Nintendo adds PayPal support to the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has added a new payment option for eShop purchases on the Nintendo Switch and on its website. Starting today, you can now link your Nintendo account to your PayPal account and pay for future purchases using your PayPal balance or any payment method already linked to your PayPal account.

This update is only about the Switch. If you’re still using a Wii U or Nintendo 3DS, you’re out of luck. So the next time you purchase something on your Switch, you either can add your credit card information, use a saved credit card or add your PayPal account.

This option is particularly useful for a couple of reasons. First, the Switch is a region-free console, meaning that you can play games you bought in another country with your console.

But Nintendo didn’t stop at physical games. You can buy Japanese games on the eShop even if you bought your console in the U.S. Or you can pay in U.S. dollars even if you live in Europe. There are many reasons why it’s nice to be able to access other stores.

If you want to access another store, you need to add a new account to your Switch. You can then buy games in different stores. They’ll all appear on your home screen without any distinction.

But some banks charge some expensive foreign transaction fees. While PayPal isn’t perfect, it could be a better option if you’re trying to buy games in a foreign currency depending on your bank.

Second, PayPal is a nice option if you have kids. Instead of saving your credit card information to your kids’ console, you can create a PayPal account for them and credit some money. This way, they can buy stuff on their own and you can limit their purchases.

PayPal’s integration for the Switch is available in Japan, the U.S., Canada and 31 European countries.