It’s that time of the year again. The spooky ghouls of Halloween have been laid to rest, and attention has shifted to the big one: Christmas.
Whatever your views on the festive season, we can all agree that shopping for presents isn’t an enjoyable experience for everyone. Even if you’re super-organised, ensuring everyone gets something they like without breaking the bank is stressful, to say the least.
Gift cards might seem like a cop-out, but they can actually be one of the most thoughtful gifts you can buy. It allows you to pretty much guarantee the recipient will enjoy it, while still letting you be more specific than money to spend on cleaning products at Amazon.
But buying and sending physical gift cards is a real hassle, while signing up with lots of different retailers quickly becomes tedious, which is where Google comes in.
Within the Google Play Store – the app store for Android phones – you’ll now find the option to purchase digital gift cards in the US, UK and Mexico.
At the time of writing, there were 42 options available to me in the UK, so there’s plenty of choice. These included many of the top retailers, entertainment providers, and eateries in the country, with no obvious omissions.
Foundry
To access the list, simply search for ‘gift cards’ as if it were any other app. You’ll then be prompted to ‘Explore gift cards’ at the top of the page.
Once you see one you’d like to buy, tap it, choose the value (options range from £10-£250) and fill out the details. After purchase, it’ll be delivered via email or text with instructions to redeem within an hour.
Some of the gift cards expire after 12 months, while others last longer or never expire. If this is important, make sure you check the terms before continuing.
Google hasn’t reinvented the wheel by making digital gift cards available within the Play Store. But it has made the process of buying and sending them much more seamless.
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