3 Ways to Buy Apps, Movies & Music from Google Play Store in India

With the penetration of smartphones in our populated country, the overall user base of smartphones is on the rise. Google’s Android operating system commands a significant share of these smartphones. Apps & services make these smartphones even smarter by allowing us to do much more than what it does out of the box. A lot of these apps and games offer premium/upgradeable versions which unlock far more options, hence taking functionality to another level. Now to unlock these upgrades, one must pay real money. This is what we are discussing in this post – the different ways in which Indians can purchase premium content from Google Play store.

How to Purchase Content on Google Play Store

Google is constantly investing into the Indian market, thereby offering better services to its Android users. Google currently accepts Play Store payments in 3 ways – Credit Cards, Netbanking & Gift Vouchers. All of these can be used to buy apps, music, movies, books and other digital content offered on the Google Play Store. Here’s how to make use of these methods:

1. Using Nebanking to Buy Apps

Indian netbanking is the most recent and a much-needed addition to accepted payment methods. Android users (unrooted) can make use of netbanking to make quick and trouble-free purchases. Google supports over 38 banks. The checkout works similar to how we pay on shopping portals like Amazon and Flipkart. And you only pay the exact price of the app or game. There is no processing fees or foreign currency markup. In simple words, if an app shows up in Play Store for ₹10 then you will only pay ₹10.

2. Using Credit or Debit Card

Credit cards are a universal way of making payments. Google Play also allows Indians to make purchases using Credit or Debit cards, but only some of them work. Reason – Google Play does not support 3D authentication (Verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode) i.e. the OTP or password asked at the time of payment. Most of the Indian banks enforce this to avoid the risk of misuse of cards. Unfortunately, this enforcement also breaks the card from working on nearly all of the international gateways.

However, some banks are a little lenient, and they allow international transactions if the gateway does not support 3D verification. Here’s a list of credit and debit cards which work on Google Play.

3. Using Google Play Vouchers (Gift Cards)

Gift Cards is another way using which app purchases can be done. The downside is that you need to purchase it in advance and it does not come in the exact denomination you need. Google Play gift cards are sold in 3 denominations ₹750, ₹1000 & ₹1500. So, if you need to purchase a ₹50 worth of music album, you are required to buy a gift card of ₹750. The remaining balance is not lost, though. You can use it to purchase something else in the future.

We hope that the above information has helped you in buying apps or game upgrades from Google Play Store. Which payment method do you use? Let us know in the comments section below.