Android Market Needs Gift Cards

[JarrettV]

I wrote a blog post about how Android Market needs gift cards.

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Summary
As of today, the only valid purchasing method on the Android Market is the use of a credit card. Android needs gift cards to expand access to the Android Market. If there were gift cards, people could gift apps and more people (especially the young) could buy apps. I am more likely to buy an app with a gift card than my own credit card. iTunes gift cards are everywhere (literally in almost every store) which increases exposure to Apple's brand. Google needs this too!

 

[Erron]

How about a visa gift card? Sort of the same thing only more flexible.

 

[Corinacakes]

Great idea!! i see you wrote that back in February. did you contact google? or whoever runs the android market?

 

[JarrettV]

How about a visa gift card? Sort of the same thing only more flexible.

Visa gift cards are not user friendly. Believe me, I've tried to use these things before. Most online stores only accept one credit card so your purchase must be less than the amount on the card. How do you use the remaining amount?

Anyway, as a person that gives a gift card, I want the recipient to buy something specifically from the Android Market. As a developer, this increases the number of sales of apps.

 

[bassjason]

I think I read somewhere that soon you'll be able to use paypal, although android market gift cards would be a great idea.

 

[techguru]

I have been using a paypal debit card for google checkout (and many other online purchases that don't directly accept paypal) for some time.

 

[Reefdiver]

Any news on an Android market gift card??

 

[danDroid]

I think the Amazon Android Market will have that feature.

 

[dezymond]

You guys must be in this for the look of the cards, i would think a Visa Gift Card is the same. lol

 

[Reefdiver]

You guys must be in this for the look of the cards, i would think a Visa Gift Card is the same. lol

What if it is a gift? You probably did not think of that genius. I don't know why, but there always has to be wiseguy on every website forum.

 

[Quicksilver7714]

Thats a great idea but i can also pay for apps with my PayPal account as well as my credit card.

 

[dezymond]

You guys must be in this for the look of the cards, i would think a Visa Gift Card is the same. lol

What if it is a gift? You probably did not think of that genius. I don't know why, but there always has to be wiseguy on every website forum.

you failed to read the VISA GIFT CARD part didn't you?

I don't know about you guys but when i give a gift card it's usually a Visa, I don't like to limit the gift to one store. In terms of usability, visa one makes more sense imo, but the looks of an actual designated store gift card cannot be beat.

 

[rpjwalter]

The problem with Visa gift cards is that they do not work for purchasing an app from someone outside the United States. An android markeft gift card is what will take the market to the next level.

 

[takeshi]

An android markeft gift card is what will take the market to the next level.

Citation? Or is this just opinion?

 

[ballmore]

I see iphone gift cards all of the time and think about having Android cards right beside them. When you buy an iphone gift card for someone it is because you want to make sure that the money you are spending on them is going towards apps. If you want them to have a choice of how to spend the money then that is where the visa card comes in. The iphone gift cards are everywhere and it helps people that don't have credit cards or don't want to use there credit cards (with high interest rates). I bought an iphone gift card for my niece last Christmas to show that I knew what she was interested in and to help her get apps cuz she is to young to have a credit card. To me buying a visa gift card shows that you aren't putting any thought into the gift at all and you are just being.........lazy. The whole point in having store specific gift cards is to show a little bit of thought.
Android gift cards would be a great idea. It will help drive name recognition, and sales. If they started popping up in Walmart I would probably buy one just for myself. Then I would stop being lazy and start getting the paid versions of apps instead of the free ones.