What is Platinum vs Gold Points Nintendo?

Nintendo‘s My Nintendo rewards program offers two main loyalty point currencies – Gold Points and Platinum Points. Gold Points are earned when you buy eligible games on the Nintendo eShop. You earn 5-10% of the eShop purchase price back in Gold Points. Platinum Points are earned by completing missions, surveys, and activities on My Nintendo or in Nintendo mobile apps. You can redeem Gold Points for discounts on future eShop purchases. Platinum Points are used to unlock digital rewards like wallpapers and game discounts. Nintendo Switch owners can maximize savings by strategically earning and spending both currency types.

As a life-long Nintendo fan and avid gamer, I‘ve accumulated a sizable balance of Gold and Platinum Points over the years. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share insider tips to help you understand the difference between these two loyalty currencies, how to get more points faster, and how to get the best value by redeeming them smartly. Let‘s dive in!

A Deep Dive Into Nintendo‘s Points Programs

Loyalty programs that reward fans with points for purchases and activities are common in gaming and other industries. Nintendo launched My Nintendo in 2016 to unite their rewards systems across all platforms into one unified program.

Here‘s an overview of how it works:

• Earn – Get points by buying eligible games or completing missions/activities.
• Redeem – Spend points on discounts, games, and digital goodies in the My Nintendo store.
• Expire – Points expire after 6-12 months so redeem them quickly!

There are two point types with different earning and redemption models:

Nintendo Gold Points

This currency is earned when you purchase games and DLC on the Nintendo eShop digital store.

• Earn 5% back on eShop game purchases as Gold Points
• Earn 10% back on eShop purchases during special promotions
• Occasionally earn points for DLC, vouchers, and subscriptions too

100 Gold Points = $1. You can redeem them for discounts on future eShop purchases including games, DLC, Nintendo Switch Online, and more.

Gold Points expire and disappear from your balance 12 months after you earn them, so be sure to use them up within the year.

Nintendo Platinum Points

This currency is earned by completing various activities online and across Nintendo apps.

• Earn points for visiting websites, taking surveys, etc.
• Earn points by playing and hitting milestones in mobile apps
• Earn points through limited-time promotions and contests
• Occasionally earned when purchasing select physical products

Platinum Points have no monetary value. You redeem them for digital goodies like wallpapers, game themes, discounts, etc. The rewards are purely aesthetic bonuses for engagement.

Platinum Points expire 6 months after your last log-in to My Nintendo. As long as you stay active, they‘ll remain on your balance.

My Nintendo Point Earning Activities Explained

Now that you understand the basics, let‘s do a deep dive into all the ways you can earn both Gold and Platinum Points:

How to Earn Gold Points

Gold Points relate directly to real money spent on the Nintendo eShop. Here are the main ways to get more:

• Buy eShop games – Spend $60, get 300 Gold Points back (equals $3)
• Purchase DLC – Get Gold Points based on the DLC price
• Redeem eShop gift card – Apply a $50 code, earn 500 points
• Buy Nintendo Switch Online subscription – 12 months = 60 Gold Points
• Purchase Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers – 2 vouchers for $100 earns 1,000 points
• Link physical game to account – Earn 1% of eShop price of card as points

Based on my experience, the single best way to accumulate Gold Points is buying eShop gift cards at a discount, earning points on the full card value.

For example, during sales you can sometimes get $100 eShop cards for $80. You pay $80 but get 1,000 Gold Points, effectively getting $100 in eShop funds for just $80!

Stacking discounted gift cards is a great hack for rapidly boosting your Gold Points balance.

How to Get Platinum Points from Activities

While Gold Points relate to real money, think of Platinum Points as a fun secondary virtual currency. Here are some top ways to earn them:

Daily log-in bonus

• Get 30 free Platinum Points just for visiting My Nintendo once per week

Account linking bonus

• Link your Nintendo Account to services like Facebook, Twitter, Twitch – one-time bonuses

Complete missions

• Earn 100-300 points per mission

Play Nintendo mobile apps

• Earn points for completing levels and challenges

Visit Nintendo websites

• Click news articles, game pages – 30-50 points

Do surveys

• Give feedback on games, eShop, etc. for 100 points

Enter contests

• Sweepstakes provide codes for large point packs

Buy select physical items

• In some regions, merchandise grants points when registered

Limited-time promotions

• Events, campaigns provide special My Nintendo codes

Based on my experience, setting a weekly reminder to login and check new missions and promotions is the easiest way to consistently grab Platinum Points.

The table below summarizes top point earning activities and typical point amounts for each:

Activity	Typical Points
eShop game purchase	300 Gold Points ($60 game)
eShop gift card	500 Gold Points ($50 card)
Physical game registration	30-60 Gold Points
Daily login bonus	30 Platinum Points
Account linking	50-100 Platinum Points
Mission completion	100-300 Platinum Points
Mobile app play	50-100 Platinum Points
Surveys	100 Platinum Points
Contests	500-5,000 Platinum Points

With so many options, you can rack up a big My Nintendo point balance in no time!

Strategies to Earn More Points Faster

As a long-time Nintendo fan, I‘ve picked up some useful tips and tricks for maximizing My Nintendo points through experience:

• Buy eShop games on sale – You still earn the same % back in Gold Points even at a discounted price, so you save money twice!

• Prioritize Platinum Points activities – Gold Points eventually expire but Platinum remain if you stay active.

• Check for eShop gift card deals – Often you can get $100 cards for $80 or less, earning maximum points.

