Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is offering a 40% discount on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel Tablet to Gold tier members in the Google Play Points rewards program.
- Users have found that you can subscribe to Google One’s 2TB membership for complimentary Gold tier in Play Points to take advantage of the offer.
All of us use the Google Play Store on our Android devices to buy apps, games, and other digital content. Google has a rewards program in the form of Google Play Points that offers rewards for purchases you make in the Play Store. If you are a Google Play Points member with Gold status or above, Google has a pretty great deal of 40% off on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and the Pixel Tablet’s MSRP. However, if you don’t have the Gold tier, there is a workaround that lets you take advantage of this deal, but you’ll have to act fast for it.
What is the Google Play Points offer?
Google is offering Play Points users in the US quite an insane deal in the Play Store’s offer tab:
Get 40% off Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Tablet from the Google Store. Redeem your discount code before 12/31/23, while supplies last.
However, this deal only shows up for Google Play Points users in the Gold tier or above. Sorry, Bronze and Silver users.
Leveling up to the Gold tier requires money to be spent in the Google Play Store, with a minimum of one Play Point earned for every $1 spent. The deal makes sense for users who have already been spending money in the Play Store, as they can now take advantage of the deal without making any further Play Store purchases.
You cannot take advantage of this offer if you don’t already have Gold status within Play Points. Unless…
How to reach Gold tier in Google Play Points to get 40% discount on Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel Tablet
Reddit user M0_OM has graciously shared steps on how to reach the Gold tier in Play Points without needing to spend a whole chunk of cash. You’d still need to spend some money, so go ahead only if you intend to take advantage of the offer and upgrade to a Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Tablet in the US.
According to the user, the easiest way to reach the Gold tier in Play Points is to sign up for a Google One Premium (2TB) subscription. The 2TB Google One tier comes with a complimentary Gold tier upgrade in Play Points, and you can sign up for it at just $10 per month. Note that this only works for new subscribers to Google One Premium and new upgrades to the 2TB plan, though you can try your luck activating this on a second account if you already have the 2TB subscription.
Once you sign up for a Google One 2TB subscription, you need to open your Google One app and claim the Gold tier benefit. The benefit can take some time to show up, so keep checking once every few hours.
You will get an email confirmation when you claim your Google One benefit. You can double-check in the Play Store that you have Gold tier in Play Points.
You will then need to wait a few days for the 40% discount benefit to appear in Play Points. This waiting game can be anywhere between three to ten days.
The 40% discount would appear in the Play Store’s Play Points perks tab. The user reports that while the offer appeared early, clicking on it gave them an ineligibility message. But one day later, they got through and could redeem successfully.
The 40% discount via Play Points can only be used and redeemed once. Ensure you have decided on the device you want to buy, as you cannot change your selection. The offer can be clubbed with a trade-in, and you can even take advantage of the higher trade-in promotion that will end on December 23, 2023.
Moreover, the Google One benefit also gives back 10% on the full purchase price as store credits, so the deal keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.
So if you have a Pixel 7 Pro that you can trade in for about $315, you can get the Pixel 8 Pro down to about $600 with the 40% discount and finally have it cost you about $285 after trade-in (but before tax).
Google is also offering YouTube Premium users in the US a $125 discount code for these purchases. Unfortunately, this $125 discount code does not stack with the 40% discount. It also does not stack with the holiday deal currently active on the Play Store.
Another tip: users mention that purchasing the unlocked Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro will give you a higher trade-in for your older device when compared to the Google Fi version.
Once you have received your device, you can either keep the Google One 2TB subscription, downgrade it, or cancel it.
Have you tried this method to get the 40% discount on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or Pixel Tablet? Let us know in the comments below if it worked for you!
