exchange points, the points will be deducted from this balance. Any points you earn will expire one year after the last time you earned or used points.
Level progress: Points you’ve earned in a calendar year count as progress towards the next level. Points won’t be deducted from your level progress when you use them. Once you reach a level, you keep that level until the end of the next calendar year.
When you return or cancel a purchase that you earned points on, those points will be deducted from your Play Points balance and level progress.
Earn extra points through promotions
Some promotions will increase your earning rate on select purchases. You can earn points at the highest available earn rate during specified time periods.
There are some key things to know about promotions:
Multiple promotions can’t be combined on a single purchase.
Promotions have a set earn rate that they apply.
Promotions and their expiration dates may vary.
Some promotions may require an activation.
Some promotions may have an expiration date. If you make your purchase after the expiration date, you earn points at the regular rate for your level.
Multi-purchase promotions are currency specific. To qualify, purchases must occur in the same currency shown on the promotion. So, if you somehow stumble across a USD promotion online, bad luck - won’t be available in New Zealand!
Here is an example of some of the special earn rates and bonuses currently shown on my dashboard:
Can I earn Google Play Points on subscriptions?
If you purchase a subscription through an app, you earn points at the regular rate for your status level. The purchase must be made through Google Play, and not on another website or elsewhere.
Other key things to know:
Some promotions may offer additional points for first time subscribers in select apps and games.
You can only receive a maximum one time point bonus for being a first-time subscriber to an app or game.
Select subscriptions in apps and games may offer additional points when you’re billed.
Using points in the Google Play Store
In New Zealand, you can use points to get:
In-app or in-game items - a full list can be found here.
Coupons to buy in-app or in-game items at a discounted price
Google Play credit at a rate of $1 for every 100 points
You can redeem your points either on a computer or on your Android phone. Step-by-step instructions on how to use your points can be found here.
In New Zealand, you’ll be able to redeem your points for Google Play credit at the following rates:
$1 Google Play Credit = 100 points
$2 Google Play Credit = 200 points
$5 Google Play Credit = 500 points
$10 Google Play Credit = 1000 points
At these rates, you’re effectively earning back a minimum of 1% of your spend.
This is not considering bonus promotions, either for earning or redeeming, so you may sometimes get better value.
Redeeming for weekly prizes
If you’re at Silver level or higher in Google Play Points, you’ll be able to get extra points by claiming your weekly prize. The weekly prizes reset on Friday each week, local time here in New Zealand.
To redeem for weekly prizes, you’ll need to use your Android phone, and follow these steps:
Open the Google Play Store app.
At the top right, tap the profile icon.
Tap Play Points Perks.
To claim your prize: Tap Open Claim your Weekly Prize.
To check if you already redeemed your weekly prize: Tap More Points history.
Summing up
Google are the first to offer a points programme for app, movie, and book purchases - something that Apple hasn’t done yet, though I wouldn’t be surprised if they follow suit at some stage.
The programme seems fine, particularly if you’re already making purchases for either game play, or for movie rentals for example.
It could be smart to time your movie purchases around any bonus point promotions that might be on offer. Looking to try a new game in your down time? Perhaps opt for one that you can at least earn something back on.
The minimum 1% back on spend is fine, as long as it doesn’t mean that costs will go up to account for the introduction of the programme. The apps that offer bonus points be needing to ‘purchase’ these from Google, so it is yet to be seen whether this cost is absorbed into their current pricing, or whether there will be gradual pricing inflation.
I hope that Google and others will see this simply as a part of an overall marketing spend budget. Points programmes drive consumer behaviour, and people may be more likely to try apps and games where they get a little something back.
