Amazon baits developers with $5K per Fire Phone app

Amazon will give developers $5,000 in Amazon Coins for every paid app for the new Fire Phone that meets Amazon’s standards.

Each developer can reap the rewards for as many as three apps. Qualifying apps with in-app purchasing can count, too, according to a blog post today from Amazon developer evangelist David Isbitski.

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Amazon Coins are redeemable for games, apps, and in-app purchases on Amazon devices, including Kindles and the Fire Phone… and, presumably, Fire TV. You can also spend them on Android apps and games. So basically, it’s more fake Internet money.

It’s a logical step for Amazon to mobilize interest in the development community as the phone picks up and looks to challenge devices running Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems.

Microsoft was reportedly looking to run similar promotional efforts a couple of years ago, to promote application development for Windows Phones.

Developers have to meet several standards to get the credits. For instance, apps need to contain a widget with Amazon’s Home application programming interface (API) that will show information when the app appears in the Fire Phone’s carousel. And game apps have to use the Dynamic Perspective software-development kit (SDK) that can take input from the location of the person using the Fire Phone in relation to the phone.

Developers can pass on their Amazon Coins to people who use their mobile apps through campaigns, Isbitski wrote.