As a member of multiple PlayStation communities, I often see players complaining that they’re not earning PS Stars points for purchases made through the PS Store. While it’s true that the loyalty program is often bugged, the most common reason for players not unlocking any points is that they’re not active PS Plus members.
Can players earn PS Stars points without an active PS Plus membership?
Sony’s PS Stars FAQ makes it crystal clear that an active PS Plus membership is required for players to unlock points from PS Store purchases. However, there is a way to earn points without an active membership: completing campaigns.
Sony revises PS Stars campaigns on a monthly basis, and there are always one or two campaigns that reward players with some coin without requiring an active subscription. However, the points players earn are negligible. Additionally, thanks to Sony nerfing PS Stars rewards, players can only hoard their points for 12 months.
This means that most players will not rack up enough points in one year for something as little as a $5 store voucher if they stick to unlocking points through campaigns. But if you only care about snagging digital collectibles, this might not be a concern for you.
Requiring an active PS Plus membership for PS Store purchases to earn points is certainly a poor decision, especially now that Sony has decided that purchasing/renewing subscriptions will no longer be rewarded with points.