Paying in the Play Store without a credit card - is that possible?
You can also pay for Android apps without a credit card in the Play Store. We'll show you how to get to the apps you want without a Visa or Mastercard using a phone bill, virtual credit card or alternative shops.
Pay by mobile phone bill in the Play Store
If you are a customer of T-Mobile (also Congstar) or O2, you can pay for your apps using a mobile phone bill. The corresponding sum will then appear on your monthly invoice under the category "Third-party services" or "Value-added services".
- Click the [Price] of the app in the Play Store.
- In the payment method, click on [Account debit] and [Accept].
- The app will then be downloaded and installed automatically.
This payment method has no longer been available to Vodafone customers since October 2013. According to Vodafone, the reason is that Google has made changes to the conditions for operator billing in the Play Store.
With some devices, it may happen that the option "Charge mobile phone bill" is not available for the first purchase (via WLAN). If this is the case, connect your smartphone to the Playstore via mobile radio. For later purchases, the payment method also works via wifi.
Pay through mycard2go
If you don't want to get a real credit card, the prepaid Visa card from mycard2go is the perfect choice.
- The card is available at many points of sale (e.g. petrol stations) with different credit.
- To be able to use the card, activation by SMS / email or online is all that is required. If you want to recharge the card after use, you must register on the website.
Use alternative stores
If none of the above options are suitable for you, simply get your apps from other stores.
- For example, Amazon offers you its own app store, which you can link to your Amazon account. Here you can easily pay by invoice.
Play Store prepaid cards
Since July 2013, you can also buy prepaid cards in Germany from the Play Store, similar to the iTunes vouchers. You can read about how to purchase and redeem these in this practical tip.
Pay with PayPal
With version 4.8.19 of the Google Play Store, the purchase option via PayPal was added.
- Via the menu pop-up "Payment options" you can log in to your PayPal account and pay for the app to be purchased via "Add PayPal".
Alternative: get a free credit card
Credit cards do not have to be expensive, but can be selected as a payment method almost anywhere. Many banks, such as the Santander Consumer Bank, also offer free credit cards for checking accounts. If you don't want to open a new account, you can get a Visa credit card with the Barclaycard even without changing your account - of course also free of charge.
If you use PayPal, you should beware of unauthorized third-party account access.