GoGoCard cards can be added to Google Play and used to pay for apps, games, in-app purchases and subscriptions that are taken out through the Google Play payment system.
Important
Google Play and Google Pay are different services.
Google Play is used to pay for apps, games, digital content and subscriptions. To pay for purchases with your phone via Google Pay, use the separate instructions.
1. Check your card
- Make sure the card specifications state the ability to pay online. You can check this for your card in your GoGoCard account → the specific card → terms and limits.
- Check the issuing country and the billing address of your card in your GoGoCard account — you will need them further on in the payment form.
- Check the card balance — when the card is added, Google and the issuer may carry out a small verification authorization (up to $1).
Important
Before you start adding the card to a service, make sure your card balance is greater than $0.
- The issuing country of the card, the billing address, the Google Play region, the region of the payments profile and the IP address must match each other.
If your card was issued in Singapore, for example:
- Card issuing country: Singapore ✅
- Billing address: Singapore ✅
- Google Play region and payments profile: Singapore ✅
- IP address: Singapore ✅
2. Check the Google Play region and the payments profile
Google uses two settings that are related but not the same. The Google Play region determines the available apps, the prices, the currency and the payment methods. The payments profile holds the region and the billing address, the saved cards, the payment history and the recurring charges. Both have to match the issuing country of the card.
The Google Play region: open the Google Play app → profile icon → "Settings" → "General" → "Account and device preferences" → the "Country and profiles" section.
The payments profile: open Google Payments Center in a browser, sign in to the same account that is used in Google Play, go to "Settings" → the "Payments profile" block → the "Country/region" field.
The names of the sections may differ depending on the version of Google Play and the language of the device.
Important
The region inside a payments profile that has already been created cannot be changed — a new profile has to be created.
Purchases, subscriptions and payments profiles are tied to a specific Google account, a card added in one account will not be available in another. If there are several accounts on the device, check the active account in Google Play → profile icon.
3. What to know before changing the region
How often it can be changed. After the Google Play region is chosen for the first time, at least 90 days have to pass before the next change. The same applies between subsequent changes. If the region was changed recently, the new option may not be shown.
How long it takes to apply. After a new profile is created or the region is changed, the update may take up to 48 hours. During this period the old currency may be shown, the previous profile may stay active or the new card may be unavailable. Do not create several profiles in a row — wait for the changes you have already made to apply.
Family group. If you are part of a Google family group, changing the region may be unavailable, you will need to leave the group, and the administrator will need to delete it. Assess the consequences beforehand, access to shared purchases and subscriptions may be lost.
Subscriptions and balance. Subscriptions taken out before the region change may keep using the previous payments profile — in some cases they will have to be cancelled and taken out again after the paid period ends. The Google Play balance, gift cards and bonuses are tied to the region they were received in and may be unavailable in the new profile.
4. Create a payments profile for the required region
- Open Google Payments Center and sign in to the account you need.
- Go to "Settings" → the "Country/region" field → the edit icon.
- Choose "Create new profile" and enter the issuing region of the card.
- Fill in the required data and the billing address of the card, then save the profile.
Use the issuing country and the billing address from your GoGoCard account.
After creating the profile, connect to an IP address in the chosen region, close Google Play completely, restart the device if necessary, open the app and select the new profile in the "Country and profiles" section. The changes take up to 48 hours to apply.
Registering a new Google account is usually not required for this — even if a card from another region was used in it before.
5. Add the card
The card can be added in the settings or during a purchase.
Through the Google Play settings:
- Open Google Play → profile icon → "Payments & subscriptions" → "Payment methods".
- Press "Add debit or credit card" or the equivalent item.
- Enter the card details from your GoGoCard account: the card number, the expiration date, the CVV code and the cardholder name if the field is shown. Check every digit, the expiration month and year and the absence of extra spaces.
- Fill in the billing address with the data from your GoGoCard account, without changes. Even a small discrepancy in the street or the postal code may lead to a decline. Fill in the fields in English.
- Press "Save" once and wait for the result.
- If an additional verification page (3DS) appears — go to the menu of your card and press the green 3DS button to find out which confirmation method is enabled for your card. Then confirm the transaction using that method.
During a purchase: open the app, game or subscription you need → tap the price → open the list of payment methods → "Add debit or credit card" → enter the details and the billing address → go through 3DS if required. The card will be saved in the Google account. Before confirming, check the price, the currency, the length of the trial period, the date of the first charge, how often it renews and the cancellation terms.
The card is attached if it is shown in the "Payments & subscriptions" → "Payment methods" section with the payment system and the last four digits, Google does not ask to complete verification, and in the Payments Center the card belongs to the profile you need.
A successful attachment does not guarantee payment for any app or subscription: every transaction is checked separately, taking into account the balance, the limits, the card specifications, the merchant category, the region and the currency.
6. How to change the card for an active subscription
- Open Google Play → profile icon → "Payments & subscriptions" → "Subscriptions".
- Choose the subscription and press "Update payment method" or "Manage".
- Choose the GoGoCard card and save the changes.
The payment method is changed for each subscription separately. If the subscription was taken out in another region or through a previous payments profile, the new card may be unavailable — in that case the subscription will have to be cancelled and taken out again after the paid period ends.
7. If the payment does not go through
- "This payment method is not available in your region" — check the issuing country of the card, the Google Play region, the region of the payments profile and of the billing address, the IP address and the active Google account. If the region or the profile was changed recently, wait for the changes to apply — up to 48 hours.
- "Check your card details" — check the number, the expiration date, the CVV code, the cardholder name, the billing address and the postal code. If the card has been reissued, the old details no longer work.
- "Payment method declined" — check whether the card is suitable for Google Play and subscriptions, whether it is active, whether there are enough funds including currency conversion, whether the country of the card, the profile and the address match, and whether the limits have been exceeded.
- Billing address error — use the information from your GoGoCard account without any changes to the spelling.
- The region you need is not shown — the region may have been changed less than 90 days ago, the account may be part of a family group, the IP may belong to another region, or the changes may not have applied yet. Check the profile, restart and update Google Play, clear the cache and wait for up to 48 hours.
- The region has been changed but the old currency is shown — check the selected profile, the region in the Payments Center and the active account, wait for up to 48 hours and do not create additional profiles.
- The card is saved in Google but unavailable in Google Play — check which profile it was added to, whether that profile matches the Google Play region, whether the right account is selected and whether the verification of the card is complete.
- 3DS problem — go to the menu of your card and press the green 3DS button to find out which confirmation method is enabled for your card. Then confirm the transaction using that method.
- The 3DS code was accepted but the card was not saved — 3DS confirms the transaction but does not guarantee that the card will be saved, Google additionally checks the region of the account, the profile, the address and the card specifications.
- The card has been added but the purchase does not go through — check the balance including currency conversion, the limits, the region of the store, the selected card and any outstanding balance from earlier purchases.
- The subscription is charged to the old card — the payment method has to be changed for each subscription separately, see section 6.
If the card has been declined more than two or three times, do not create new transactions, repeated unsuccessful attempts, multiple requests for a 3DS code and unnecessary payments profiles may lead to additional restrictions on Google's side.
The transactions menu in your GoGoCard account should contain information about the attempted transaction (even an unsuccessful one) with the specific reason for the decline. If there is no record of the transaction, make sure you have followed all of the recommendations above; otherwise, contact Google support.