Why can't I purchase Pokécoins?

Question

I click to purchase Pokécoins, I get a blue spinner, then nothing happens.

I've purchased Pokécoins before, so does anyone know why this happens? I've tried closing and reopening the app, and waiting for a bit before trying again, both didn't work.

Answer 1

In my experience, there could be numerous causes for this.

• Bad Network Connection
  • If you are in an area with poor network connectivity, sometimes the blue spinner can spin for upwards of 1 minute 30 seconds or more, before eventually going through, or timing out with a red error message displayed.
• Server load or other issues
  • This especially happens on raid and community days when a lot of players are out and about. You'll likely notice other symptoms like Pokestops not appearing on the map, unable to start catching a wild Pokemon, and so forth.
• Caching
  • Sometimes, the payment goes through, and the coins get updated at the server end, but your app doesn't show the updated number for a few minutes. Once again, I see this most often on community days when the servers are busy.
• Third-party payment issue
  • Niantic's support article covers this as well. If Niantic's servers were affected, the whole app would be having issues. So if it's only payments which are having issues, it's likely due to the third party payment system your device uses: either Google, Apple, or Samsung Galaxy.

What can be done?

• For Network issues, try cycling your device's aeroplane mode on and off again, to force your phone to reconnect to the nearest cell tower. Note that toggling your mobile data on and off will be ineffective because it won't disconnect you from cell service.
• In the case of heavy server load and caching issues:
  • Wait and try again in a little bit.
  • Restart your app completely
  • Sign out and back in (this is recommended by Niantic)
• For payment issues, you'll need to reach out to the respective support center for your device (linked above).

In any case, before you try purchasing more coins again: Double check the email attached to your Pokemon Go account - if the payment was successful, you should have a receipt of purchase from your respective payment gateway. If you do have the receipt but no coins, it's best that you contact Niantic Support:

Where are the PokéCoins I purchased?

If you purchased PokéCoins from the Shop and you don’t see them in your account, please try signing out (touch Main Menu > Settings and select "Sign out.") or try restarting your device. If you still have a question, please contact us and select "Items & Currency" from the dropdown menu.