premium currency
Purchased in-game money
Premium currency is virtual money in video games or apps that's purchased with real money, as distinct from currency earned through gameplay.
Games use premium currency to monetize: You can buy the skin with gems or grind for three months.
The two-tier system lets developers offer "free" games while selling convenience, cosmetics, or competitive advantages.
- gemsCut precious stones
- crystalsSolids with ordered structure
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
- tokensCurrency substitutes
- microtransactionMinor digital goods payment
gacha · pay to win · paywall · freemium · free to play · stars · rubies · points · credits · wallet · store · bundle · real money · whale · spending cap · grind · unlock · cosmetic
- game termslevel, score, player, win, lose
- game mechanicslevels, rules, cooldown, points, health points
- game lootgold coins, gems, crystals, coins, loot
- gaming businessmicrotransactions, loot boxes, DLC, pay-to-win, battle pass
- gaming commercemicrotransaction, in-app purchase, loot box, battle pass, DLC
- idle gamesidle games, clicker games, tapping, passive income, upgrades
acquisition method
premium currencysoft currency
Unreliable medium of exchange
in-game currency · common currency · reward points · experience points · gold