Google Play Store allows you to buy your applications and in-app purchases by card, PayPal, but also via gift cards. These can be purchased at many points of sale or on the Internet. Here's how to add their balance to that of your Google Play account and the conditions under which you can use them.
Do you want to buy an application on the Google Play Store without entering a credit card number or a PayPal account? Do you want to offer a credit to spend on the Play Store to a friend or loved one? These cases are what Google Play Gift Cards are all about. These cards sold for €15, €25, €50, €100 or free amount up to €200 can be found in many points of sale (supermarkets, tobacconists, fnac, darty, and other major brands, etc.) and have the advantage of being able to recharge your Google Play account by paying with cash.
How to Redeem a Google Play Gift Card
To redeem a Google Play Card:
- Locate the scratch area on the back of the card to reveal the code
- On your smartphone open Google Play Store
- Go to ≡ >Use code
- enter the code
- Confirm
It is also possible to enter this code during a purchase if you have not saved a payment method and your Google Play balance is zero. In this case at the time of payment:
- Choose Redeem a code
- enter the code
- Confirm
Finally, if the amount of the gift card is not sufficient, you can always top up with another code, but this requires recharging your account before making the purchase.
What can you buy with a Google Play card?
Gift cards can only be used to make purchases of eligible items on the Google Play Store. In Spain, this means that you can only buy:
- Apps, movies, music and subscriptions
However, Google specifies in its help pages: “Gift cards cannot be used to purchase e-books or certain subscriptions and other items listed in the 'Devices' section of Google Play (for example, phones, tablets and associated accessories)”. There are therefore exceptions – the balance does not allow, thus, to subscribe to subscriptions on Google Play Newsstand. In addition, a euro gift card does not allow purchases in dollars, and vice versa.
Finally, gift cards are not reloadable, refundable or exchangeable for cash or other cards.
