Pokecoins are extremely rare commodities in Pokemon Go. They can be used to buy a variety of things. They also represent the in-game currency that you buy with real money. There are tons of spam sites out there that promise to give you free Pokemon coins that simply do not work. We highly recommend that you not even try them. For now, there are only two ways to get free Pokecoins in Pokemon Go and we’re going to show you both of them.

How to get Pokecoins – Method 1 – Buy them

The first and most obvious way to get Pokecoins is to buy them. You can access this option in the Shop below all of the other things that you can buy with coins. Here are the prices:

• $0.99 – 100 coins
• $4.99 – 550 coins
• $9.99 – 1200 coins
• $19.99 – 2500 coins
• $39.99 – 5200 coins
• $99.99 – 14500 coins

This is a fairly standard pricing structure for Freemium games in general and Pokemon Go is no different. Now, you may be saying that this requires buying them and buying them means it’s not free. That’s accurate and we’re not debating that at all. However, there are ways to get Google Play credit for free which you can then use to buy coins! Here’s how:

1. Download Google Opinion Rewards by clicking here.
2. Open the app to get it started. You may have to take an introductory survey.
3. Close the app and forget about it, then go hunting Pokemon as normal.
4. Over the coming days and weeks, you’ll receive notifications asking you to complete surveys in the app.
5. Each survey lasts only a few minutes and is usually comprised of less than ten questions. Answer the questions honestly, of course.
6. Almost every time you complete a survey, you’ll be given actual Google Play credit that you can spend on Play Store purchases. That includes in-app purchases. It’s important to note that not every survey will generate money so do beware of that.
7. Over time, you’ll accumulate enough Google Play credit to buy Pokecoins! You won’t be rolling in coins, but it’s a nice boost every now and then.
8. Profit!

It’s not the most efficient way to get free coins. We recommend you take this as an occasional treat rather than something you can do on a regular basis. Still, free coins are free coins, right?

How to get Pokecoins – Method 2 – Taking Gyms

The only way in-game to earn Pokecoins is by taking down and fortifying Gyms. Here’s how this method works:

• Find a Gym and either take it down or fortify it so you can put your Pokemon there. If you don’t know how to do this, check out our awesome Gym capturing and fortifying guide here!
• Once every 21 hours, you’ll be able to go into the Shop and “cash in”. You will get a commensurate number of Pokecoins based on how many Pokemon you have on a Gym.
• The button to grab it is in the top right corner of the Shop. Please note, there isn’t a confirmation screen. Once you press it, that’s it for 21 hours. Don’t touch it until you’re ready to cash out for the day. You cannot press the button when you have zero gyms.
• You get 10 coins and 500 Stardust for every Pokemon you have on a Gym. If you have five Pokemon on five Gyms, you’ll earn 50 coins and 2500 Stardust.
• You can have an infinite number of Pokemon on an infinite number of Pokemon Gyms. However, the “cash in” maxes out at 10 so you’ll never earn more than 100 coins and 5000 stardust per day.
• On the plus side, you can earn up to 100 Pokecoins and 5000 Stardust every 21 hours! It’s also one of the better and more efficient ways to earn stardust.

Of course, this means you’ll have to be rather aggressive when it comes to taking down Gyms and fortifying them because others will be trying to get them as well. This will likely require tons of Potions so stock up!

What can you buy with Pokecoins?

Just in case you’re new to the game, we’ll quickly go over the things you can actually buy with Pokecoins:

• Poke Balls – 20 Poke Balls for 100 coins, 100 Poke Balls for 460 coins, 200 Poke Balls for 800 coins.
• Incense – One Incense for 80 coins, eight Incense for 500 coins, 25 Incense for 1250 coins. Learn how to use Incense here!
• Lucky Egg – One Lucky Egg for 80 coins, eight Lucky Eggs for 500 coins, 25 Lucky Eggs for 1250 coins. Learn how to use Lucky Eggs to maximize your XP here!
• Lure Module – One Lure Module for 100 coins, eight Lure Modules for 680 coins. Learn how to use Lures here!
• Egg Incubator – 150 coins, lasts for three uses.
• Bag Upgrade – 200 coins, increases your item storage by 50 slots. This upgrade is permanent.
• Pokemon Storage Upgrade – 200 coins, increases how many Pokemon you can carry by 50. This upgrade is permanent.

Pokecoins are a valuable resource and they’re exceeding rare (and expensive!). Thus, make sure you spend them wisely. If you have any stories, tips, or tricks regarding Pokecoins, tell us about them in the comments!