Unlike iTunes Gift Cards, Google Play gift cards are rarely discounted, so this is a good opportunity to scoop them up at a good discount. This promotion is available through the Plenti rewards program at Rite Aid stores. You purchase a $25 physical plastic Google Play Gift Card, and receive 500 points in your Plenti Rewards program. This offer ends at the close of business on Saturday April 30 in 2016 at Rite Aid brick and mortar stores.

500 points have the buying power of $5, which you can spend in future purchases (the morning after your purchase) at Rite Aid or Exxon-Mobil gas stations or Macy’s or other participating locations.

I haven’t seen the weekly Rite Aid ad this week, but these promotions are typically two per customer during this week, so that’s pretty good. Google Play Gift Cards can be used on Apps, Music, Video, and eBooks purchases through the Play store. NOTE: they cannot be used to purchase subscriptions (eg Google Play Music All Access) or hardware from the Google non-Play Store.

PS: if you are not familiar with the Plenti rewards program, check our introductory post.

PS2: these are a great way for cordcutters to buy Season Passes for their favorite TV shows. Amazon rarely discounts their gift cards since they sell at pretty much face value in the used gift card market.

We have a little bit of a cordcutter theme today! If you are an Android user, the Google Play Plenti Gift Card promotion is coming back at Rite Aid stores during the week of January 31 until the close of business on Saturday 2/6/16. You buy a $25 Google Play Gift Card and you receive 500 Plenti points. That’s the equivalent of $5 you can use in future purchases at Rite Aid, Macy’s, Exxon-Mobil, and more.

It’s essentially a 20% off discount on everything you buy at Google Play using this amount. Unlike iTunes (a bit ironic considering Apple’s crazy profit margins), Google Play rarely has sales on their gift cards. So this is a good opportunity.

The promotion is “limit two” during this promotional period. I’ve done this a couple of times in the past, and it works like clockwork. A pretty good way to buy Season Passes for TV shows if you are a cordcutter, or any other digital content (apps, music, ebooks, movies, etc) from Google Play.

NOTE: Google Play Gift Cards CANNOT be used to purchase hardware from the Google Store or subscriptions through Google Play (eg their Music service). Those have to be charged to a credit card. I don’t know why they have this restriction, probably to keep us spending more, because if a subscription or hardware purchase empties your gift card balance, you are less likely to make digital content purchases?

NOTE #2: if you are not familiar with the Plenti Rewards program, check our earlier introductory post.

If you are a member of the Rite Aid Plenti Rewards program (see our introductory post on it), for the week of November 15-21 in 2015, at Rite Aid brick and mortar stores, you can get 20% back in Plenti points when you purchase a $25 Google Play Gift Card (you get 500 Plenti points; limit 2) or a $50 Best Buy Gift Card (you get 1000 Plenti points; limit 2). Only the specific amounts mentioned in their weekly circular ad are eligible for this promotion.

This is great either way, Google Play rarely gets discounted, unlike iTunes that can easily be found 20% to 25% off. And the Best Buy offer is pretty good as well.

The easiest way to redeem these Plenti points after they post to your account is towards future Rite Aid purchases or fill up your car at a participating Mobil-Exxon gas station.

Google Play gift cards get nowhere near the discounts the iTunes Gift Cards get. So it’s a bit of a mini-event when there is a discount on the Play cards. One of the most consistent places to find a good deal is Rite Aid in combination with the Plenti rewards. This promotion returns every few weeks, so it can keep you stocked up on a regular basis.

The offer is as before, you buy a $25 Google Play Gift card, and receive 500 Plenti points. One point is the equivalent of one penny when redeemed, so 500 points is $5. Effectively a 20% off discount, assuming you can naturally spend the Plenti points at Rite Aid or other participating providers (if all else fails, you can use your Plenti points to pay for gas at Mobil-Exxon gas stations).

This offer is limit two for the week, so if you want to max-out, you pay and get $50 in Google Play credit, and have 1000 Plenti points for future use. That’s $10 to spend in the future at RiteAid or other participating providers.

iTunes gift cards are discounted left and right (which is interesting considering Apple’s crazy profit margins), while Google Play gift cards rarely get discounts. But it appears Google is slowly but steadily “discovering” the magic of discounting. So for the week of August 30 to September 5 in 2015, at Rite Aid stores, if you purchase a $25 Google Play Gift Card, you will receive 500 Plenti points. These have a redemption value towards a future purchase of $5. So it is essentially a 20% off. This is a limit two offer for the week.

If you are not part of the Plenti program, it is free to sign-up in-store or online. I have a write-up of my sign-up experience (I was part of the RiteAid Wellness Rewards before).

TIP #1: if you are not a frequent Rite Aid shopper, there’s another easy way to redeem all your Plenti points: you can use them to pay for gas at Exxon-Mobil gas stations. Just slide your Plenti cards before you slide your credit card and follow the prompts at the pump’s display.

TIP #2: if you are a cordcutter, the Google Play gift cards are a good way to buy Season Passes of TV shows with this extra discount factored in. You can use these cards on anything digital at Google Play. However, Google Play gift cards cannot be used to purchase physical goods (hardware, phones, tablets, etc) or subscriptions.