In Pokémon GO you can occasionally purchase paid tickets to unlock additional content. Our MeinMMO author Franzi Korittke finances these through Google surveys. We have summarized how you can do this as well.
What content is it about? Trainers in Pokémon GO not only have the option to participate in the game for free but can also purchase various items or special event access in the in-game shop.
Most of these items can be obtained in exchange for so-called PokéCoins, the in-game currency of the game. However, if the collected coins are not enough or if one wants to secure a special research for the next Community Day, real money must be spent.
Just like many other players, I want to spend as little real money as possible on Pokémon GO, but I have now found a way through Google surveys to get the coins “for free.” How this works and what advantages and disadvantages it entails, I have summarized for you below.
Here we explain how you can earn coins in Pokémon GO.
How to secure coins in Pokémon GO with Google surveys
What are Google surveys? If you use an Android device, you have the option to download the so-called “Google Surveys” app from the Play Store. This occasionally provides you with surveys that revolve around your purchasing behavior, places visited, or your personal life circumstances.
If you participate in these surveys, you will receive rewards in the form of credit, which you can then redeem for purchases in the Play Store. Depending on the type of the survey, these rewards usually range between 0.08 Euro and 0.49 Euro for me. Occasionally, it’s a bit more.
Technically, the rewards are not free because you are selling your personal data to Google through the surveys. You should definitely keep this in mind before using the app and decide whether it’s suitable for you.
How it works: Once you have installed the survey app, linked it with your Google account, and set it up according to the instructions in the app, you just have to wait. Depending on which user group Google has categorized you in, you will receive push notifications when a survey is available for you.
You just have to open these now and you will be taken directly to the questionnaire, which you can answer. The survey usually consists of one to four panels and, thanks to the use of multiple-choice questions, will be over in a few seconds. At the end of the survey, your respective reward will be displayed.
For the app to function properly, it is advisable to enable location data. I tend to receive more surveys if I have previously been shopping somewhere.
How can you use the credit for Pokémon GO?
As mentioned, I use the Google survey app solely to finance the coins in Pokémon GO because I want to spend as little real money as possible. To purchase the coins or special event tickets in the in-game shop, you first need to proceed as usual and select the corresponding content.
Before you proceed with the payment process, however, you must ensure that your credit is taken into account. You can see this by the current balance displayed below the selected item on your Play Store account. If this is the case, the credit account will be charged first.
If you have an item that costs more than your credit in the Play Store account, you can have it partially credited, and the remaining amount will be deducted from your bank account. Also, ensure that your credit is listed during the payment process.
Keep in mind that sometimes it can take a few hours for new credit to become available for redemption in the Play Store.
How many surveys do you receive through the app? The number of surveys you receive from Google varies greatly and mainly depends on which user group you have been assigned to. I have found that I receive more surveys when I have spent longer periods near larger stores or have shopped there.
I usually receive about 7 surveys a month, which allows me to finace the event ticket for the Community Day without issues. However, this can vary greatly from month to month.
How long is the credit valid? If you don’t make purchases through the Play Store frequently, you can also save the credit. The rewards are valid for one year from the day you receive them. So you can also collect a larger balance if you prefer to have larger coin packages or want to purchase a more expensive ticket, like for GO Fest 2022.
Another option to get coins with Google
If you don’t want to “sell” your data to Google or want to further boost your credit, you should also utilize Play Points in the Google Play Store. These are a type of loyalty points, similar to what you would find in supermarkets or drugstores.
You earn these when making purchases through the Play Store. Depending on how many points you have already collected, you can level up and earn even more points.
Additionally, you have the opportunity to secure an additional random reward in the form of Play Points once a week through a kind of raffle. The collected points can then be exchanged for credits for your game.
For example, there are always offers through the Play Store where you can receive a 3 Euro voucher for Pokémon GO for the use of 150 Play Points. You can then have this deducted during your purchase in the in-game shop accordingly.
Due to special bonus actions, you can also secure a few additional Play Points in this context. For this reason, I always check the Play Store briefly before making a purchase and activate such an action where possible.
My conclusion on Google surveys and Play Points
What I like about it: I find it a good way to secure a bit of credit for the Play Store with minimal effort, which I can then use in the game. It has now become the exception for me to spend real money for the monthly event tickets in Pokémon GO. This usually only happens for larger investments or if I want to buy higher coin packages.
Through the Play Points, which one can already collect with purchases in the Play Store, my credit is additionally boosted without me having to do anything specific for it. Since I don’t want to give this up, I also participate in the random rewards of Play Points every week, where I usually get around 5 points more.
Disadvantages of Google surveys: One disadvantage of Google surveys is that you pay with your personal data. You become a kind of transparent user. Personally, that doesn’t bother me as much. For players who value their data privacy, Google surveys may be less suitable.
Furthermore, the number of surveys and the amount of rewards depend on how interesting you are as a user for Google. So, you can be lucky and be overwhelmed with surveys, or you could be unlucky and only receive a survey every now and then. This ultimately also affects how often and how many coins you can eventually afford in Pokémon GO.
Despite the aforementioned disadvantages, Google surveys will remain a good option for me to largely finance my Pokémon GO experience.
What is your opinion on Google surveys? Have you also collected coins for Pokémon GO in this way? Or is the use of such an app completely out of the question for you? Please feel free to share your opinion on this topic here on MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other trainers.
By the way: In Pokémon GO, especially the shiny monsters are interesting for many trainers. Here, I explain to you which shinies are must-haves in my collection and why.
