Google is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, and it's also one of the most generous with its rewards programs. You may be surprised to learn that sometimes they'll give away money just because you use their products! Here are all your options if you want to save some serious coin on apps and games without paying a dime...or at least very little.
The first step before we begin exploring how to earn free money through Google Play, however, is making sure you're eligible to receive them. Don't worry -- this isn't as hard or time-consuming as you might think. First, make sure you have an active subscription to either Gmail or YouTube Premium. If not, head over to the App Store or go to your settings page within Chrome Browser. Click on "Show Advanced Settings" under Privacy & Security, then scroll down until you see "Content Settings." Under Content Settings, select "YouTube Red," followed by the dropdown menu next to Subscriptions. Select your preferred plan, click Save Changes, and continue onto the steps below.
Now let's talk about how to get those cards into our hands.
If you don't mind shelling out cash for gift cards, you could try using a site like Raise to Earn or Swappa to buy yourself a physical card. This way, you won't need to wait around for emails or notifications to pop up on your phone. And, while these sites aren't necessarily illegal, keep in mind that buying and selling digital goods online comes with risks. It's important to be smart when shopping for anything online, especially gifts.
There are many other legit sources where you can purchase Google Play cards for less than what you'd pay directly via the app store itself. One such platform is GiftCardGranny, which offers discounted gift cards for major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Starbucks, Sephora, Macy's, Kohl's, GameStop, Apple, JCPenney, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods Market, Papa John’s Cards, and more. Depending on your location, you can often find deals ranging between 20% - 60% off retail value.
GiftCardGranny accepts debit/credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay Cash, Google Pay, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Dash, and Tether. Plus, you can even request a physical card if you prefer. Just fill out the form to start saving today. Some brands available include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and more.
Here's another option for getting cheap gift cards: Use Gyft instead. With Gyft, users can choose to send themselves a physical card or add funds to their account so they can shop digitally. To sign up, simply visit gyft.com and follow the prompts. Once set up, you'll be able to browse thousands of stores across America and Canada looking for discounts. The best part? No expiration date and no fees whatsoever.
So far, none of these methods require any kind of special skill or talent aside from having access to a smartphone and internet connection. While you shouldn't expect to become wealthy by signing up for these accounts and services, you should still consider them fun side hustles that won't take much effort on your end. In fact, once you've built up enough trustworthiness, you could potentially leverage your savings toward bigger things later on.
But maybe you'd rather earn free money from Google in different ways. Keep reading to discover how you can do that too...
Although Google does offer a few incentives to check out new Android titles, it doesn't always work exactly like iTunes. On average, you'll only receive small amounts of credits per day based on how long you stay logged into your Google Account. For example, you'll typically earn 25 cents every 24 hours for checking out movies and TV shows. However, this amount will vary depending on the type of content you watch and whether your country qualifies.
That said, it's worth noting that if you're interested in taking advantage of Google's automatic reward system, you can create multiple user profiles on both Android devices and Chromebooks. Each profile would allow you to accumulate points independently so you wouldn't lose valuable currency on certain items.
Another great way to rack up extra credits is by downloading apps and watching videos on YouTube simultaneously. Yes, you read that right — doing two things at once actually works to your benefit! Simply download something useful, open it immediately, and leave it running overnight. During the following morning, you should notice a significant bump in your earnings. Of course, if you're short on free time, you can opt for shorter intervals of sleep.
Keep in mind that unlike iTunes, Google doesn't automatically award you additional purchases after you reach the spending limit each month. But rest assured, you're welcome to ask for a refund in case you made a mistake during checkout. Additionally, if you ever run into trouble while trying to log into your account, here are detailed instructions detailing how to reset your password.
And lastly, remember that whenever you're ready to spend your credits, you can usually exchange them for real dollar bills at hundreds of locations nationwide. So, feel free to stop by an authorized retailer near you anytime. Or better yet, order direct from Google Play and skip the middle man altogether.
