Pokémon TCG Pocket offers players an engrossing way to collect Pokémon cards and battle their friends. It simulates the experience of opening fresh packs, collecting hundreds of cards, and delighting in all the gorgeous artwork while adding a few extra bells and whistles to make the whole experience entertaining. Of course, the whole point of a digital trading card game adaptation of the real one is to reduce the onboarding costs that come with collecting physical cards.

As a result, it's no surprise fans are curious about how Pokémon TCG Pocket's monetization works, specifically with its in-game shop, currency, and subscription service. Luckily, Pokémon TCG Pocket is shaping up to be one of one of the best mobile games, especially for those who enjoy the Pokémon trading card game, and its approach to monetization is a big part of that. While the game contains microtransactions, it's perhaps not as egregious as some may fear.

Does Pokémon TCG Pocket Have Microtransactions

Pokémon TCG Pocket Has In-Game Currency

Pokémon TCG Pocket has microtransactions in the form of an in-game currency called Poké Gold. This can be bought from the in-game store - as well as earned through completing missions - and be used to purchase a variety of useful items. For example, players can use them to pick up cosmetics from the store, something that is fairly innocuous in today's mobile gaming landscape.

However, more importantly, Poké Gold can be used to reduce the waiting time for some of Pokémon TCG Pocket's best features. It's possible to spend Poké Gold on recovering Wonder Stamina to use the Wonder Pick feature and unlock rare cards. Using Poké Gold reduces the amount of time it takes to recover the Wonder Stamina, allowing players to access the Wonder Pick feature faster. This isn't strictly necessary, although it's worth noting that it takes a long time to recover Wonder Stamina in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

Additionally, Poké Gold can be used to reduce the waiting time between opening packs, meaning they get to increase their chances of best cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket as quickly as possible, buying a lot of Poké Gold is the only way to do so. Once again, this isn't inherently necessary, although much like Wonder Stamina, the time between new packs is quite long.

It is worth noting that Poké Gold can be earned by simply playing the game and completing the assortment of missions that are available to the free-to-play players. However, the rate at which players will earn it is relatively slow, meaning that paying for more will always be the more convenient option. Nevertheless, for those who are content with simply unlocking two packs a day and not getting everything all at once, or at least within a short space of time, then there really is no need to purchase any of the in-game currency.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Subscription & What You Get

Extra Booster Packs & Missions

The Pokémon TCG Pocket subscription is called the , and it acts as a monthly paid service that unlocks a number of extras for the player. It costs $9.99 a month and gives players one additional booster pack per day, essentially allowing them to open three a day instead of two. This gives players a better chance of unlocking all the cards that they want which they can't get through Pokémon TCG Pocket's trading system.

In addition to the extra pack, players also get access to special missions which non-subscribers cannot complete. These missions unlock Promo cards, new cosmetics, and more, essentially giving players even more content to work toward. Most notably, these missions unlock Tickets, which can be used in turn to unlock rare cards that are otherwise unobtainable. Consequently, subscribing to the is a surefire way of unlocking some of the game's best cards.

The Pokémon TCG Pocket has a free trial that lasts for 14 days. This can only be accessed once and is unlocked by purchasing a month of the . The subscription will auto-renew, so anyone who wants to just try it out will need to cancel their subscription in order to avoid being charged $9.99.

The value of the subscription ultimately comes down to personal preference. Of course, the more someone uses the app and gets invested in collecting all the cards, the more enticing the will be. It offers a fair amount for the asking price, although it should be noted that the subscription doesn't include any Poké Gold, which must be purchased separately from the in-game store.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Poké Gold, Shops, & Prices

Poké Gold Can Get Expensive

Poké Gold can be purchased from Pokémon TCG Pocket's in-game store for varying prices. The cheapest option costs just $0.99 and gets players 5 Poké Gold, which they can spend on whatever they want. The most expensive option currently available is 500 Poké Gold, setting players back $99.99. A bonus structure grants the more expensive options additional Poké Gold per purchase. For example, the bundle of 200 Poké Gold comes with an additional 50 Poké Gold, essentially giving players 250 Poké Gold for $39.99. Below is the cost of Poké Gold in Pokemon TCG Pocket:

To instantly open another pack after having opened the allotted two - or three with the - players will need to spend six Poké Gold. There's also an option to immediately open 10 packs by spending 60 Poké Gold. However, importantly, players cannot spend more than 720 Poké Gold per day, although that would cost a princely sum of around $150.

There's nothing too drastic going on with Pokémon TCG Pocket's microtransactions, as they follow the same template set out by other mobile and live service games. There's a currency that can make the game more convenient but isn't needed to enjoy the game, and there's a that gives extra bonuses but is also not necessary. For players who don't want to spend any money in the Pokemon TCG Pocket, there really isn't any need to, although those who do will unlock cards a little bit faster.

Source: The Official Pokemon YouTube Channel/YouTube