While plenty of us are looking forward to the end of 2020, we shouldn't be rushing its demise along — especially as Google Pay reboots itself with a newly-written application and a hankering to get people migrated over. So, the company's popping the ante up with big, fat referrals and a cashback offer from Target.

Previously, direct referrals gave the referrer and the referee $5 each, so long as the referee has not participated in a previous referral scheme. That offer has jumped to $21 each upon the referee's sign-up and a $10 purchase with Google Pay either online or via contactless. 9to5Google reported earlier today that users were offered 10 referrals at the $21 level, but we've found new terms that limit them down to three.

Image (L): 9to5Google

So long as you do so by January 1, you'll be eligible for the maximum benefits here.

Many people who have fought hard to migrate their family and friends to Google Pay have also had to face some trouble with the app switch, but alas, it sounds like the rules have boxed them out here. Is that migration worth $21 to Google? Perhaps not.

For the Target deal, users will need to spot it in the Google Pay app home screen, check to see if they have an eligible card they can spend at least $50 in a single transaction at Target — in-store or online — and then do so by December 31 to get $21 back into Google Pay.

You don't need to use Google Pay for every purchase with said card, but if it's a debit card, you will need to skip the PIN and sign off each purchase. However, you do need to activate the offer at the bottom of the offer page.

Some of the other bigger reward offers come from REI for 20% cashback with a maximum of $50 back and Burger King also for 20% back on purchases of at least $10. Both expire January 15. Head to the Offers tab, tap into each deal, and activate them so that they can be redeemed.

UPDATE: 2020/12/16 4:17pm PST BY JULES WANG

Google statement

It seems Google did fall to high demand, according to the statement it gave to 9to5Google:

Due to the enormous response to the Google Pay holiday referral offer, we made some changes to the offer so that more users could participate in the offer and share it with their friends and family.