Google Play Cards

PhantomRunner

Hi All,

I've purchased a Google Play card to load on my Google Account that was created on GrapheneOS with Google Mobile Services installed and Google will not allow me to load dollar amount on this Google Account. I was wondering if any other user of GrapheneOS has had this problem when using Plays cards?

I purchased it through Amazon, email the gift card to myself and then typed in the card number through the Play Store app. It gave me an error and a link to "https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/9281737" I followed the instructions, uploaded the Amazon invoice then received an email to that Google Account which said:

_"Hi,

Thank you for submitting your verification information.

According to our system, your Google Account or one of the Play Gift Cards you submitted isn't eligible for appeal.

Please refer to the Google Play Help Center for more information and reach out if you have any further questions. Redeem a Google Play gift card, gift code, or promotional code.

Thank you,

Google Support Team"_

So, this is what I believe is occurring; since Graphene does what it claims as to sandboxing Google Services, Google doesn't get hardware identifiers, your phone number and other spooky shit that they can use to build an identity or fingerprint your device, if they can't get these identifiers then they deny use of Play cards. I can use the Play Store and download apps just fine but not purchase apps or charge the Google Account with Play cards. I would like to use Play cards to maintain some privacy. I haven't tried using debit or credit or paypal. Using those options would require personal info to be release to Google. What's interesting about this is they pretend something is wrong with the card instead of your Account and have you jump through hoops by having you provide Proof of Purchase, which I did and then they still deny use of the card! I've never had a problem with Play cards when purchased through Amazon or buying a physical card at a store then redeeming them when I use an OEM version of Android.

Notice how generic the response is by not telling me what's wrong. They don't want to tell you that they collect all this info about device.

Anyone else tried using Play card with sandboxed Google Services?

Hat

I tried in the same order like you.
My advice : ask to Amazon to be refunded soon as possible. I don't use google account anymore since this happened.

PhantomRunner I would like to use Play cards to maintain some privacy.

Only paying with cash provide some privacy.

[deleted]

Did you try redeeming from the website instead of app?

PhantomRunner

Thanks Hat for your advice and response.

To 03_parka, Yes I did that too and still denied use.

Thank you both.

wonder75

Had the same problem with a €uro Google Play card.
Unable to redeem. Got a request to send photos of both sides of the card,
the place i bought it and my Phone number. They wrote it could take several weeks
to check the card.

Maybe other laws in the European Union.

I didn't try.

Play Cards with Graphene seem to be a bad idea.
Strange policy, this encourages pirating.

tmp

never had an issue redeeming physical google play gift cards purchased from a brick and mortar. will usually redeem a small amount off vpn as part of the testflow for new play store releases.

PhantomRunner

tmp Hi, I would like to ask you: What permissions do you give Sandboxed Google Play Services to achieve this? I deny all permissions except Network including the Sensors permission by default with the toggle turned off in the Privacy settings.

wonder75

After the failed physical Google Play Card, I tried a virtual from Amazon.
Same problem "We need more information from you".

Sent them the receipt. Will report here if they redeem the cards.

wonder75

Google answered the cases on my 2 Play cards.

Physical Play Card:
They said either my Google account or my Play Card is not eligible for support.
(Created a Google account just for my second profile on GOS)

Amazon Virtual Play Card:
They re-requested information I already sent them. (Receipt of the playcard with logo from the store)
I already sent them this info before. All I had was the automated email from Amazon with the code and a transaction-ID which I provided.

Bottom line: My money is gone and they don't care.

PhantomRunner

wonder75 Hi wonder75, What permissions did you give or not give to Google Play Services, Play Store and Google Services Framework? I'm wondering if it's a permissions issue in that if you give the appropriate permissions maybe then your Google Account that was created with GrapheneOS would have more information about your device and then might be able to add play cards to account.

jeeef

Hi all,
I'm facing the same issue, in Germany.
When entering the coupon code I get an error message and asked to follow the instructions on the same google help link.
The strange thing is some months ago I was able to load up my google play account with and google play card.
@Devs: is this a "new issue"? Are you aware of this issue? Will this issue be fixed?

