Pokémon GO - How to Earn More Pokécoins

This guide will help players line their wallets with more PokéCoins in Pokémon Go. PokéCoins can be earned by performing certain tasks, or purchased with actual money through microtransactions. 

The Pokémon Go grind is well underway in most regions around the world. If you’re one of the many trainers going out on daily excursions for new ‘mons, you’re likely going to need a steady supply of Pokécoins to restock your inventory with important items, such as Pokéballs, Incense, Lucky Eggs, and many other items. 

Pokécoins are the in-game currency in Pokémon Go. Pokécoins can be accumulated by completing certain activities or by purchasing them with real-world money. This guide will explain several ways to get more Pokécoins without having to spend any actual cash. 

Defend a Gym

Once your Trainer Level reaches level 5, you will be asked to choose a Gym Team of a particular color. After joining a team, you then have the ability to join either an unclaimed Gym, or a Gym of the same team color. Place one of your Pokémon in an available Gym to defend it for your team. In the upper right corner of the Shop page, you'll find a Shield icon. The number on the Shield indicates how many Pokémon are defending a Gym. 1

As long as you have a Pokémon stationed at a Gym, you’ll receive a Defender Bonus that rewards you with 10 free Pokécoins and some Stardust every 20 hours or so. Click on the Shield in the Shop to retrieve your daily defender bonus. You can control up to 10 Gyms at a time, meaning you can earn up to an additional 100 Pokécoins each day. 

Battle to Control a Gym

If a Gym is already occupied by an opposing team, you will need to battle and defeat each of its members in order to claim the Gym and take it over. Each claimed Gym has a certain prestige level, based on the number of trainers in the Gym. This indicates how many trainers you need to beat before taking over that Gym. 

Upon taking over a Gym, place one of your stronger Pokémon in the gym to defend it for as long as possible. You’ll accumulate Defender Bonus Pokécoins for having your Pokémon stationed at the Gym. Coordinate with your friends and have them join the Gym to increase the Gym’s prestige and improve your chances of defending it.

Visit PokéStops to Get Items

If you need items and don’t want to wait around to earn the necessary Pokécoins, you can swing by a few PokéStops and collect some free items instead. PokéStops are basically miniature social hubs where you can collect various in-game items and use Lures to attract Pokémon (and usually other nearby trainers). 

PokéStops appear as blue squares on the map. Once you’re at the stop, spin the icon at the stop to gather items for your inventory. The PokéStop will refresh after five minutes, allowing you to repeat the process again and obtain more items. After visiting several PokéStops, you may end up acquiring the items you intended to purchase with Pokécoins anyway. 

If you want to increase your chances of finding rare Pokémon, you must first increase your Trainer Level.