It feels like only yesterday that the Google Play Store finally made gift cards available, however — like many things Google — they were restricted to the US market. We’ve neither seen nor heard anything about the gift cards being available in Australia, and despite a number of discussions with Google Australia, there’s no hint of them coming here, or anywhere apart from the US.
Well, today that might be changing.
Just before Christmas, the ability to “redeem” gift cards appeared on Google’s online and device-based stores, and many suspected the ability to actually buy the cards would materialise before the holiday season. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Not a word.
Fast forward to February 2013, and we’re seeing that Google has updated its “Gift cards & Google Play balance” help files with information specific to the UK market, including a specific statement that gift cards are available in the UK, and they are listed in UK denominations – £10, 25, and 50.
All signs point to an imminent arrival of Gift Cards in the UK, but whether they’ll make the jump to Australia in a timely fashion, who knows. Need we remind you that Google Checkout for Sellers is available in the US and UK (and has been for quite a while), but still remains out of reach to us in Australia.
Our fingers, as always, remain crossed.
Google is doing itself out of some serious $$$$$$, Aussies love all this tech stuff, i guess i`m fitting in with a lot of others that wont pay with credit card for this sort of stuff, get your ass into gear Google !
A peculiar update: I just opened the Play Store a few minutes ago, and in the pop-up menu there is now a “Redeem” option that allows you to enter a code from a Google Play Gift Card. And yes, I’m in Australia, using (obviously) the Australian Play Store.
Well, the UK received their cards feb 2013, so australia, in my opinion, should see them very soon. and lets hope wallet and alot of googles products can be accessed with them. But, in saying that, Google and Android are still pretty much young. so you cant really blame them. Lets take a look at Apple, they have been around longer then Google and definately longer then Android. and america gets everything before australia, but hopefully that all changes.
I asked how I could get content on my sons phone without giving him my credit card. Google responded I could link my wallet account to both phones. The wallet account is my credit card, used for all transactions on play.
Anyone ever seen an official answer from Google as to why they are terrible at global service releases? Why can’t we access Music, Wallet, and gift cards
Google is failing to handle this properly, I give it to Apple, they got their s(#$ together and got it done. Google is fast destroying their own business.
First they need to get Google Music happening here. HURRY UP WITH THAT GOOGLE
Damn Google is slow when it comes to releasing things in countries outside their home base in the US. They have Google HQ’s all over the world, it shouldn’t be that difficult.