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Some users can't redeem Google Play credits right now
This temporary issue forces you to try alternative payment methods
As much as we regard Google for its efforts to provide services that simplify and automate our everyday lives, the company depends greatly on the community of users for the information available on apps like Maps, and for all the feedback and direction it receives from beta testers. The company acknowledges its responsibility, and rewards survey respondents with Google Play credits redeemable against apps, books, movies, and even in-app purchases through the Google Play Store. Recently, people redeeming Play credits have run into an inexplicable error code.
After a lot of controversy over disappearing credit, Google has finally started rectifying the situation by being more transparent about when your earned credit via Opinion Rewards expires. Putting that behind it, the company is ready to expand the paid surveys's availability to another market: Taiwan.
For years, Google Opinion Rewards has given out Play Store credit in exchange for answering targeted surveys. Google recently started enforcing the 1-year expiration date for credit earned through Opinion Rewards, and after the resulting outcry, the company promised to make the expiration dates more clear in a future update.
Google is always keen to encourage more people to use its contactless payment service, which often means enticing promotions for us to make the most of. The latest such opportunity in the UK offers up to £50 in Google Play credit or the chance to win a Google Home Mini.
The rollout of Google One was complicated. The service was announced and the app made available for download in May. Emails went out saying that the service was available to everyone in the US in the middle of August, but that still wasn't the case by the end of the month. Now, Google is trying to make amends by sending some users affected by the messy launch $5 Google Play credits.
About two weeks ago, Google handed out free $1 Google Play credits to select accounts. The distribution was pretty random; the credits didn't seem to be going to any specific demographic of users. If you didn't get the credit last time (or even if you did), you're now getting another opportunity for a free dollar of it.
Everyone likes free things, right? If you are one of the many billions of people who do, you should enjoy this Deal Alert, which I have dubbed "Free Alert." Google is giving free $1 Play credit, which can be used anywhere on the Google Play Store, to select users.
VR is not everyone's cup of tea yet and that's understandable. Great headsets cost a lot of money and require a powerful computer setup, and affordable headsets have a lot of limitations and don't really provide a good-enough reason to use them once the novelty wears off. But Google's Daydream View is one of the most decent options in the latter category and it's about to get better once Daydream 2.0 rolls around and casting capabilities let you share your experiences with friends and people around you.
Google added an interesting option for gift giving occasions to the Play Store in late 2015—electronic Google Play gift cards. This feature has been available in the deep recesses of the Play Store ever since... until recently when it seems to have disappeared. Google support is confirming to people it pulled the feature.
Carrier billing, a process whereby paying for things on Google Play out of the monthly bill from your phone carrier, is a process that is getting infinitely more popular as time goes on. Indian prepaid mobile recharge company Paytm is now offering a slightly different spin on the concept, by allowing a user to buy, or 'recharge' Google Play credit through their Paytm account.
Play Store Has Started Allowing Split Payments Between Google Play Credit And Another Payment Method
It really stinks when you've been saving up your Google Opinion Rewards money, but you're just a few cents short of buying something. Google has not thus far allowed you to apply that credit and pay the difference, but it looks like that's changing. We've gotten multiple tips from readers who have been offered just that option in the Play Store.
If you're debating where to buy a HTC One M9, Verizon Wireless is now offering anyone who picks one up $100 worth of Google Play credit. That's quite a bit of virtual money you can spend on apps, books, magazines, movies, music, and other digital content.
Google seems to be making a final push to get people buying Chromecasts before Christmas. If you buy one between today and December 21, you'll get a $20 Google Play credit to buy some new movies to stream on your TV. They don't make it too clear, but it appears you will need to buy from the Play Store to redeem this offer. Update: As commenter SEJ326 points out below, Chromecasts from both Amazon and Best Buy are also eligible for the offer.
If dramatic price drops and expanded software capabilities haven't convinced you to shell out for NVIDIA's Android-powered gaming machine, maybe a little free Play Store credit will do the trick. This referral link for NVIDIA's SHIELD store will net you a $25 Google Play Store credit for purchasing the SHIELD, which is still going for its reduced $199 price. C'mon, you know you want to.
If you're thinking about switching to AT&T or opening a new line of service on an existing plan, the company is offering a pretty decent incentive to those who buy Android devices: $50 of Google Play credit with a device purchase.
If you buy a lot of content from Google Play, here's a chance to save a little scratch. Costco is offering a multi-pack of Google Play gift cards with a nice discount. The three cards totaling $60 can be yours for just $48.
Christmas is fast approaching, and if you were already considering picking up a Nexus 7 for a special someone, Google's offering a little something extra to sweeten the deal. For a limited time, both 16GB and 32GB Nexus 7s purchased from the Play Store will come with $25 in Google Play credit. That's not as appealing as saving $30 off a device, especially once taxes are taken into account, but it's still a nice way to fill a new purchase with content. How entertaining is a tablet with no additional apps, games, and other goodies, after all?
Update: Google has updated its Play gift card support page to reflect this change, and this change hints that at some point this feature might allow you to gift Play Store credit: