Monochrome is the paid currency of Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse's urban action RPG. Three questions drive most searches about it: how Monochrome leads into Signal Search, whether the Membership and the City Fund are worth buying, and where to top up without risking the account. The answers come in that order, followed by HoYoverse's official routes, what its help center says about unofficial ones, the UID and server rules that decide where a top-up lands, and what to do when an order goes missing.
Monochrome and Oneiric Shards are different things
If you arrive from Honkai: Star Rail, the name is new. That game's paid currency is Oneiric Shards, and Zenless Zone Zero's is Monochrome, followed by Polychrome. The two get mixed up because HoYoverse games share a top-up center and a help center, yet every game keeps its own currencies and its own top-up page. A seller that lists Zenless Zone Zero in one product and Oneiric Shards in another is selling two different games.
From Monochrome to Signal Search
The publisher's own PlayStation Store listing for the Inter-Knot Membership lays out the chain in one paragraph. Monochromes can be used to purchase bundles and can be traded for Polychromes. Polychromes can be traded for Encrypted Master Tapes, Master Tapes, Ether Batteries and more. The tapes are then spent in Signal Search for a chance at rare Agents and W-Engines.
| Currency | How you get it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Monochrome | Bought with real money; included in the Membership | Buy bundles; trade for Polychrome |
| Polychrome | Traded from Monochrome; also given in events, compensation and daily Membership logins | Trade for Encrypted Master Tapes, Master Tapes, Ether Batteries and other items |
| Encrypted Master Tape and Master Tape | Traded from Polychrome | Used in Signal Search for a chance at rare Agents and W-Engines |
Polychrome is also given away. The Version 3.2 update announcement handed out 300 Polychrome as compensation to players who had reached Inter-Knot Level 4 before the update. Version 3.2 lasts 42 days and ends on 21 October 2026 at 06:00 (UTC+8), with a new version following straight away. Since Polychrome also comes from play and events, buying Monochrome is only one of several ways into Signal Search. The in-game exchange screen shows the current figures.
Open the exchange screen first. Polychrome also comes from events and compensation, so see how much you already hold and buy only the Monochrome you still need.
The Membership and the City Fund
Both are sold in the shop, and their details can change from version to version.
According to the PlayStation listing, the Inter-Knot Membership is a purchase that gives 300 Monochromes and a 30-day membership, plus 90 Polychromes for a daily login while it is active. The official Top-Up Center lists it as a separate product. The New Eridu City Fund is a progression fund with Growth and Premium plans. Per the Version 3.2 notes, unlocking either plan and reaching Level 30 lets you claim the Great Builder's Certificate, which allows you to pick a W-Engine as a City Fund benefit.
The Steam launch FAQ confirms that Monochromes, Inter-Knot Membership and the New Eridu City Fund can be bought normally on Steam, and that top-up items are shared across platforms once accounts are linked.
Platforms, servers and your UID
HoYoverse says the Steam version is cross-compatible with the existing mobile, PC, PS5 and Xbox platforms, with Europe, America, Asia and TW/HK/MO servers.
Once chosen, a server is permanent: the help center states that server transfers and merges are not supported. Progress and purchases stay tied to the server where the account was created, although you can reach it from any country. Account ID and UID are not the same either. HoYoverse explains that they are two different ID formats, and one Account ID can hold several UIDs. A top-up is addressed to a game UID and a server, so check both.
On Steam, your first login links the game to a HoYoverse ID. Pick your existing ID to keep your progress, then confirm the server.
Three ways to top up
Option 1: the in-game shop
This is the plain route: pick a Monochrome pack in the shop inside the game. On mobile and console the platform store takes the payment (App Store, Google Play, PlayStation Store), while on PC and Steam the game client does. Pack sizes and bonuses for your account are listed in the game, so read them there.
Option 2: the HoYoverse Official Top-Up Center
Every game has its own web top-up page. HoYoverse's help center says you log into your game account through the official top-up centers and select the correct server and account. The Zenless Zone Zero page is at sdk.hoyoverse.com/payment/zenless, and the game's official site links to it under Top-Up. It lists the Inter-Knot Membership, bundles and Monochrome packs, and during a promotion that started on 9 September 2026 it offered 300 Polychrome for any top-up. Promotions change, so read the page itself.