To recap, here are three tips to maximize your experience with Google Play:
Download whatever you can ahead of time. This reduces unnecessary background activity slowing down your device and helps ensure everything runs smoothly.
Take advantage of promotional deals. After opening a title, simply tap the bell icon located in the upper left corner. Then, choose View Credits to view promo codes. If applicable, enter them in the respective fields to unlock extra savings.
Use multiple profiles. Doing two things at once takes longer but gives you double the chances of scoring big bucks.
Yes! There is indeed a place where you can easily obtain $10 worth of Google Play credit daily. That secret spot is called the Daily Deals section. When viewing this area, you can almost always find several popular choices marked with green arrows. These titles tend to come with steep discount rates, but since they're featured front and center, they're well worth the price tag. Just look for the ones that say "$1 Off!" or similar wording.
This strategy has worked wonders for me personally. Since my favorite game tends to change on a weekly basis anyway, I recently discovered that the majority of my recent downloads were heavily discounted. Not only did I manage to snag myself a couple pretty solid titles, but I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable they were compared to other places. As soon as I noticed the prices dropping significantly, I decided to pull out my old receipts to verify that the same deal had been offered previously. Sure enough, it had.
As mentioned earlier, this method requires patience and persistence, but it's definitely worth giving a shot if you haven't already tried it. Remember, though, you never know unless you try. So why not put in a quick search now and see what turns up? Who knows, you might just get lucky tonight!
It seems obvious, but it bears repeating: Always perform thorough research prior to purchasing anything online. Never assume someone else will cover potential scams or issues that arise due to third-party sellers. Unfortunately, scammers aren't limited to eBay or Craigslist. They exist everywhere, and unfortunately, anywhere people gather together to trade information freely is prime pickings for fraudsters.
Finally, if you're worried about keeping sensitive data private, you may want to stick with local brick-and-mortar shops. Most physical establishments understand privacy concerns and generally don't track customer transactions like online platforms frequently do. Plus, you can avoid unwanted attention from security cameras and nosy employees.
While we've gone over plenty of strategies to help you acquire free Google Play credits, chances are you probably missed this golden opportunity. At times, Google will occasionally release public sweepstakes offering winners large sums of money just to test out new features. Sometimes, you'll even win more than you paid for!
Unfortunately, participating in these events involves entering a separate entry code obtained from various sources. Typically, entries must be submitted within specific windows of time and cannot be altered in any way. So, if you didn't catch one of these opportunities, perhaps you can try again in the future. And if you happen to win, please share your story with us!
Regardless, you should always exercise caution when dealing with contests and giveaways. Before submitting personal details, ensure the giveaway truly belongs to whom it says on the tin. Also, don't forget to remain vigilant against phishing attacks. Finally, keep in mind that some promotions feature fake login pages designed to steal your identity. Be wary of suspicious links and messages containing unusual language patterns.
It's not easy making a living on an app store like Apple's App Store or Android's Google Play, but it is possible if your app has enough users and generates revenue in other areas. If all of this sounds like hard work and you're ready for more than just "free," then read on!
There are tons of legit methods for generating income with your mobile game or app. It might be through advertising, subscriptions, donations, and so much more. But sometimes we forget how people actually earn cash off their apps — even those that cost nothing upfront. And while there aren't any magic tricks here, these three things will help you figure out how your app makes its money.
The best way to monetize your app is to have lots of active users who spend real money within your ecosystem. For example, Spotify lets listeners choose whether they want to pay $9 per month for music streaming or listen ad-supported at no charge. The latter option earns Spotify less revenue per user, because most listeners don't bother upgrading once they've hit a certain number of songs or hours played. However, both options still generate millions in profits each year.
You can also use freemium models where many features are available for free but others require paying up. This allows developers to offer in-app purchases for premium items without worrying about annoying players. Most games that feature microtransactions fall into this category. You may think this method seems shady, but as long as you communicate clearly what exactly costs extra, it should be fine.
In fact, one study showed that only 7 percent of gamers would rather pay full price for everything than watch ads. That means over 92 percent of potential customers would prefer to see something else added onto their monthly bill. In short, advertisers love this model because it helps them reach specific demographics and keeps them engaged longer.
