What is a Nintendo eShop card?
Nintendo eShop cards — also called eShop gift cards, Nintendo prepaid cards or eShop codes — are prepaid codes worth a fixed amount in one currency. When you redeem one, the amount is added to the eShop balance of the Nintendo Account you choose.
The balance belongs to your Nintendo Account, not to one console. It is available on any Nintendo Switch family console signed in with that account, including Nintendo Switch 2, and in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo's website.
What you can buy with eShop funds
- Digital games and pre-orders from the Nintendo eShop.
- DLC, expansion passes and add-on content.
- Nintendo Switch Online memberships, including the Expansion Pack tier.
- In-game currency and items for games sold through the eShop.
An eShop card is not a game key: it adds money and never unlocks a specific title on its own. If you already know which game you want, you can also buy it directly — browse Nintendo games.
Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
The Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS no longer accepts new funds or purchases, so eShop cards today are for Nintendo Switch family consoles.
Nintendo eShop regions: why the country matters
eShop funds are country-based. A Nintendo eShop card only redeems on a Nintendo Account set to the country or region the card was issued for, and the balance is held in that country's currency. A UK card works on a UK account, a US card on a US account. The country or region printed on every card on this page is where it redeems.
You can change the country of a Nintendo Account, but the existing eShop balance does not move with it — it stays tied to the eShop of the original country. Buying the card that matches the account you already use avoids that problem entirely.