Almost half of developers using Amazon’s Coins virtual currency have seen their weekly revenue jump by more than 50 per cent, with the amount of Coins spent on indie apps outpacing cash in the same segment.

The company introduced the virtual currency in May 2013 for the US market, with customers given $5 of free coins to spend. It said that “customers already spent hundreds of millions of Amazon Coins, representing real dollars to developers, who still receive their 70 per cent revenue share”.

Amazon also noted that the early signs show that customers are “willing to use their Coins to try out and explore new apps, games and in-app items”. It said that it introduced a new offer for Kindle Fire owners in the US, with customers able to earn more Coins when they buy “select” games.