And speaking of engagement...
One thing I noticed during my research was that most successful iOS and Android apps tend to boast extremely high retention rates among their users. They keep coming back again and again. Why? Because they enjoy using the service/game. So instead of focusing solely on getting people to download your app right away, consider building loyalty throughout their experience. Many services provide incentives for returning visitors such as deals and discounts.
Another tactic you could try is offering rewards programs in exchange for referrals or social media likes. If someone loves playing your game on Facebook, why not give them some bonus points every time they share a post? A few hundred dollars worth of tokens wouldn't hurt either. Not sure which avenues to take? Follow our guide to growing your audience faster than anyone else.
If you've been running an app for several years now, chances are you didn't start with lofty dreams of turning a profit. Instead, you probably wanted to build hype around your idea before investing too much in development. After all, nobody wants to put in months of work only to release something mediocre.
But let's say you did decide to launch a new project, and you thought charging nothing up front made sense given the type of content you were creating. Well, you'd be wrong. Free isn't always the answer, especially when there's plenty of competition waiting to pounce on the same market.
However, there are two types of apps that can survive purely on word of mouth marketing: ones that focus on entertainment value ("fun") and those that cater to needs. Think about it -- if everyone you know downloaded an app simply based on your recommendation, how often would they return to check updates? Even better, if they kept coming back after becoming hooked on said app. With this kind of setup, you'll never need to worry about selling anything.
Fun apps usually come first. These kinds of titles are typically easier to create and promote. Some examples include Snapchat filters, Instagram accounts, Reddit communities, TikTok trends, etc. Once you establish yourself with casual audiences, you can easily move onto bigger fish later.
Needs apps are next. There's already a ton of material online dedicated to figuring out what problems exist in society that need solutions. One good place to look is Kickstarter campaigns. Here you'll find projects designed to fund ambitious ideas, including smartwatches, VR headsets, 3D printers, electric cars, smart home devices, etc.
Once you identify a problem, you can develop a solution to meet that demand. Then go ahead and pitch it to investors or venture capitalists to turn it into reality.
As mentioned above, having a loyal following is essential to being able to sustain a business. People generally won't part with their money unless they feel invested in something beyond pure consumption. Otherwise known as emotional attachment.
For instance, I recently bought tickets to see Billie Eilish live at Madison Square Garden, and I'm currently obsessed with her music. As soon as she released Invitation, I felt compelled to buy it immediately despite knowing very little about it.
This happens all the time, even though artists have likely spent hundreds of man-hours developing their craft. When fans invest emotionally in a product, they feel ownership over it, which leads to higher spending habits.
So if you aim to solve a pressing issue or provide valuable information, consider adding paid tiers to your app. Or perhaps you want something simpler? Just add in helpful resources and guides that explain how to complete tasks quicker or learn tips & hacks. Either way, you shouldn't neglect to sell anything.
A quick note regarding advertisements: you absolutely must add them. No matter what genre you're working in, there will be competitors trying to steal your spotlight. Advertising provides crucial support for maintaining strong growth numbers. Plus, you can also leverage third parties for additional revenue streams.
Don't believe me? Check out the screenshot below from Game Dev Story, another popular indie title on Steam. Notice the bottom row of icons along the left side? Those are sponsored posts from big companies showing off their latest products.
That's right, Steam can make money from outside sources. Now imagine if you had thousands of daily users downloading your app. How effective would it be to show relevant promotions directly inside your app itself? Imagine if brands were willing to partner with independent creators like you. Wouldn't it feel nice to receive direct messages from friends saying, "Hey, I saw your latest update yesterday and loved it!"
Or maybe you'd like to sponsor events? Maybe you plan to hold contests? What about partnerships? All of these possibilities open doors to new opportunities that can lead to increased revenues.
