Nintendo Switch players who like collecting both real-world and in-game objects are probably interested in picking up some amiibo. These cards and figures can be scanned by Nintendo consoles and Switch controllers to provide various in-game benefits. But what does that mean for users buying used or second-hand amiibo? Can you reuse amiibo cards and figures multiple times?
Can amiibo cards and figures be reused?
Yes, you can reuse amiibo cards as many times as you like. Each amiibo uses an NFC chip to send data to Nintendo Switch or 3DS consoles. The chip remains intact after being scanned, allowing you to reuse the card as many times as you like.
There is one small catch, however. While amiibo cards can technically be used and reused indefinitely, their in-game bonuses may be limited-use only. For example, cards or amiibo figures that unlock characters are likely only to unlock the character once per game and/or save. This is the case with the newly released Sanrio amiibo cards for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which unlock items that can be purchased from the Nook Shopping Catalog. Since they don’t give you the items directly, the cards only really need to be used once.
Still, while the unlockable bonus may be single-use only for a specific console, the card itself can be reused on another system to provide that same bonus. The difference here is that the card’s benefits won’t be duplicated if the same user scans it repeatedly.
Thankfully, that’s just the exception to the rule. Many amiibo cards can be used multiple times, sometimes even several times a day. Others, such as the Solid Snake amiibo figure, can be used across multiple games. It all comes down to what each amiibo figure or card offers.
When it comes to buying or selling used amiibo, there’s really no concern over cards that have or haven’t been scanned previously. As long as the NFC chip is intact and undamaged, the amiibo can be used again. Just remember that the bonus may be single-use or multiple-use depending on what’s being offered by the card or figure.
