Couple of months back, Google finally launched Google Play Gift Cards in India. But, there was a catch. They were only available in “select” outlets, only in a couple of metro cities in India. Google had partnered with chain stores like Vijay Sales to carry them out. But it wasn’t clear which showrooms would carry the cards. When I went to the Vijay Sales outlet closest to my home, there were no Google Play Gift Cards in sight.
I’ve always felt that Google wasn’t doing enough to help users pay for apps. No carrier billing, no debit card support, no support for local/electronic wallets. Just credit cards. And of course, that makes sense. Google is an advertising company. Android is one of the platforms for delivering ads. I’m a grown human being who makes his living from the internet. And yet, all this time, I had to use my dad’s credit card every time I wanted to buy an app. Now finally, I can support my favorite developers without alerting my dad about the upcoming charge first. Ah, bliss.
