A Nintendo eShop card adds funds to a Nintendo Account, which is where Switch purchases actually come from. Redeem the code once and the balance is there for games, DLC and Switch Online, with no card attached to the account.

Nintendo runs frequent eShop sales, and having funds already loaded is what lets you act on one without going through checkout with a card each time.

What is a Nintendo eShop card?

It is prepaid credit for the Nintendo eShop. The funds sit on the Nintendo Account rather than on a console, so they are available on any Switch signed into that account. Once redeemed the balance does not expire.

What can eShop funds be spent on?

• Switch games. Full digital titles, from new releases to the deep discounts that appear during seasonal sales.
• DLC and expansion passes. Add-on content and expansion packs for games already owned.
• Nintendo Switch Online. Individual and family memberships, including the Expansion Pack tier.
• In-game currency. Where individual games sell it through the eShop.
• Demos and pre-orders. Reserving upcoming titles against the balance ahead of release.

Why use an eShop card?

No payment method on a child’s account

Nintendo hardware skews younger than most, and funds are a far simpler boundary than supervising individual purchases.

Ready for a sale before it starts

eShop sales are frequent and time limited. A loaded balance means buying takes seconds.

Switch Online without an open-ended subscription

Membership can be bought from the balance, so it ends rather than renewing quietly against a card.

How to redeem a Nintendo eShop card

On the console, open the Nintendo eShop from the HOME menu, select the account, scroll down to Enter Code, type the 16 character code and confirm. In a browser, go to ec.nintendo.com/redeem, sign in to the Nintendo Account and enter the same code. The funds appear immediately.

Redeem to the account that will make the purchase. Nintendo Account balances cannot be transferred between accounts, including within a family group.

Check the region before buying

Nintendo eShop cards are region locked and only redeem on a Nintendo Account registered to the matching country. The region cannot be changed to suit a card afterward. Every product title on this page states its region, so confirm it against the account first.