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No, the Google Store did not give you $500 in store credit

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By Alan Friedman

Published: May 01, 2022, 6:44 PM

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So you were browsing the Google Store from your desktop or laptop when you tapped on the profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen. Looking at the menu that appeared, you see a number listed in green which stuns you because it shows that you have a $500 Google Store Credit. You don't remember having that much money at your disposal for use in Google's online store, but the figure is in green so it must be legit, right?

And quickly your mind starts thinking about what you're going to purchase with the $500. Let's see, you definitely want that second-generation Pixel Stand ($79), and a pair of Pixel Buds-A Series earbuds ($99). The remaining $322 you have earmarked for the Google Pixel Watch, which is rumored to be announced at Google I/O later this month. We could see the timepiece made official when the developer conference kicks off on May 11th.

So no sooner do you go to place your order for the two available accessories (the Pixel Stand and the Pixel Buds Series-A) than you get to the end of the checkout process and find that you only have a few bucks of credit to work with. The $500 credit was just a mirage.Oh well, easy come, easy go.

As detailed by 9to5Google, a few minor changes made to the Google Store have somehow created a bug that shows $500 in Google Store credit for anyone that has a few dollars worth of Google Store credit. Just before you checkout, the correct balance amount appears (what at ease, right?). Another way to see the true credit amount you have is to go to the Google Store, tap the profile picture in the upper right corner, and tap on Settings.

This is just another example that shows you that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Or more precisely, there is no such thing as a free $500 shopping spree in the Google Play Store.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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