How To Use Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers (And Which Games Are Eligible)

Everyone loves a good deal. Buy one, get one free, buy one, get one half-off, or even just buy one, get a nifty keychain — whatever kind of deal you're dealing with, as long as you get a little extra bang for your buck, it's a good one. And you know where good deals are especially valuable? In the realm of gaming, which is well-known as a prohibitively expensive hobby given the usual $60 price tag on top-shelf games.

Nintendo has a bit of a reputation for being cagey when it comes to discounts, at least compared to the other major names of the gaming industry and their frequent, catalog-spanning sales. However, Nintendo does offer one discount program that, depending on your gaming schedule, could prove to be extremely beneficial: Switch Game Vouchers. Buy a pack of two and use them to redeem one game each at a discounted rate.

Originally introduced back in 2019, Switch Game Vouchers are a special discount program available to subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service. In a nutshell, they allow you to pay a little more than the usual price for a game to receive another game for free. Game Vouchers are purchased in pairs for a lump price of $99.98, and each is good for one eligible game, no matter its usual cost.

Assuming you want to buy two Nintendo Switch games for $59.99 a pop, choosing to buy a pair of Game Vouchers will save you a $20. Those savings can be even greater depending on the games you get. What's also nice is that a Switch Game Voucher, when purchased, is good for up to a year afterward. You can hold onto it until a game comes out that you want, then redeem it to receive the game at no additional cost.

The most important factor to obtaining a pair of Game Vouchers is an active Switch Online subscription. You can have your own subscription or be a part of someone else's family plan, but you need to have some kind of subscription, as you can't buy or use Vouchers without one. It has to be a full membership too, no trial memberships.

If you do have a subscription, purchasing Vouchers is easy.

1. From the Switch Home screen, open the Nintendo eShop.

2. In the eShop, scroll down to the Nintendo Switch Online tab.

3. Scroll down to find Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers and click the button.

4. On the Vouchers page, click proceed to purchase.

You can buy your Vouchers the same way you would any other Switch software, using a credit card, PayPal, or Nintendo account funds. Once you have Vouchers, you can redeem them for games right away.

1. In the eShop, click your profile icon in the top-right.

2. In your profile, switch to the Nintendo Switch Online tab.

3. Under Nintendo Switch Game Voucher, you'll see how many vouchers you have and when they expire.

4. Click the Redeem button to see the list of games currently eligible for a Voucher redemption.

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5. Select the game you want, then click Proceed to Redemption on its page.

6. Click the Redeem button on the confirmation page to spend your Voucher and receive the game.

You can also purchase and manage your Vouchers by logging into the Nintendo website.

The Game Voucher redemption catalog is made up primarily of Nintendo-developed or Nintendo-published games. Generally, if Nintendo didn't have some kind of hand in its release, it won't be available under this promotion. This is why you can redeem "Octopath Traveler," but not "Octopath Traveler 2," for instance, since Nintendo only published the first game.

Still, there are plenty of quality games to choose from in the redemption catalog. We've got the latest Switch games like "Splatoon 3," "Kirby and the Forgotten Land," and "Pokémon Scarlet & Violet," as well as the older steadfast hits like "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate." New games are also added to the catalog regularly, which you can see in the full list on Nintendo's website.

Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is eligible for a Switch Game Voucher. Considering it usually costs $69.99, a $99.98 Vouchers to get it is an even better deal than usual.

If you're buying Nintendo Switch games regularly, you should know that you can have up to eight Switch Game Vouchers on a single account at a time. It's a lot of money to throw down at once, but those savings definitely add up. Additionally, you can use Switch Game Vouchers to pre-order eligible games. It works the same way as regular eShop pre-orders: just redeem a Voucher for an unreleased game, and it'll pre-load automatically a week before its release. Just remember that, if you accidentally use the Voucher on something else before the pre-order actually goes through, it'll be canceled.

On a related note, it should be stressed that you can only use Vouchers if you are still a full Switch Online member. In the event your membership lapses, you won't be able to use any Vouchers on your account until you join back up. This also goes for pre-orders; if you're not a Switch Online member when your pre-order is supposed to go through, it'll be canceled and the Voucher won't be used.

Whether you buy a lot of Switch games and want to save a few bucks or are in a bit of a weird financial situation, Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers are a great way to bulk up your library with all the big Nintendo hits.