Amazon has just announced the expansion of its virtual currency system, Amazon Coins, to the entirety of the Android ecosystem. Amazon Coins were previously limited to users of Amazon’s own Kindle Fire tablets, but now it doesn’t matter what kind of device you have.

Amazon Coins is Amazon’s own virtual currency, and it’s used to buy apps and pay for in-app purchases through the Amazon Appstore. It has been around for over a year now, but it was limited to a handful of Amazon devices — until now. Now all Android users in the U.S., U.K., and Germany can use them.

You will need to install the latest version of the Amazon Appstore on your Android smartphones or tablets first, and new users will get free coins simply for downloading free apps. You can then buy more using real money. The advantage of Amazon Coins is that you get a discount for using them.

For example, an app that might cost you $2 in real money is just 180 Amazon Coins (worth $1.80), saving you 20 cents. And of course, the more expensive the app or in-app purchase, the more you save.

• SourceAmazon