Option 3: a player-ID top-up through The Nexus
- Open our Zenless Zone Zero page and choose the Monochrome pack or the Inter-Knot Membership.
- Enter your UID, never your password, and make sure the server is the right one.
- Pay with a method shown at checkout. These include crypto everywhere, your Nexus account balance when you are signed in, Vodafone Cash and InstaPay in Egypt only, and DANA and GoPay in Indonesia and nearby Southeast Asia.
- Stay on the order page until it shows as delivered, then check your balance in the game.
The page offers a Global-region direct top-up, described as sent to your player ID automatically once payment is confirmed. Prices, pack sizes and bonuses are on the product page, so check the figures at checkout before you pay.
HoYoverse on third-party channels. Its help center says that purchasing from non-authorized services can put your account and assets at risk. If you used one, contact the payment channel directly. The official channels are the in-game store and the Official Top-up Page. To check whether a third-party payment service is an authorized partner, you can send its link to HoYoverse Customer Support. Take that offer up if you want an official answer.
Comparing the routes
| Route | Who you pay | What you share | Official channel? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-game shop | The platform store or HoYoverse | Nothing beyond your game and platform account | Yes | Platform refund rules apply |
| HoYoverse Official Top-Up Center | HoYoverse | Your game login, UID and server | Yes | Choose the right server and account |
| Steam purchase | Steam | Your linked Steam and HoYoverse accounts | Yes | Items are shared across linked platforms |
| The Nexus player-ID top-up | The Nexus | Your UID, never your password | No, an independent store | HoYoverse warns about non-authorized services |
| Events and daily Membership logins | Nobody | Nothing | Yes | Gives Polychrome, not Monochrome |
When a purchase does not show up
The help center lists four steps, all to be taken on the same device and platform account that paid:
- Log out and back in. Order processing can be delayed.
- Hold off on paying again. HoYoverse suggests starting a purchase of the same item without finishing the payment, which may let the system recognise the original order, and warns that a repeated payment causes a second charge.
- Look through your purchase history to confirm the payment completed, no refund was issued and the purchase was not applied to another account. In Zenless Zone Zero the path is Pause Menu, More+, Feedback, Records Self-Query, Currency Record, covering the last six months.
- Write to Customer Support with your UID, server, order ID, payment method, time of payment and receipts.
For an order with us, open the chat on your order page and read our refund policy.
Refunds and negative balances
HoYoverse's Terms of Service make all purchases of digital goods final once delivered, with a route to ask for an exception in special circumstances. A refunded transaction deducts the matching in-game currency from the account, which can leave a negative balance, and an in-game mail explains the deduction. For unauthorised charges, email the game's payment support with proof of the transaction and your account details.
Protecting the account
- HoYoverse's account-security advice warns that non-official top-up channels put your account at risk and asks you not to buy, sell or share accounts. Stick to official channels where you can.
- The same page recommends a long unique password, two-factor authentication and a frequently used email for recovery. Link an email and give the account a password it shares with nothing else.
- A UID top-up needs only the UID and server. Your password and verification code stay with you.
- The US Federal Trade Commission says only scammers ask for payment in gift-card numbers.
- "Free Polychrome" sites deserve suspicion. The real thing comes from in-game events and compensation, and the official site has its own redemption-code page. Any other site asking for a login is after your account.
For a wider checklist, read our guide to avoiding game-currency scams.
Spending without waste
This section is our own suggestion, built on the facts above. Count the free Polychrome you expect from events before deciding how much Monochrome to buy, since Monochrome only becomes Polychrome and then tapes. The Membership pays Monochromes plus a daily Polychrome for 30 days, and a plain pack pays Monochromes alone. Which is better depends on how many days you will log in. Check how a first-purchase bonus applies to your account before picking a pack. Version 3.2 ends on 21 October 2026, so look at what the next version adds before spending on a banner that is about to leave.
Picking a route
When your platform store accepts your payment method, HoYoverse itself recommends the in-game shop or the Official Top-Up Center. PC players on Steam can buy there and stay inside platform rules. A player-ID top-up through a store like ours is for players who prefer local payment methods and accept that the store is not a HoYoverse channel. Confirm the UID and server before any of them. Our guide to login, ID top-up and gift-card routes explains the delivery types, and our Honkai: Star Rail guide covers the sister game's currency.
