It’s pretty fair to say that running a digital content store didn’t come naturally to Google. When Android first launched some years ago now, the Android Market was very limited and even after adding books and such, the Android Market was still somewhat behind. Since then, the Google Play Store has steadily evolved, and now Google offers absolutely everything that users of Android could ever want or need. While it’s nice and easy to pay for apps, games and other content through Google Wallet and other means, some still prefer to keep their credit card or PayPal info to themselves. That’s where Google Play Gift Cards come in.
Now, they’re launching in India at long last, which has quickly become a big market for Google with recent launches of Android One and other initiatives. Shortly, Google Play Gift Cards will be available to purchase in RS 500, RS 1000 and RS 1,500 sizes and will be available in Vijay Sales and Spice Hotspot in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata & Jaipur. Right now, it’s not the biggest selection of stores enabling people to purchase the cards, but hopefully they’ll start to appear at more stores throughout the country. These gift cards allow users that might not have a debit or credit card to purchase things in the Google Play Store using cash or whatever else. It’s an important step for a country like India, even though many have already embraced digital payments, the next billion that Google want to get online might feel a little more comfortable using their own, real, money to purchase games and content.
Google Play Gift Cards are now available all over the globe, and Google is steadily increasing their distribution in new countries. If you want to check whether or not they’re available near you, you can go ahead and check out Google’s support page which neatly lists all of the countries that Google officially sells their Play Store gift cards.