What are Google Play Points
Google Play Points are part of an award system whereby Google Play users earn points on their regular behavior in the Google Play store. Examples include making purchases or downloading featured free apps/games from a rotating list and taking part in weekly promotions.
As users accumulate points, they can choose whether to:
- Exchange them for credit to be used in the play store.
- Donate them to nonprofit organizations.
- Or spend them on special items / discounts inside games / apps.
As a reward system it follows the same format as most: there are four tiers to climb- Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum- and they each offer increasing perks like bonus points and discounts on purchases in game. The incentive for the user is to earn as many points as they can in order to reach each tier level, so for every dollar spent they earn more points that they can spend. The incentive for the app developer / marketer to join the program is a likely increase in traffic, discoverability and growth.
App developers / marketers must be accepted onto the program but users can join for free.
Why Google Play Points are Important
App developers who participate in the reward scheme can improve their conversion rate (CVR) because users know they will get more points and see more value from installing a game or purchasing items inside it (in-app purchases.) As active users are encouraged to spend (through discounts and sales) on paid apps, this is good news for any app that has in-app purchases or download costs.
