This post originally appeared in November of 2011. Google then de-listed it because it was classified as SPAM. I asked to have it reviewed and they posted it now even though the information is outdated. For completeness, I am leaving it in the blog.
I am in the process of putting together my annual gift guide and I started to do a bit a research on Android Market gift cards. Guess what, they don't exist. I think it is a shame because they would make perfect stocking stuffers. When you look at Apple's iStore and compare it with Google's Android Market, they look very similar. The biggest difference though is with music. You can get iTunes gift cards from a number of retailers because most people use them to buy music. While there is some music found in the Android Market, it is mostly used to sell apps. I did see that they have a number of movies for rent and my hope is that this will spur Google to get someone selling Android Market gift cards. There is one positive aspect of Google not selling gift cards though. I have noticed that a number of free applications found on the Android Market actually cost money at the iStore. Angry Birds is a good example. There is a "lite" version on the iStore, but the complete version is available for free from the Marketplace. Perhaps not having gift cards sold all over the place is actually a good thing. What do you think?
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