Remember, you don't necessarily need to rely entirely on sales. Having a steady stream of passive income is equally important, and it doesn't stop with downloads alone. For example, you could set up a Patreon account to raise funding for future developments, run weekly giveaways, or accept Bitcoin payments. Whatever works best for your particular situation, remember that it takes effort to grow any company successfully.
Yes. Of course they do. Whether you're considering a paid upgrade or free trial, the download button is the biggest indicator of success for any app. But you should really ask yourself whether your current approach is sustainable.
Are you doing everything in your power to maintain a healthy pace of growth? Are you keeping track of metrics like daily unique visits, average session length, conversion rate, etc.? Is your team constantly improving code quality to ensure bugs don't affect end users? Do you regularly test new versions to avoid catastrophic failures?
These questions are vital to ensuring your app continues operating smoothly. It's true that download numbers translate to money, but if you fail to monitor the health of your platform, you risk losing control of your own destiny.
Google Play is an online app store run and operated by Google, which sells apps and games for Android phones and tablets. It's one of many digital storefronts that allow users to purchase content directly from them rather than third-party retailers like Amazon or iTunes.
The service has its drawbacks though — notably a lack of support for physical media and the inability to make in-app purchases on certain devices. But most people know it as "the place where all your mobile entertainment lives." That said, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to use Google Play instead of another platform like Apple's App Store.
If you're looking to save some serious coin while buying new apps and games for your phone or tablet, here are a few methods to help you out with getting free Google Play credit.
There aren't any official programs or promotions offered through Google itself that will give you free Google Play credit. However, if you've purchased something from Google Play recently, chances are good that they'll send you at least $5 worth of credit via email after a set amount of time passes since your order was placed. You'll find links to sign up under this option when you click "Get more" next to each item you add to cart.
To be clear, these offers only apply to people who have ordered items from Google Play before July 28th 2016. If you haven't made an account on Google Play yet, don't worry! Just head over to Google Play's homepage and start shopping. Once you buy something, Google should automatically pop open the link to claim your offer within 30 days.
Note: This method doesn't always work perfectly every single time you shop. Be sure not to panic if you didn't receive credit right away. Some customers may need more time to activate their accounts.
You could also try hitting up Reddit r/googleplayoffers, but keep in mind that anyone who posts about receiving such emails must provide proof. As mentioned above, there isn't much of a guarantee that these offers really exist. And even if they do, sometimes Google gets delayed sending out codes due to technical issues. In other cases, no code appears at all. Also note that we haven't personally tried this method ourselves so take everything you read with a grain of salt.
Another way to earn Google Play credit is by completing surveys and tasks given to you by brands and companies using sites like Swagbucks and MyPoints. All you have to do is watch ads, complete simple tasks, search the web, sort coupons, etc. The more you participate, the higher chance you have of scoring points. For example, if you search for something specific and then press the "I'm interested!" button, chances are pretty high that a survey maker will come along and ask you questions. Afterward, you'd just fill out the form and wait for approval.
MyPoints often sends out promotional messages, too. So, whenever you see one of those, check off the box that says "Sign Up Now," and then hit the Continue button. Then enter your information and continue filling out details until the end of the process. By doing this, you'll create a profile and stay logged into MyPoints forevermore. Whenever a company wants feedback on their products, services, or advertisements, they can direct consumers to either MyPoints or Swagbucks.
Once you log onto your account, you can browse different categories (like beauty, travel, electronics, health & wellness, etc.) and select what interests you the most. Companies pay to advertise their deals on these platforms, so you'll typically see banners throughout the site asking you to join. Complete simple tasks like searching the internet, reading articles, watching videos, checking social networks, playing games, answering polls, writing reviews, etc., and you'll eventually accumulate points. There are tons of options available, so stick around and explore. At the very least, bookmark the page to return to later.
One final tip: Keep tabs on your activity across multiple websites. For instance, let's say you signed up for both Swagbucks and MyPoints. Over time, you probably won't remember exactly how you got started with each website, but once you reach enough points, these two platforms will reward you with 10% cash back bonuses. Simply redeem your bonus codes at checkout and collect hundreds upon thousands of dollars' worth of rewards.
