Amazon has launched a new loyalty scheme called Amazon Coins in an attempt to rival the likes of Nectar points from Sainsburys.
The new scheme will reward customers who buy digital content using Amazon’s App Store on an Android device, such as the Kindle Fire HD. By downloading or buying apps, songs, videos and such users will be able to rack up points, which can be exchanged for free content.
After a few downloads users will be able to then use their amassed ‘Coins’ – or points, if you will – in order to get apps, music, videos and even in-app purchases for free on the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tablets.
Amazon will launch the initiative in May in the US with a view to launch it elsewhere in the world later in the year if it takes off. The idea is both an incentive for customers to offer new apps and a reward to app developers who submit apps to the Amazon App Store.
Developers will still get a 70% cut of any app purchases made using Amazon Coins, so it’s a win-win situation for all involved it would seem.
One Amazon Coin is equal to 1 cent, so if you’re hoping to download a 69 cent app then you’ll need 69 Amazon Coins – easy.
The retail giant says it will give away millions of free coins to customers upon launch to get things started, although we’re not sure just how many coins each customer will get to start off with.
Would you be encouraged to download more if your downloads earned you free apps in the future?