Google Play Points are a system that Google implemented back in 2019 into the Play Store for developers to increase awareness and interaction with their apps and games while giving users more ways to benefit from playing and using them. You can get in-app purchases among other things without directly spending money, and you even get a free prize of extra points each week.
Most people I speak to spend their points directly on Play Store credit so they can purchase games and apps outright since the appeal – at least, in my circles – for in-game items is very low. To be honest, it may just be because I’m not big into games that focus all of their attention on monetizing this way, as I’d rather buy a game and be done, but I understand how big this is in Eastern countries and elsewhere besides the U.S.
To make this rewards system more useful, especially for those who have amassed lots of Play Points and who have yet to spend them, Google has now enabled you to directly spend them in the Store for whatever you want. When cashing out for in-app purchases, subscriptions, movies, TV shows, books, and audiobooks, the option for your existing Play Points balance will now show.
9to5Google captured the following image which shows a “New” badge next to the words “Use points” on the payment screen alongside your existing card and Play Store balance. When tapped, a “Choose amount” screen comes up and gives you two options. First, you can choose to pay off the purchase in full with Play Points. The other choice lets you pay just a portion of it using 100 points, though this will likely vary depending on the points threshold you’ve reached and the price of the purchase.
If you’re not yet signed up for the Google Play Points program, you should enroll as it’s free to join. You earn points on everything you buy, and you can even get up to 4x points during special events which the Store tends to hold nearly every week.
With this new Play Points option for purchases being implemented (We don’t have it yet, but let us know in the comments if you’ve received the update!) I do see the “Google Play Credit” option disappearing from the “Use” tab of the Play Points program. Currently, you can use your accumulated points for $1, $2, $5, and $10 worth of credit, but this seems like it will just be redundant now. This could also be a part of a bigger picture too as Google is also bringing an ‘Offers’ tab directly to the bottom navigation of the Store, so being able to spend Play Points may become more important than before.
