Unveiling prepaid Google Play Store vouchers is one of the best moves Google could have pulled to increase the revenue it earns from India for its app ecosystem. Possibly due to exorbitant interest rates charged by banks and lack of awareness, credit card penetration in this part of the world is abysmally low. This is very same reason why WhatsApp which costs $1 per year outside India, is available for free in the country.
Google knows that the next thing it needs to due is to roll out carrier billing to help it earn more from its app ecosystem from the second largest smartphone market on the globe. But prepaid vouchers for Google Play Store is a good first step in the right direction. The cards will be made available in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune within the next few weeks. Select Vijay Sales and Spice Hotspot retail stores will be selling them.
The prepaid vouchers are said to be worth Rs 500, Rs 1000 or Rs 1500. Anyone interested in purchasing them can pay for it at the checkout counter with cold hard cash or plastic. Upon shelling out the required amount, buyers will be given a redemption code they can use or pass on as a gift to someone else, for buying content such as apps, games, eBooks or movies from Google Play Store.
Also see: If you live in India, no need to pay for WhatsApp for now
The content can be bought for computers as well as Android smartphones or tablets. To shop using the prepaid vouchers through a mobile device, individuals can simply open the Google Play Store application on their screen. Mac, PC or Chromebook users will need to visit the web version of the virtual marketplace in order to do the same.