Simplest way to buy and pay for Android apps

lonestarfan

I have an iPhone and ipad so am well used to buying apps and music thru iTunes and I use an iTunes gift voucher. All4 of us use iTunes vouchers as when we had my credit card as our payment method it was regularly cloned/hacked whatever you like to call it. Many purchases of inapp purchases that we didn't authorise etc I did get my money back from Apple but its a hassle and I don't trust their security so we use vouchers and this way we only lose the amount of money on the voucher. We've had no problems of rogue purchases since we moved to that method.
But I've bought grandma a tablet which is Android. I've surfed this and can't see a android gift card.
So that might mean I might have to set up a credit card.
It's our first Android device. We find just clicking on app store very easy, click on purchase, put in our password and Bobs your uncle.
How easy is the Android store?
What do I need to do to set the tablet up so that grandma can buy Android apps quickly?
What identifiers, passwords, payment methods etc do I have to input to get and app?
Where do you go to check your account balance and purchases so she can easily and regularly see if her credit card has been cloned, used, hacked etc
On Apple you just go on iTunes then click on your account and put in your password. its so easy to see quickly.
Would she have to go to a website or what?
The tablet is for her birthday so I'm going to make sure that its ready for her to use immediately e.g. I want to setup her email so she can get them quickly etc
Do I have to get her a googlemail account in order to buy Android apps? Or can you use any email address? What are the options?
Sorry for the long post.

RobTang

You can buy gift cards apparently

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-play-gift-cards-officially-land-uk-tesco-and-morrisons-board

Buying apps is pretty much the same as it is on ios
You will need a google account to buy apps like you need an apple id to buy for ios

Google wallet will show all transactions from the play store and any credit from giftcards / codes etc.

sillygoose

You will need to create a google gmail account to use Play Store, then it works like others, you can link a credit card to it and make purchases if required using the gmail account password. I have never had any problem with this security wise.

Using the gmail log details ANYONE with them can browse the store and order apps to the tablet. Next time its hooked on wifi it will automatically download and install.

For buying apps there is even a 15 minute trail period, if you realise you bought the wrong thing or it turns out to be something different you can send it back (so it un-installs) within 15 mins and get refunded. This doesn't apply to in-app purchases.

If you want gift vouchers as a way of paying they do those too..
http://play.google.com/intl/en-GB_uk/about/giftcards/

lonestarfan

Thanks both.
I'm really pleased they do gift cards as now I don't need to register her credit card do I?
So play store is what I called Android store?
So when this Ainol tablet comes what do I do?
Will it have an icon on there of play store? Or is it an icon of googlemail?
Can you create a google gmail account on a desk top so I could create her an account in advance of the tablet being received?
Thank a lot.

lonestarfan

Sillygoose- I had an email today from mad4pads to say they've dispatched the Ainol tablet so I got it at the £149 - so excited! Gma will be so pleased when we give it to her. Thank you.
It is Android isn't it?
Also bought a Sony laptop today for nephew to take to university so its been an expensive month lol!

sillygoose

It would be a good idea to!

Go to google, click on gmail and create a new account, take you time to deselect and 'subscribe to newsletter' options or other things you don't want but it only takes a couple of minutes. Use an easy to remember but long password for safety.

Then you can log in any browser.

AlecEiffel

You can sign up for a Google account on Google's website. Then when you receive the tablet and you are setting it up it will ask if you have a Google account. Enter the account name (ie the Gmail address) and password and you are set.

Sign up here-
https://accounts.google.com/SignUp

The app/book/music/magazine store is called Google Play. The tablet will have an app called Play Store. You will also have a Gmail app but that is just for the email part of the Google account.

Here's the web version of Google Play-
https://play.google.com/store?hl=en_GB

Tyler_Du

Morrisons do google play vouchers at the till, think a £10 voucher gets you 1p off a litre of petrol as well.

lonestarfan

On a separate issue - I've never considered having anti virus software on my ipad or iphone or this Ainol tablet.
Do I need any?
It's only made me think of it now when I mentioned the credit card. Don't know why but I guess I was linking to to hacking and malicious things.

sillygoose

I am sure you will get your Ainol soon: cool:, everyone is using 2nd class or cheaper couriers since Royal mail hiked the prices so high.

Once you have your gmail account, when the tablet arrives first you will need to get the wifi connected, usual way.. go into settings ...wifi and put your wifi router password in. Then in settings...accounts you just need to put in the gmail account details.

Then when you open the Play Store (formerly Android store) it will connect into your account, show what apps you have, which have updates and so on.

Before that, you can always explore the Play store without.

Also if you also have Grans gmail account details you could sort of remotely manage her tablet from your PC by logging in Play, you can remove apps for her, or find an app for her and install it remotely.

lonestarfan

AlecEiffel wrote: »

You can sign up for a Google account on Google's website. Then when you receive the tablet and you are setting it up it will ask if you have a Google account. Enter the account name (ie the Gmail address) and password and you are set.

Sign up here-
https://accounts.google.com/SignUp

The app/book/music/magazine store is called Google Play. The tablet will have an app called Play Store. You will also have a Gmail app but that is just for the email part of the Google account.

Here's the web version of Google Play-
https://play.google.com/store?hl=en_GB

Thanks that makes sense.
The app called play store then is the equivalent of my App Store on apple iPhone.
The gmail app is for email.
She has an email address at the moment with orange. The old fsnet address. Will she access those emails on the tablet by going on safari - or is the web on an android called something else and safari is an apple thing.
She has an iphone4 but I can't think off the top of my head how she gets her orange emails on her iPhone.