How to give (already purchased) Android app to customer as a gift?

Question

Yes, SO, I know, it's not a "programmer's" question:) But customers sometimes help us (devs) with our code, so we (devs) shold be grateful. I think answer to my question will be useful for all fellow android devs.

User has purchased my app. Refund period (15min) is over of course. Now I'd like to return money to him as a gift, because he helped me in testing a little.

If I refund the entire order in Checkout->Orders will user keep my app 'purchased'? I mean will he be able to uninstall and install it again from GooglePlay->MyApps and will app be marked "purchased"? Will Google LVL accept him to run the app?

I've done such refunds before, but then they called it "Android Market", and refund was 12h, and there were no LVL. Maybe somebody know another way to make a small gift using Google Play?

Answer 1

You can now generate and distribute promo codes for your app or game to current and new users on Google Play.

Under the Promotions tab in the Google Play Developer Console, you can set up promo codes for your apps, games, and in-app products to distribute in your own marketing campaigns (up to 500 codes per app, per quarter):

1. Go to your Google Play Developer Console, select your app.
2. Select Promotions > Add new promotion.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions (promotion name, start and end dates, promotion type, number of promo codes you want to create).
4. Select Create, select the download link. Your codes will download to a CSV file. To share with users, you can print the codes or send a deep link allowing users to redeem the codes via email or a notification within your app.

References: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6321495 http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2016/01/create-promo-codes-for-your-apps-and-in.html

Answer 2

Google play has no gifting implemented currently.

Refunding the purchase will automatically uninstall the app from the user's device, and LVL will not accept him as a registered user if he sideloads it.

Answer 3

You can't give him a gift. There's no gift concept implemented in Google Play.

Answer 4

All we can do at this time is refund a purchase through the Google Wallet merchant account, after 48 hours (when the customer-initiated refund period expires, which may be different in the future).

If they get a refund from Google it will uninstall the app and remove their access.

If you do it personally from your Wallet merchant account, after 48 hours (or whenever the end is of the customer-initiated refund period), they still get to keep the app and get updates.

Answer 5

I know this is old, but have you thought about asking the customer in question to purchase the app, and then sending him/her the money via PayPal or something? Also, what if you initiate the refund process? In that case, I wouldn't expect the app to be uninstalled, as the user didn't agree to an uninstall.