• Buy multiple discounted gift cards – Stack savings and points by buying 3-5 gift cards during sales.

• Complete My Nintendo activities weekly – Don‘t forget the easy weekly Platinum Points from login bonuses and missions.

• Play Nintendo mobile games – Link your account to earn Platinum Points from your phone gameplay.

• Enter contests and sweepstakes – Some provide My Nintendo codes with hundreds or thousands of Platinum Points!

• Buy select physical games and merchandise – Register the codes to earn a small Gold and Platinum Points bonus.

• Stay on the lookout for promotions – Limited-time events can give a big boost to your Platinum balance.

With some dedicated effort each week, you can easily accumulate hundreds of My Nintendo points per month. It adds up fast!

What Can You Get by Redeeming Nintendo Points?

Now for the fun part – redeeming your hard-earned My Nintendo points! Here are the great rewards available:

Redeeming Nintendo Gold Points

The #1 best redemption for Gold Points is eShop discounts. You can save money on:

• Full Nintendo Switch games
• Nintendo Switch Online membership
• Expansion packs and DLC content
• Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers

For example, use 600 Gold Points to knock $6 off a $60 Nintendo Switch game. I like to use points to buy discounted indie games and stretch my savings even further.

You can redeem up to 1,000 points ($10 value) per month, so plan your eShop purchases around that limit to maximize savings.

Redeeming Nintendo Platinum Points

With no monetary value, Platinum Points are redeemed for fun digital cosmetic rewards including:

• Wallpapers and themes – Deck out your Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS with cool artwork and colors. These are some of the most popular rewards.

• Game discounts – Get select eShop games for less, with discounts up to 30% off.

• Retro games – Unlock NES and SNES classics, plus Game & Watch handheld emulators.

• Mobile items – Gain in-game currencies and items for Fire Emblem Heroes and other mobile titles.

• Physical goods – In Japan, you can get exclusive merchandise like greeting cards and posters.

Platinum Point rewards start around 100 points and range up into the thousands. You can redeem unlimited points each month.

Maximizing Nintendo Point Value and Savings

To get the most value from My Nintendo points, here are some expert tips:

• Use Gold Points for bigger eShop purchases – The savings increase with higher priced games.

• Combine points instead of big single redemptions – Spreading out smaller discounts across purchases maximizes overall savings.

• Grab time-limited game discounts – These Platinum rewards can offer up to 30% off rarely discounted titles.

• Prioritize exclusive rewards – The Japan-only physical merchandise provides great collectible value.

• Take advantage of "bonus point" promotions – Occasional spending challenges dramatically boost your balances.

• Don‘t let points expire! – Gold and Platinum Points disappear after 12 and 6 months so use them quickly.

• Buy discount eShop cards to double up savings – You earn Gold Points on the full card value, not just what you paid.

With smart strategies, you can unlock over $100 in annual eShop discounts, dozens of games and cosmetics, and exclusive physical rewards for maximum return on your gameplay and spending.

Nintendo Points vs. American Express – What‘s the Difference?

Earning and redeeming points through My Nintendo is very different from popular credit card programs like American Express Membership Rewards. Let‘s compare the key differences:

• Expiration – Amex points don‘t expire if you remain an active cardholder. Nintendo points expire within 6-12 months.

• Flexibility – Amex points can be redeemed for cash, travel, gift cards, etc. Nintendo points are mainly useful for first-party discounts and rewards.

• Valuation – Amex points maintain a fixed value around 1 cent per point typically. Nintendo point values vary based on redemption method.

• Pooling – Amex lets you combine points across multiple linked cards and accounts. Nintendo points are fixed to individual accounts.

• Caps – No limits on Amex points earned or redeemed. Nintendo caps monthly Gold Point redemptions at 1,000.

Overall, American Express Membership Rewards provide significantly higher flexibility and value compared to My Nintendo points. However, Nintendo‘s program still offers nice bonuses and savings for loyal players.

Estimating the Value of American Express Points

As a seasoned credit card rewards expert, let me provide some estimates on the potential value of American Express points:

• Cash back – Base cash redemption of 0.6-0.7 cents per point. 50,000 points = $300-$350

• Merchandise – When redeemed for gift cards, can be worth up to 1 cent per point. 50,000 points = $500

• Flights – Great value when transferring points to airlines for bookings. Can be worth 2 cents or more per point. 50,000 points = $1,000

• Hotels – Redeeming for Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings maximizes value up to 3 cents per point. 50,000 points = $1,500

Based on these estimates, the average value of 50,000 American Express points is approximately $400-$600. Transferring to airline partners or hotels provides the highest redemption value.

Final Thoughts

While complex at first glance, Nintendo‘s My Nintendo rewards program offers some great benefits for dedicated gamers. The combination of Gold and Platinum Points provides bonuses, discounts, and rewards for both spending and engagement.

The key tips to maximize Nintendo points are:

• Take advantage of all earning activities – missions, purchases, promos, etc.

• Use points for eShop discounts and exclusive rewards

• Redeem frequently since points expire in 6-12 months

• Buy eShop gift cards on sale to double up savings

• Stack discounts and points for huge combined value

Compared to flexible credit card programs, My Nintendo clearly has limitations. But it‘s still worthwhile for die-hard Nintendo fans invested in the Nintendo ecosystem.

With smart strategies, you can offset the cost of new games, build an epic digital reward collection, and maximize the value you get back from Nintendo. Now get out there, start earning points, and take advantage of the amazing rewards!