Ever wanted to get deals available on Nintendo eShop but found that you were unable to buy simply because you reside in a country that doesn’t have the official Nintendo store. Currently, Nintendo store is available in only 36 countries (out of 240+ in the world). Of course, it doesn’t make sense to open a store for each country. However, when websites prevent buying games online or not letting you redeem card codes for a free DLC or simply awesome discount deals; is when diehard gamers and fans in non-supported countries get upset.
So how should you go around such ridiculous restrictions? TechVise will show you how.
For the sake of this example, we will use Nintendo.com US store due to its limitations on the country store as well as the insane popularity of Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS handheld devices.
Sign-up at Nintendo Account
First we need to signup with Nintedo.com to get started with the eShop. This is important regardless of what device you have and where you’ve purchased your Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, DS, 3DS, Wii U, Wii from. Follow the steps outlined in the link above.
Initially, it is best to keep this process simple. So, we suggest setting up with a Nintendo Account only.
Choose United States where it asks for country of residence and pick a time zone that is easy for you to live with.
Verify the code sent to your email address and you’re all set with your id.
Paying for Games on Nintendo Online
On the Nintendo US store, you can pay for games via three methods. For world outside of USA, Canada and Mexico, only one method is available.
There is another method that we can use though that makes buying and gifting Nintendo game titles as easy as 1,2,3. We will go into this method in great detail. However, before we do that, take a look at the methods that may be useful for you.
How to Buy Nintendo Games Online
You can pay for Nintendo games online via the following methods:
- USA issued Credit Card: Nintendo accepts both Visa and MasterCard. They don’t accept Prepaid cards in some cases. You can try your luck though.
- PayPal: If your PayPal account is from USA, Canada or Mexico, you’re fine.
- Nintendo eShop Card.
- Digital Game via Amazon, Target, Best Buy or another retailer.
Option 1 and 2 are restrictive. Getting a USA issued VISA or MasterCard is difficult & expensive for many. You’re also out of luck if your PayPal is also not linked to USA, Canada or Mexico.
If you’re interested in getting a USA issued card, then take a look at this article. Here, we will explain options 3 and 4.
Nintendo eShop Card Digital Code
A Nintendo eShop card is by far one of the most lucrative options available.
These are Nintendo eshop codes that are available in a range of denominations from $5 – $99. Nintendo sells both physical and digital cards, hence making this a great option for gamers living abroad. With a digital code, you can buy the titles easily by entering the 16-digit code and saving it to your account balance.
Nintendo eShop cards are available on Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy etc. They are available in other places as well and for that you can see our post of PayPal digital gifts here. The post mentions numerous places where you can exchange PayPal currency to a gift card of your choice. Many of the websites listed there carry Nintendo eShop cards.
You can search, buy and redeem the Nintendo eShop Card from Amazon with the same process as below. Just remember to choose Digital Gift.
Now we come to the last option i.e. Digital Game via Amazon which is seamless and works without hassle.
How to Buy Nintendo Switch Digital Game via Amazon
1. Get a USA address
Getting a USA address is easy. We suggest getting one from any of the free services listed on our article.
2. Get an Amazon USA Account.
Once you have the USA address, copy it somewhere and signup for Amazon USA. If you have Amazon id in any other region, you can switch to the USA store and go through the signup process using the same id as before. Amazon allows this since these are separate accounts. We prefer one email address so it makes for easier switching between countries when using the Amazon mobile app.
Make sure you enter the USA address saved at the end of step 1, here.
3. Set your Amazon 1-click Address
Your amazon 1-click address needs both a USA address and a payment method. Here you can add your credit card, debit card or prepaid card to your account. This can be from any country. Amazon is not particular about this and we love them for it. Once you’ve added your card, you can get it as your 1-click payment method using the USA address you added in step 1 in your address list.
4. Buy a Digital Game / Download Code
Here’s the step by step procedure on buying and redeeming your digital game code.
- Search for your desired Nintendo switch game on Amazon.
- Once, you’ve located your game successfully, proceed to add it to cart and checkout.
- Amazon will confirm the order and send two emails. One will be regarding your payment, the other regarding the details of your purchase. Usually, if the payment is successful, then the payment email contains the redemption code and control number.
The control number is used in case you have a problem with your redemption code.
How to Redeem Code / Key on Nintendo.com
- Click the link in the email where it says, Redeem from Nintendo.com.
- It will take you directly to Nintendo website where you can sign-in.
- Sign-in and apply the voucher code. The website will show you that your transaction is successful.
- Your video game will begin to download immediately on the Nintendo Switch device connected to your online account.
Alternately, if you don’t want to signin into your email, you can browse to Amazon Account and Redeem your code within the library.
You can also enter this code manually on Nintendo switch device. The steps for this are as follows:
How to Redeem your Key on your Nintendo Switch:
- If you haven’t already, set up an internet connection on your Nintendo Switch console.
- Make sure your Nintendo Switch console has the latest system update.
- From the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu, select the Nintendo eShop icon.
- Select “Enter Code.”
- Enter your redemption code and click “Send.”
- Your video game will begin to download directly on your Nintendo Switch device.
If you want game titles available from Nintendo Store Japan, then you can easily use our method and get titles from corresponding Amazon store in Japan. However, for the address, we suggest using Tenso to get your free address in Japan.
Final Wrap Up
As you may have realised, there are alternates to buying games online as long as you understand how the system works. We’ve taken Nintendo.com and Nintendo Switch as an example because there are not many places online where people have described the ins and outs of Nintendo‘s online store. However, this method can easily be applied to PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The big four retailers; Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart all carry digital editions of Zelda, Pokémon, Animal Crossing and ofcourse all the Mario titles.
Happy Gaming!
If you’ve got another method up your sleeve, let us know in the comments below.