Learn how to maximize your PokéCoin earning through successful Gym defense in our complete guide.
Catching ‘em all isn’t always easy in Pokémon GO, and PokéCoins can help. PokéCoins are the in-game currency used for purchasing consumable items and cosmetic wearables in the Shop. There are two ways to obtain PokéCoins in Pokémon Go: Defending a Gym or buying them with real-world money.
Many of the items available in the Shop are available through PokéStops. You’ll want to purchase items from the Shop if you do not have access to PokéStops, or need more of a particular item.
Earning PokéCoins by defending Gyms
To obtain PokéCoins without paying for them, you need to have one of your Pokémon successfully defend a Gym. You can place Pokémon to protect a Gym by defeating all of the controlling Team’s Pokémon. Each Gym has slots for six defending Pokémon, and only one of each Pokémon can defend it, so you may wish to make sure you have a good assortment of potential defenders to choose from. You may only have one of your Pokémon at a specific Gym at a time.
You earn 1 PokéCoin for every 10 minutes your Pokémon defends, up to a maximum of 50 PokéCoins per day. Your Pokémon must spend at least 10 minutes in a Gym before you’ll be able to receive any PokéCoins. You can place Pokémon in up to 20 Gyms per day, but you won’t be able to earn more than the daily max PokéCoins for defending. You’ll receive the PokéCoins when your Pokémon returns to you, whether by having its Motivation depleted or by another trainer beating them at the Gym.
While on defense, your Pokémon doesn’t have to participate in battles. You earn PokéCoins by having your Pokémon in the roster to defend. Challengers battle Pokémon in the order they enter the Gym. The longer your Pokémon is defending, it becomes increasingly likely to lose Motivation to support the Gym, returning to you, rewarding you with earned PokéCoins. Trainers can increase the Motivation of their Team’s defending Pokémon by feeding them Berries.
You can earn a total of 350 PokéCoins per week through this method. At this time, defending is the only way to make PokéCoins in the game without spending money.
If a Pokémon returns to you before your daily cap of PokéCoins, you can place another (or the same) Pokémon in that Gym (or a different Gym) to continue earning more PokéCoins.
Your Pokémon can only ever earn up to 50 PokéCoins during its time at a gym. So, if you have a Pokémon staying there for three days straight, it will return to you with 50 PokéCoins, not 150. Additionally, if you have three other Pokémon return on the same day after their tours, you’ll still earn only 50 PokéCoins total.
Purchasing PokeCoins using real-world money
You can choose to buy PokéCoins using real-world money. The more PokéCoins you buy at once, the lower the price per coin. We’ve included the amount of “extra” coins you’ll receive by purchasing the larger bundles, beyond a $.01 = 1 PokéCoin exchange rate.
PokéCoins prices
- $0.99 – 100 PokéCoins
- $4.99 – 550 PokéCoins (+50 PokéCoins)
- $9.99 – 1200 PokéCoins (+200 PokéCoins)
- $19.99 – 2500 PokéCoins (+500 PokéCoins)
- $39.99 – 5200 PokéCoins (+1200 PokéCoins)
- $99.99 – 14500 PokéCoins (+4500 PokéCoins)
You can obtain many of the items available in the Shop by spinning PokéStops. There are a handful of things that you won’t be able to get your hands on without spending the currency, such as Star Pieces.
The Shop also features boxes that include exclusive items obtainable only through the purchase of said boxes. There are no randomized loot boxes in Pokémon GO—you’re able to see what you’ll obtain in each box. Some Shop items receive discounts during special events, but such discounts are relatively few and far between. It’s worth noting that the only way to increase your backpack space and Pokémon storage capacity is by spending PokéCoins.
