The Google Play store boasts an average of 9 billion downloads every month. That’s nearly three times the amount purchased at Apple’s iOS App Store.
All those apps can get a bit pricey though. If constantly purchasing Google Play credits isn’t your idea of budgeting both your money and time, there are ways around that. Here are six simple ways to legally score free Google Play credit and codes with little effort.
What is Google Play?
If you’re an iOS phone and tech fan, you may only know a little about Google Play. It’s like the App Store for Apple but for Android devices. You can pay for and download games, books, movies, and TV shows and apps and pay for them using a credit card on file or a Google Play gift card.
Launched on March 6, 2012, Google Play combined Google Music, Google Movies, the Google eBookstore, and the Android Market. Like the App Store, Google Play offers plenty of freebies, but many of us have to pay for premium games and shows or keep advertisements in free apps. There are times when I’d happily pay to remove the ads as opposed to getting them constantly.
And yes, there is a way to score both savings and points with free Google Play credits. Here are six tried and true favorites I keep on my phone and laptop to get free gift cards and points.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers several ways to earn reward points. The Swagbucks point system is easy: 100 points is equal to $1. Once enough points are accumulated, they can be cashed in. You also have the choice of redeeming them for gift cards or actual cash via PayPal. I enjoy getting Google Play gift cards for shopping through its portal, answering surveys, and doing daily tasks.
If if you do a lot of online shopping, you can take advantage of Swagbucks points by installing the Chrome browser extension. You’ll get an alert that money can be saved, making it easy to rack up points quickly. I have Swagbucks installed on my phone and browser, and it’s my no-brainer way to make a few bucks.
2. Google Opinion Rewards
An in-house market and research tool, Google Opinion Rewards is simple to use as it only offers one way to make cash: surveys. Once you’ve completed the sign-up, expect a weekly email in your inbox for available surveys. The surveys are often short, and you can earn up to one dollar on completion. Of course, that’s on the higher end: most surveys only pay a few cents apiece.
To make the most of Google Opinion Rewards, make sure you fill out the surveys completely and honestly. Also, if you don’t get a weekly survey, don’t panic: sometimes, they can get a bit off schedule. This one’s great for downtime, like waiting for the subway, sitting on the subway, waiting around, etc.
3. InstaGC
Short for “Instant Gift Card,” InstaGC is another simple concept. There is no phone app or browser extension for this one, so you’ll need to go to its official website and take surveys, surf the web, and watch videos. The cash-out amount is only one dollar, much less than others. You can sign up through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Google, but my preference is via email address.
4. Inbox Dollars
Another way to take surveys, play online games, and shop websites is Inbox Dollars. Since 2000, the company has given back $80 million in cash. Using the same system as other portals, it’s a Swagbucks meets InstaGC style of earning money.
The difference in this one is that you earn actual cash upfront, not points, so there’s one less step to get real cash. But you’ll need to turn that money into free Google Play credit via gift cards yourself. It’s not a big deal, but it’s definitely worth noting.
5. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is a good idea if you spend a lot on groceries, or even on groceries at all. The concept is simple: purchase items at grocery stores and scan your receipts. Both paper and e-receipts may be redeemed via the Fetch Rewards app, so take pictures of both whenever you shop. You’ll need at least $3 in your Fetch Rewards account to cash out.
As the person in my household who does all the grocery shopping, using Fetch to save a few bucks is ideal. Of course, I need to remember to save my paper receipts instead of balling them up and giving them to my cats as a toy, but it’s something I’m working on.
6. Google Play Promo Codes
Google Play has also been known to give free credit in its own online portal. To check if you have any current promotions that may pay off, tap on your profile icon in the top right corner of the app. Select billing and then promotions. It’s here you’ll find active, redeemed, and sadly expired coupons.
When looking for ways to earn free Google Play credit, if something looks sketchy, it probably is. Don’t take any chances by giving out your personal information, including bank and credit card numbers, account numbers, date of birth, and social security numbers. It’s way better to be safe than sorry to save a few bucks.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.