Thanks in advance!

evalda

I had problems applying physical Google Play gift cards on stock, GrapheneOS and even on the web. It doesn't seem specific to GrapheneOS.

Try matching your IP address to location where you purchased a physical gift card, sometimes it helps. This has to be a new gift card, they seem to flag a failed card so it won't work later unless you appealed successfully.

jeeef

evalda
I purchased another brand new google play card at the gas station around the corner. So it's a legit card.
Getting the same error in google play store, as mentioned by the creator of this post (@PhantomRunner).
I'm NOT using a VPN with an ip address from another location / country. Regular mobile provider, mobile phone is connected to the local mobile network via LTE.
I don't own an iPhone. So this workaround is not an option.

So there SEEMS to be a problem with GrapheneOS?!?
I mean can somebody confirm that google play cards are working with the current GrapheneOS / google sandboxed version?

Thanks in advance!

matchboxbananasynergy

Scammers often use gift cards like this (they ask the victim to buy gift cards which they then pawn off), so it is understandable that they have measures in place to catch "suspicious activity".

evalda

In my experience Apple is less picky about their gift cards than Google. Some apps (but not all of them) allow you to purchase it on iOS and use on Android. If an app allows that you can purchase it with Apple gift card on iOS and then use it on Android as a workaround.

evalda

jeeef Did you try to redeem the card in a web browser? https://play.google.com/redeem

matchboxbananasynergy

I just had someone in the community test this on GrapheneOS, and it worked fine for them.

They used a $10 USD card and confirmed that the balance was added. They stressed that they didn't use a VPN, but that's about it aside from that. I'm not entirely sure what, but it looks like the issue is not with Sandboxed Google Play, but something in your setup triggering Google's scam detection.

The tester's setup: p6 021000 | play store 34.5.10-21 [PR] 508814926 | play services 23.06.15 (190400-509321727) | gmscompatconfig 34

InterestedNoob

evalda Yes, does not work. Facing the same issues.

privsec

I am occasionally using a Google burner account with sandboxed Google Play in a secondary profile on my Pixel. Now I wanted to make an in-app-purchase and thought, it would be a good idea to try out a gift card, as described here and there https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/3718-sandboxed-google-play-store-use-guide/2. I bought a 5-Euro-card.

While my Google account has hardly any information on me, Google asked for my name, address and phone number during the redeem process, i.e. setting up a payment account. I aborted this, because I don't want them to have that information. Lesson learned, 5 Euros lost.

I am writing these lines because some users seem to have had problems, Google not redeeming gift cards and asking for further info because of "inconsistencies". Maybe those users then entered names, addresses and phone numbers that didn't exist and Google does some kind of plausibility check? Google might indeed have good reasons to do so, to stop criminals making use of gift cards.

Anyhow a gift card seems not to be an anonymous way (for privacy reasons) of charging your payment account. At least not in the EU.

mnifty90987

This is my experience exactly. Made a "dummy" Google account on my Pixel 8a, bought a $10 card at a brick-and-mortar store, and was told either the account or the card was invalid. Since I'd paid for the card in cash, I submitted images of the reciept and the card. After weeks of around and around with Google "support", they ended up just refusing to consider the matter any further. So, that money is gone. Several days after that, the Play Store (installed via GrapheneOS) started forcing me to re-log into my account at least once per day. Finally, after a few more days, the Play Store informed me that my account had been disabled and I'd have to appeal. So, I deleted the account from the phone and disabled the Google Play apps. Frustrating.

I would be curious to hear from others whose accounts have been disabled. All I ever used it for was to download some free apps from the Play store and then to correspond via e-mail with Google "customer service" (such as it is). So, I have no idea what could have flagged the account. For what it's worth, I do use a VPN at all times, and never attempted to access the account on any device other than the Pixel.