Here’s a list of all of the items that can be purchased using PokéCoins:
Special Box – 480 PokéCoins
Contains:
- 2 Lucky Eggs
- 2 Premium Raid Pass
- 2 Star piece
- 2 Super Incubator
Adventure Box – 1480 PokéCoins
Contains:
- 10 Egg Incubators
- 3 Incense
- 3 Star Pieces
- 10 Super Incubators
Ultra Box – 1480 PokéCoins
Contains:
- 3 Lucky Eggs
- 20 Premium Raid Passes
- 3 Star Pieces
- 5 Super Incubators
Beginner Box – $0.99
Contains:
- 1 Lucky Egg
- 1 Premium Raid Pass
- 30 PokéBalls
- 1 Super Incubator
Consumable items
- Egg Incubator – 150 PokéCoins
- Glacial Lure Module – 200 PokéCoins
- Incense – 80 PokéCoins
- 8 Incenses – 500 PokéCoins
- Lucky Egg – 80 PokéCoins
- 8 Lucky Eggs – 500 PokéCoins
- Lure Module – 100 PokéCoins
- 8 Lure Modules – 680 PokéCoins
- Magnetic Lure Module – 200 PokéCoins
- 10 Max Potions – 200 PokéCoins
- 6 Max Revives – 180 PokéCoins
- Mossy Lure Module – 200 PokéCoins
- Premium Raid Pass – 100 PokéCoins
- Poffin – 100 PokéCoins
- 20 PokéBalls – 100 PokéCoins
- 100 PokéBalls – 460 PokéCoins
- 200 PokéBalls – 800 PokéCoins
- Super Incubator – 200 PokéCoins
Trainer Upgrades
The only way to expand your backpack size and Pokemon storage capacity is by purchasing these upgrades. Each purchased upgrade expands your backpack’s size by 50, up to a maximum of 2000 slots. Pokémon storage also maxes out at 2000 slots, though upgrades to this storage are purchased separately. You can also choose to purchase the Team Medallion if you want to switch Teams. You can only purchase the Team Medallion every 365 days.
- Item Bag (Backpack Upgrade) – 200 PokéCoins
- Pokemon Storage – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Medallion – 1,000 PokéCoins
Avatar items purchasable with PokéCoins
You can purchase items for your Trainer avatar by visiting the “Style Shop,” accessible from the main Shop. Numerous cosmetic options depend on your Trainer’s gender, and some require you to earn specific medals to be able to purchase.
You can also only purchase certain avatar items after obtaining specific medals earned for reaching gameplay milestones.
Any item requiring a medal to unlock has an asterisk in the lists below.
Available Avatar Items
Hats
- Litwick Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Cubone Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Mewtwo Hat – 100 PokéCoins
- Ruin Maniac Hat – 100 PokéCoins
- Meltan Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Ace Earbud* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Great League Veteran Medal
- Team Aqua Bandanna – 50 PokéCoins
- Bulbasaur Face Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Charmander Face Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Squirtle Face Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Valor Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Instinct Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Mystic Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Rocket Hat – 100 PokéCoins
- Pikachu Fan Headband* – 180 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 1 Pikachu Fan Medal
- Top Hat – 800 PokéCoins
- Newsy Cap – 100 PokéCoins
- Delibird Earmuffs – 200 PokéCoins
- Drifloon Cap – 250 PokéCoins
- Felt Fedora – 180 PokéCoins
- Fisherman Cap* – 180 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 1 Fisherman Medal
- Firered Cap – 100 PokéCoins
- Gengar Knit Cap – 200 PokéCoins
- Johto Cap – 150 PokéCoins
- Jogger Visor – 100 PokéCoins
- Mismagius Hat – 250 PokéCoins
- Stantler Headband – 150 PokéCoins
Glasses
- Aviator Sunglasses – 160 PokéCoins
- Future Specs – 160 PokéCoins
- Focus Frames – 50 PokéCoins
- Jogger Sunglasses – 160 PokéCoins
- Mystery Mask – 400 PokéCoins
Tops
- Stantler Sweater – 250 PokéCoins
- Instinct Polo – 200 PokéCoins
- Mystic Polo – 200 PokéCoins
- Valor Polo – 200 PokéCoins
- Pikachu Onesie – 400 PokéCoins
- Bulbasaur Hoodie – 200 PokéCoins
- Charmander Hoodie – 200 PokéCoins
- Squirtle Hoodie – 200 PokéCoins
- Pokemon Shirts Vileplume – 200 PokéCoins
- Pokemon Shirts Lickitung – 200 PokéCoins
- Pokemon Shirts Magikarp – 200 PokéCoins
- Pokemon Shirts Snorlax – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Instinct Happi Coat – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Valor Happi Coat – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Mystic Happi Coat – 200 PokéCoins
- Mewtwo Top – 300 PokéCoins
- Spark-Style Jacket – 400 PokéCoins
- Candela-Style Jacket – 400 PokéCoins
- Blanche-Style Jacket – 400 PokéCoins
