Game top-up glossary: 30 terms in plain words

The premium currency of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and of Free Fire. Players spend them on heroes, skins, characters and passes.

Genshin Impact's paid currency. It converts into Primogems, which pay for wishes and other in-game purchases.

The paid currency of Honkai: Star Rail, converted into Stellar Jade inside the game.

The paid currency of Zenless Zone Zero, converted into Polychrome inside the game.

The premium currency of Call of Duty: Mobile, used for the battle pass, bundles and weapon blueprints.

The premium currency of Blood Strike, used for passes and cosmetic items.

A 30-day Genshin Impact card: some Genesis Crystals at once, then Primogems each day the player logs in.

A seasonal track of rewards unlocked by playing. The premium track is bought with the game's currency or as a package.

The number a game gives each account. A direct top-up uses it to find the account that receives the currency.

User identifier: the name HoYoverse games and Call of Duty: Mobile give to the player ID. It appears in the game's profile or settings screen.

The second number of a Mobile Legends account, shown in brackets after the User ID. A top-up needs both.

A regional copy of a game, such as Asia, America or Europe. The same ID can exist on several, so some top-ups need the server too.

A lookup that returns the in-game name linked to an ID before you pay. It catches typos; not every game offers it.

A publisher's decision to suspend or close a game account, often after cheating, account sales or disputed payments.

Currency credited straight to a player ID by the game's systems. Nothing to redeem: the player only sees the currency arrive.

A code the player redeems on the publisher's site or in the game. It works like a top-up but adds a step, and a leaked code can be used by anyone.

The top-up shop the publisher runs or names as its own, for example Garena's Free Fire shop or the HoYoverse top-up center.

A company the publisher contracts to sell its currency, often in many countries and with local payment methods.

Any source the publisher allows to sell its currency: its own store, an official distributor or an approved reseller programme.

Currency sold through sources the publisher has not approved. It can come from regional price gaps or from stolen cards.

Publishers set different prices by country. Buying in a cheaper country for use elsewhere often breaks a game's terms.

A card payment reversed by the bank after the card owner disputes it. Currency bought that way can be removed from the receiving account.

The crypto you have added to your shop account, shown in US dollars. Orders are paid from it; it does not expire.

Tether’s stablecoin, pegged to the US dollar. Many players keep it on an exchange or in a wallet app.

The token standard of the Tron network. USDT sent on TRC-20 usually costs less in network fees than on Ethereum.

The token standard of the Ethereum network, used for USDT and USDC. Fees vary with how busy the network is.

The fee a blockchain charges to process a transfer. It goes to the network, not to the shop, and the sender pays it.

One more block written on top of the one holding your transfer. Each coin needs a set number before the payment counts as final.

The unique identifier of a blockchain transfer. Support uses it to find your payment.

A payment sent on the blockchain to an address, as opposed to a transfer inside one exchange.