Amazon has launched its virtual currency, Amazon Coins, in the UK and is offering Kindle Fire owners £4 worth to spend.
The Amazon Coins allow customers to purchase Kindle Fire apps, games and in-app content via the Amazon Appstore on their tablet range.
Any new or existing Kindle Fire tablet owner, including the new Amazon Kindle Fire HDX, will get £4 Coins credit to spend.
“Today we are giving Kindle Fire owners £4 worth of Coins to spend on new apps and games, such as Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds Star Wars”, said Amazon’s Vice President of Apps and Games, Mike George. “And with discounts of up to 10 per cent when you buy Coins in bulk, this is a great way for customers to save money when they buy apps, games and in-app items.”
It seems Amazon will expand the uses for Amazon Coins at a later date, but it isn’t clear whether the online retail giant will eventually allow them to be used to make purchases on the standard Amazon websites.
“We will continue to add more ways to earn and spend Coins on a wider range of content and activities.”
You can buy Amazon Coins via the Amazon website with a bundle of 500 costing £4.80 as the more you buy the bigger the discount. 1,000 Coins cost £9.50, 2,500 are £23, 5,000 are £45 and the largest packet of 10,000 Coins costs £90.
All Coins are immediately deposited in your account and have no expiration date.
Amazon Coins launched in the US in May and Amazon offers Kindle Fire users 500 Coins (equivalent to $5) as launch present.
Kindle Fire app developers will not be affected by the introduction of Amazon Coins and will continue to receive 70 per cent of revenues.
“Now customers in the UK can also purchase a broad range of Appstore content using Amazon Coins,” added Jorrit Van der Meulen, Vice President of Amazon Kindle. “We are continuously working to enhance customers benefits and Coins is a great new feature that we know they will love.”
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