Amazon Throws 500 Coins in the Fountain

By Rick Munarriz – May 16, 2013 at 6:30PM

NASDAQ: AMZN

Amazon

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Amazon takes a stab at virtual currency.

Amazon.com (AMZN -1.64%) has seen Facebook (META -0.52%) and Zynga (ZNGA) cash in on virtual currency, and now it wants a shot at playing banker.

"If you own a Kindle Fire, you'll find a little unexpected something in your account right now -- 500 Amazon Coins, worth $5," Amazon announced on its home page earlier this week.

The leading online retailer is letting tablet owners use the coins to buy apps and games, as well as virtual items within those applications.

In this video, longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz explains how it's a win-win situation. Smaller developers will make it easier to make money. As more players have virtual currency to spend, Amazon picks up an incremental revenue stream by keeping a little less than a third of the revenue, while educating Kindle Fire owners to spend more on digital goodies.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com and Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com and Facebook. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.