UPDATE: Jan. 9, 2024, 11:00 a.m. EST This post has been updated with the latest information about the Kindle Rewards point system. As of June 1, 2023, members will get three points per dollar spent on Kindle books, and those points will expire after three months.
Avid Kindle readers should go check their Kindle Rewards balance right now. They might just have some free money waiting to be put toward a new book on their 2024 reading list.
If you haven't heard yet, Amazon rewards Kindle users for doing the exact thing that made them want a Kindle in the first place: reading. The Kindle Rewards Beta point system dishes out three Kindle points for each dollar spent on Kindle books and one Kindle point for each dollar spent on print books (excluding textbooks, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, and digital subscriptions). Every 300 points is turned into $3 in Kindle book credits.
300 points sounds steep until you realize that most individual Kindle book purchases are an easy 40 to 50 points. (If you go the print route, you're still looking at 20 to 30 points, plus a new coffee table decoration.) The 300-point milestone could be reached every six or seven books, which may not take forever depending on how much you read. Be on the lookout for bonus offerers as well as the occasional double or triple points days.
How to start using Kindle Rewards
Kindle Rewards doesn't require sign-up, and technically doesn't even require a Kindle. (You can read the books you buy on Amazon on your phone or tablet if you want.) All Amazon users are eligible, regardless of their status as a Kindle Unlimited member, which is unrelated. Buying your first Kindle Book or eligible print book automatically kicks off the points-earning process.
You can find your Kindle Rewards points on the rewards page on the web version of Amazon, as you can't buy a Kindle book directly from the Kindle app or Amazon app.
To find potential points that would be earned on a book you're eyeing, simply check out the Amazon listing for that book. As long as you're logged into your Amazon account, Kindle Rewards points values should show up by the prices for each book. For instance, Britney Spears' memoir would earn 51 points if purchased as a Kindle book or 21 points if you opted for the hardcover version.
The fine print is that once points are earned, you have three months to redeem them. This wasn't always the case, but a June 2023 change to the Kindle Rewards program put a three-month expiration date on Kindle points. However, that means that points from a book you bought last season may still be around — we'd go check if we were you.