This trick requires patience, persistence, and luck. Most likely, you won't get anything substantial unless you request a larger sum of money. Here's how it works:
Go to www.paypal.com and register for an account. Pay attention to the dropdown menu labeled Cash Back Credit Cards, because you might be able to select "Other Payment Methods" and choose PayPal as your preferred payment source. From there, follow the steps outlined below.
Click Sign Up now and fill out the registration form. Make sure to include your mailing address and shipping destination. Next, click Get Started and enter your personal info. Enter the same information again. Agree to PayPal’s User Agreement and Privacy Statement. Click Create Account. Wait for the activation confirmation e-mail.
Open a new tab in Chrome. Go to google.com/dashboard. Select Billing Preferences and Payments Settings, followed by Request More Credits. Under “Request Additional Credits,” type in your Email Address. Confirm Your Email Address. Check the boxes beside the following fields: Purchase History, Subscriptions, Gift Card Balance, Loyalty Programs, and Offer Promotions. Hit Submit.
After 24 hours pass, go back to the main screen of your Dashboard. Scroll down to the bottom part of the window, where you should see a message saying Congratulations!, followed by an estimated dollar value that represents the total number of additional credits you should expect to receive. Click View Details to view individual entries. Choose the entry titled Other Relevant Offers. Find the section called Thank You for Joining Us. Click Edit Details and change the Amount field to 140. Finally, click Save Changes.
Keep scrolling until you arrive at Step 5. Proceed to complete the steps listed underneath that step. Each task includes a screenshot showing how to properly carry out the instructions. When finished, hit submit and follow the prompts to confirm your identity and location. Within minutes, you'll receive your first $50 Google Play balance. Repeat this process three times per week to gradually increase your earnings.
Of course, this strategy comes with risks. You never know whether Google will approve your application or not. Sometimes, they reject requests altogether. Or maybe your account ends up being flagged as fraudulent. In addition, you could potentially fall victim to phishing scams. To avoid falling prey to scammers, exercise extreme caution and double-check any contact information provided by banks, merchants, and others. Stay vigilant, learn about fraud schemes, and report suspicious activities immediately.
A 50$ Google Play gift card usually lasts anywhere between 60 days and 90 days depending on how frequently you spend money on the platform. In general, the longer you put off spending, the greater your savings. On average, cards expire somewhere between 45 and 55 days after issuance.
Here's how to redeem your Google Play credit:
Head to https://www.google.com/shopping/. Log in with your Gmail ID and password. Click Shop on the left side of the screen. Look toward the upper portion of the window and scroll down until you spot the red banner titled Shopping Accounts. Beneath it, look for the blue icon that reads Manage my payments. Click on it. A prompt will appear telling you that you already own a Google Play gift card. Tap Redeem Code. Enter the code displayed on your card and tap Accept and Verify. Enjoy your newly redeemed funds.
Alternatively, you could visit Google Support Center at https://support.google.com/commerce/?hl=en#11351322334924&topic=283466. Scroll down until you locate the topic entitled "Reusing your old Google Play balance". Click Show More. Follow the rest of the instructions shown in the article linked earlier.
It's important to point out that this method only applies to people who wish to redeem their balances for actual goods and services. Not everyone uses Google Play solely for downloading apps and movies. Many folks prefer to download music, books, magazines, TV shows, video games, audiobooks, and podcasts. Others opt to stream Netflix series and YouTube channels using Chromecast dongles. Still others simply enjoy reading news updates and browsing forums. Whatever your reason(s), be prepared to shell out real money for whatever you desire. Don't forget that Google collects data on you to better understand your habits and improve user experience.
In short, if you regularly use Google Play, you should consider opening up a dedicated Google One subscription plan. With Google One, you're essentially paying monthly fees to access the entire catalog of downloadable materials. Plus, you can pick and choose which subscriptions you want to cancel, unlike traditional plans that force you to endure lengthy contracts.
If you decide to subscribe to Google One, here are some tips to help you manage your budget effectively:
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.