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In -app promo code from google play not working

  • August 9, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 21 views
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Hi there - grateful for help!

Issue: promo codes created read as ‘not valid for this purchase’ when redeeming in app. I want to create a 30 day trial code. 

I have a fresh account registered as a tester, in the correct region, with payment information, although I cannot get a code for a free trial to a subscription to work in app. It recognises the code, as putting in an incorrect code produces a different error. 

I have a monthly base plan + a 3 day trial offering. The same for a yearly.

Really at a dead end here, any suggestions/advice appreciated - thank you! 😁

 

    1 reply

    matt-heaney
    RevenueCat Staff
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    • matt-heaney
    • RevenueCat Staff
    • August 10, 2026

    Hey there!

     

    Matt from RevenueCat here! I’d love to help!

     

    Thank you for sharing all of this information! I’d be happy to help here.

     

    From what you’ve described, the first thing I’d recommend checking is which base plan/offer is marked as backwards compatible in Google Play Console.

     

    Google Play subscription promo codes only work with a subscription’s backwards-compatible base plan/offer. When you create the promo, Google Play Console lets you select the subscription rather than a specific monthly or yearly base plan, and Google applies the code using that subscription’s backwards-compatible configuration.

     

    This means that if the promo code itself is valid, but you’re redeeming it while purchasing a different base plan/offer, this can result in the “not valid for this purchase” error you’re seeing.

     

    For the 30-day trial, you can create a subscription promo code in Google Play Console with a 30-day free trial. If the backwards-compatible offer already has your 3-day free trial, the promo’s 30-day trial will override this when the code is redeemed.

     

    As a next step, I’d recommend checking which base plan/offer is currently backwards compatible in Google Play Console, and then trying to redeem the promo code against that same purchase path.

     

    We have some more information on Google Play subscription offers here:
    https://www.revenuecat.com/docs/subscription-guidance/subscription-offers/google-play-offers

     

    If you’re already testing against the backwards-compatible configuration and are still seeing the error, please let me know! We can then dig a little deeper into the promo setup, including its status, which subscription it’s attached to, and the tester’s eligibility.

     

    I hope this helps!

    Matt, Developer Support Engineer @ RevenueCat
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