- Ruin Maniac Outfit – 150 PokéCoins
- Backpacker Top – 80 PokéCoins
- Meltan Pullover – 200 PokéCoins
- Ace Vest* – 150 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Ace Trainer Medal
- Ace Top* – 150 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Ultra league Veteran Medal
- Veteran Jacket* – 150 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Ultra League Veteran Medal
- Team Magma Hoodie – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Aqua Top – 150 PokéCoins
- Delibird Sweater – 300 PokéCoins
- Brock Shirt – 300 PokéCoins
- Drifblim Shirt – 200 PokéCoins
- Gengar Shirt – 200 PokéCoins
- Spirtomb T-shirt – 200 PokéCoins
- Pikachu Fan Shirt* – 250 PokéCoins and Unlock tier 3 Pikachu Fan Medal
- Firered Top – 250 PokéCoins
- Johto Top – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Rocket Top – 400 PokéCoins
- Team Rainbow Rocket Top – 400 PokéCoins
- Gym Leader Top* – 220 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Gym Leader Medal
- Mew Shirt – 250 PokéCoins
- Latias and Latios Shirt – 250 PokéCoins
- Business Blazier – 500 PokéCoins
- Fisherman Vest* – 500 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Fisherman Medal
- Jogger Tank Top – 220 PokéCoins
- Charizard Pullover – 220 PokéCoins
- Pikachu Pullover – 220 PokéCoins
- Sports Hoodie – 500 PokéCoins
- Streak Hoodie – 220 PokéCoins
- Diagonal Tee – 100 PokéCoins
- Team Instinct Tee – 500 PokéCoins
- Team Mystic Tee – 500 PokéCoins
- Team Valor Tee – 500 PokéCoins
- The Thirty* – 220 PokéCoins and Unlock at Level 30
Bags
- Mimikyu Bag – 250 PokéCoins
- Zubat Bag – 250 PokéCoins
- Seed Backpack- 200 PokéCoins
- Flame Backpack – 200 PokéCoins
- Shell Backpack – 200 PokéCoins
- Ruin Maniac Backpack – 150 PokéCoins
- Backpacker Pack – 200 PokéCoins
- Egg Backpack (there are three) – 250 PokéCoins
- Fireread Backpack – 250 PokéCoins
- Gengar Backpack – 250 PokéCoins
- Johto Bag – 200 PokéCoins
Gloves
- Spark-Style Gloves – 50 PokéCoins
- Ace Gloves* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Great League Veteran Medal
- Team Magma Gloves – 50 PokéCoins
- Team Aqua Gloves – 50 PokéCoins
- Delibird Gloves – 150 PokéCoins
- Fireread Wristbands – 50 PokéCoins
- Gym Leader Gloves – 50 PokéCoins
- Jogger Watch – 50 PokéCoins
- Team Rocket Gloves – 50 PokéCoins
Bottoms
- Mewtwo Pants – 150 PokéCoins
- Spart-Style Pants – 200 PokéCoins
- Candela-Style Pants – 200 PokéCoins
- Blanche-Style Pants – 200 PokéCoins
- Backpacker Capris – 100 PokéCoins
- Team Magma Shorts – 150 PokéCoins
- Team Aqua Shorts – 150 PokéCoins
- Ace Pants – 100 PokéCoins
- Ace Shorts* – 100 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Master League Veteran Medal
- Veteran Pants* – 100 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Great League Veteran Medal
- Brock Pants – 250 PokéCoins
- Fisherman Pants* – 200 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Fisherman Medal
- Firered Pants – 200 PokéCoins
- Gym Leader Shorts* – 200 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Gym Leader Medal
- Johto Pants – 200 PokéCoins
- Jogger Shorts* – 200 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Jogger medal
- Pikachu Fan Shorts* – 200 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Pikachu Fan Medal
- Skinny Jeans – 200 PokéCoins
- Active Sweatpants – 80 PokéCoins
- Team Rocket Pants – 200 PokéCoins
Footwear
- Sandals (there are three) – 50 PokéCoins
- Mewtwo Shoes – 50 PokéCoins
- Spark-Style Shoes – 50 PokéCoins
- Candela-Style Shoes – 50 PokéCoins
- Blanche-Style Shoes – 50 PokéCoins
- Ruin Maniac Footwear – 150 PokéCoins
- Backpacker Footwear – 100 PokéCoins
- Ace Boots* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Ace Trainer Medal
- Ace Shoes* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Ace Trainer Medal
- Veteran Boots* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 3 Master League Veteran Medal
- Team Magma Boots – 100 PokéCoins
- Team Aqua Boots – 100 PokéCoins
- Delibird Boots – 200 PokéCoins
- Brock Shoes – 150 PokéCoins
- Fisherman Boots* – 100 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Fisherman Medal
- Firered Shoes – 150 PokéCoins
- Gym Leader Shoes* – 100 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Gym Leader Medal
- Johto Shoes – 200 PokéCoins
- Jogger Shoes* – 50 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Jogger medal
- Pikachu Fan Shoes* – 200 PokéCoins and Unlock Tier 2 Pikachu Fan Medal
- Team Rocket Boots – 200 PokéCoins
- Team Rainbow Rocket Boots – 200 PokéCoins
