Party Points Details

[ddubois]

Current Category : Silver
Points required to :
Remain in Silver category: 0
Move to Gold category: 18110
Current Party Points Balance:
(After Redeems) 47996
Total Party Points Earned: 31890

I've never educated myself with the nature and purpose of these points. I vaguely understood them to be useless except for getting free hats. I only recently ceased ignoring them when I started getting emails about X points in Y time for Z dollars.

What are they for? What is the difference between silver and gold? Do I care what level I am? What is the difference between my Balance and my Earned?

Thanks in advance.