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How to Redeem Google Play Gift Cards

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This guide explains how to redeem a Google Play gift card or promo code. They’re a popular gift during the holiday season or for birthdays, and you can use them on apps, games, music, books and more. Here’s where to get one, and how to redeem it.

A Play Store gift card code is extremely easy to redeem on your phone, tablet or even the web. Plus, it’s a great way for parents to let their kids buy content from the biggest app store on the planet.

Google Play gift cards come in $10, $15, $25 to $50 and $100 denominations in the US and around the globe. Available at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Best Buy, Gamestop, convenient stores like 7-11, and most grocery stores. Here’s the full list of locations.

How to Redeem Google Play Gift Cards on a Phone or Tablet

  1. Open the Google Play Store app Google Play from your home screen or app tray.
  2. Tap Menu Menu near the top left and scroll down to Redeem.
  3. Enter your 16-digit code.
  4. Tap Redeem.
  5. Then hit Confirm to add the balance to your Google account.

Here are those step-by-step instructions again, with pictures.

  • Open Google Play on your phone or computer.
  • Tap or click the three-line menu button in the top left corner of the screen.
  • Scroll down and tap Redeem.

From here you’ll see a popup like the one shown below. Next, you’ll want to look under the scratch to reveal code strip on the back of your gift card.

  • Enter the 16-digit code found on the back and tap Redeem.
  • Now, simply Confirm which account to apply the gift card to.

You’ll instantly get the balance in your account and can use all or part of it to buy almost anything you want. Remember, gift cards can’t be used on physical things like accessories on the Google Store.

Sadly we can’t take a picture or easily scan gift cards like Apple, nor does Google allow users to send them in emails, but entering the code is easy enough. If an error pops up, check the code and try again.

How to Redeem a Google Play Store Gift Card on a Computer

You can easily redeem a Google Play gift card from a computer too, using essentially the same steps and instructions as above. And if you bought the code online, you can copy and paste the code right into the redeem form.

  1. Navigate to play.google.com/store from a web browser.
  2. Click on Redeem near the bottom left corner (or just go to play.google.com/redeem).
  3. Enter your 16-digit code in the popup.
  4. Tap Redeem.
  5. Then hit Confirm to add the balance to your Google account.

The balance will almost instantly be available for you to use from the computer or your phone and tablet devices.

Redeem Gift Cards While Making a Purchase

And finally, you can also redeem a Google Play gift card on the go while you’re trying to make a purchase. If you realize you don’t have enough funds you don’t have to back out and start over, you can do it from the purchase or checkout screen.

  1. Make a purchase on Google Play for an app, movie, music, etc.
  2. Before you tap the buy button hit the ^ arrow near the right side of the menu (as shown below)
  3. Tap on Change Payment Options and select Redeem
  4. Enter your 16-digit code like usual, hit Redeem, then Confirm the balance

Once you add the balance go ahead and tap Buy, Rent, and continue checking out as usual and you’re all set.

Before you go feel free to learn how to get a refund on Google Play purchases, buy apps without a credit card, setup parental controls or use a Google Play Family Library to share purchases with the whole family.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Juan Francisco

    12/22/2015 at 4:09 am

    I scratch my GOOGLE PLAY CARD TO MUCH AND I PAY 15 DOLLARS AND CANT READ THE REDEEM CODE WHAT DO I DO

  2. Jason Daijobou

    01/02/2019 at 11:26 am

    I do want to redeem my code too thanks so much for this

  3. Sue

    04/17/2019 at 1:36 pm

    I did all this and the card was redeemed to her account but the money still comes out of the family payment method.

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