How to Get Pokemon GO Coins: 2 Ways

Gamers searching for how to get Pokemon GO coins should know there are only two ways. The first is earning them in the game and the second is buying them. The tables below show how to buy the coins. We also explain how to earn up to 100 coins per day. Pokémon GO is a revolutionary new type of entertainment that really puts the “mobile” in “mobile game.” For years smartphones have been maligned as isolating people and promoting antisocial behavior. Pokémon GO turns that equation on its head, requiring players to get outside, get active and get social in order to get coins and play the game. Players must join real world teams to advance through levels, hunting Pokémon and defending physical gyms.

Get Pokemon Go coins by buying

How to Get Pokémon GO Coins by Buying Them

To get Pokémon GO Coins by buying them, tap your character’s icon. A new screen will show up with details. Tap the little image of the coin in the lower left to enter the Shop. There you’ll see game items for sale like Poké Balls, Incense, Lucky Eggs and so on. Scroll down past all these until you see the screen with the Pokécoins for sale. Players can buy blocks of 100 coins, 550, 1,200, 2,500, 5,200 or 14,500. The bigger packs are more expensive but cheaper per-coin. 100 coins costs 99 cents, but buying 145 packs of 100 coins for 99 cents each would cost $143.55. Buying one pack of 14,500 coins instead costs $99.99. Perhaps a better way to get Pokémon GO Coins is earning them. See the section below to find out how.

How to Get Pokémon Go Coins by Buying Them
PriceNumber of Coins
$0.99100
$4.99550
$9.991,200
$19.992,500
$39.995,200
$99.9914,500

Get pokemon go coins by defending a gym

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How to Get Pokémon GO Coins by Earning Them

Players don’t need to shell out real world money to get Pokémon GO coins. As of 8/31/16, there is still only one way to get Pokemon GO coins for free. They can only be earned in the game by defending or controlling a gym. A gym is a real world location that teams of players can control and defend. A player defends a gym when he or she leaves a Pokémon there. To earn coins, a player must leave a defending Pokémon there for a full 21 hour cycle. At the end of each cycle, the player earns 10 coins for each gym. Players can defend up to 10 gyms at a time. That means players can earn up to 100 Pokémon GO coins every 21 hours. The table below shows some nuts and bolts facts about earning the coins.

How to Get Pokémon GO Coins by Winning Them
ActionCoins Given
Control or defend a gymGet 10 Pokémon GO coins every 21 hours
Visit the in-game Store, tap the shield icon (upper right)Claim the coins you've earned for defending a gym.
Catch PokémonEarn candies and Stardust to power up and level up your Pokémon, making it easier to defend gyms and get more Pokémon GO coins.
Reach Level 5Must be level 5 to defend a gym and get Pokémon GO coins.
Fight battles in friendly gymsSuccessful battles raise your gym's prestige value and keep you in control and earning Pokémon GO coins.
Defend 10 gyms for 21 hoursGet 100 Pokémon GO coins
Defend 9 gyms for 21 hoursGet 90 Pokémon GO coins
Defend 1 gym for 21 hoursGet 10 Pokémon GO coins

Things that Help Players Earn Coins

Many players wondering how to get Pokémon GO coins already know they can do it by defending a gym. It’s a little harder to do it. There are several things that players need to do in order to be strong enough to successfully defend a gym. That’s because there’s stiff competition out there in the form of lots of other players. To succeed, a player’s Pokémon must be as strong and versatile as possible. Players must be level 5 in order to defend gyms in the first place. Players go up levels by earning experience points, boosting Pokémon CP or “Combat Power” level, catching Pokémon and engaging in other in-game activities. This is a post about how to get Pokémon GO coins and not a complete guide, so we won’t get into exhaustive instructions here. There are some excellent guides out there that explain the nitty gritty. For our purposes, here’s a brief rundown of some things players can do that ultimately help them earn more coins:

  • Hunt Pokémon
  • Get items
  • Defend gyms (Get Pokémon GO coins every 21 hours)
  • Control gyms (Get Pokémon GO coins every 21 hours)
  • Get Poké Balls (helps with hunting Pokémon)
  • Hatch Pokémon from eggs
  • Get higher level Poké Balls
  • Get Stardust to power up your Pokémon’s Combat Power (CP) level (from catching or hatching Pokémon or controlling a gym)
  • Get Candies to boost CP and move up levels (from catching or hatching Pokémon)
  • Get eggs from real world PokéStops

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Why You Need to Get Pokemon GO Coins

Players need to get Pokémon GO Coins in order to get items like Poké Balls. Those are needed to catch Pokémon, which are needed for all sorts of reasons. Coins can also be used to purchase other items like Incense, Lucky Eggs, Lure Modules, Egg Incubators, Bag Upgrades and Storage Upgrades. All these things are important to play the game, advance through levels and evolve Pokémon into more powerful creatures.

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