Create promotions

Subscriptions and in-app purchases: If you want to offer promo codes for subscriptions or in-app purchases, you need to integrate In-app Promotions in your app. Keep in mind that promo codes can't be used for inactive products.

Paid apps: To offer promo codes for paid apps, go to Step 2.

How many promo codes can I create?

Different quarterly limits apply for non-subscription promo codes and subscription promo codes. Promo codes created for subscription promotions do not count towards your limit for non-subscription promotions, and vice versa.

You can create up to 500 promo codes per quarter across all non-subscription promotions in an app. You can use any combination of paid app and in-app promo codes, such as:

• 500 paid app promo codes
• 500 promo codes for one in-app product
• 250 paid app promo codes + 250 promo codes for one in-app product
• 100 promo codes for five in-app products

You can use subscription promotions within the following limits:

• One-time use codes: 10,000 promo codes per quarter per subscription product. 

• Custom codes: You can choose a redemption limit during promotion creation, which must be between a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of 99,999.

Note: Once you create a promotion, you can't change the number of promo codes in that promotion or switch promo codes to a different type (for example, change a paid app promo to a managed product promo).

What happens to my one-time use codes at the end of a quarter?

• New codes: If it's the first day of a new quarter and you can't create new codes yet, wait for 24 hours and try again.
• Unused codes: If you don't use all of your promo codes in a quarter, you'll lose access to them. Unused codes won't carry over to the next quarter.
• Processed codes: Users can redeem promo codes on the Google Play up until the promotion end date you entered in Play Console. Promotions can last up to one year.

1. Open Play Console and go to the Promo codes page (Monetize with Play > Promo codes).
2. Click Create promo code.
3. Review and agree to the Promo codes Terms of Service.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to name your promotion, choose start and end dates, select your promotion type, and enter the number of promo codes you want to create.
5. If you’re creating a subscription promotion, choose which subscription to generate promo codes for, and the length of the free trial. Note that the subscription’s backwards compatible base plan is used.

6. If you’re adding a custom code, enter the code and the redemption limit. Here are some things to consider when creating a custom code:

   • Custom codes must be unique per app, which means you can’t reuse a custom code in the same app for a different campaign. 

   • Custom codes must be alphanumeric and are not case-sensitive.

   • Custom codes cannot contain offensive or inappropriate words or phrases.

   • We recommend adding a year or date to the end of your custom code to make it easier to track when each code was enabled.

7. To turn the promotion on during the start and end dates you entered, set the status to On.
8. Click Create.
9. If you created a one-time use code, wait several seconds and select the download link. Your codes will download to a comma-separated values (.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.

1. Open Play Console and go to the Promo codes page (Monetize with Play > Promo codes).
2. Next to the promotion you want to change, click View promotion.
3. You can make updates to the promotion name, start and end date, and status (paused or active).
   • Update a start date: If you change a promotion start date to a future date, you're pausing the promotion until that date.
   • Update an end date: You can only update a promotion end date to a future date.
   • Pause promotion: You can click Pause promotion at the top right of the page. Users won’t be able to redeem promo codes for this promotion until the promotion is started again.