Did I just make a huge mistake? N7 Google Play for US only?

**ellykay** · 11-23-2012, 10:25 PM

I'm a Canadian resident visiting family in the US and I purchased a Nexus 7 today. Set it up, surfing wifi just great. Love everything about it. Tried to redeem a Google Play gift card and pop-up msg. says it is not valid in my country. (I'm still in US, but my Google account was set up in Canada). I really wanted to use my N7 for books, but the Google Wallet is for US residents with US credit cards only. I have this sick, sinking feeling that I will not be able to purchase anything for my tablet. I have a Canadian Galaxy II phone for which I have purchased apps from Google Play, but it shows a very limited selection of books - mostly reference and children's books - in the app store.
Does anyone know if the Canadian Nexus 7 features are so different from the US that I can not make this work?
What are my chances of returning it to the store?

**Live2ride883** · 11-23-2012, 10:47 PM

You should be well within the stores return period, but there may be a restocking fee. If so explain the situation to the store manager since they can over ride that fee. Personally I would return it, and buy another one when you go back to Canada. Better safe than sorry in this situation.

**ChromeJob** · 11-23-2012, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by ellykay

I'm a Canadian resident visiting family in the US and I purchased a Nexus 7 today. Set it up, surfing wifi just great. Love everything about it. Tried to redeem a Google Play gift card and pop-up msg. says it is not valid in my country. (I'm still in US, but my Google account was set up in Canada). I really wanted to use my N7 for books, but the Google Wallet is for US residents with US credit cards only. I have this sick, sinking feeling that I will not be able to purchase anything for my tablet. I have a Canadian Galaxy II phone for which I have purchased apps from Google Play, but it shows a very limited selection of books - mostly reference and children's books - in the app store.
Does anyone know if the Canadian Nexus 7 features are so different from the US that I can not make this work?
What are my chances of returning it to the store?

Where did you get the Google Play gift card?

The N7 should be the same the obstacle was the billing address etc, on your Play/Wallet acct.

**Jon Jennings** · 11-24-2012, 04:27 AM

The hardware is identical so absolute worst case is you do a factory reset when you get back to Canada.

Don't think that'll be necessary though. I believe gift cards are a US only thing. It knows you're Canadian (got a Canadian CC registered on your account?) so won't let you use it.

play.google.com/about/card-terms.html says " Google Play Gift Cards ("Gift Cards") are valid only for users who are 13 years of age or older, and who are residents of the USA"

**retsaw** · 11-24-2012, 04:41 AM

I don't know if it will work but maybe you can set up a new US Google account for using with your gift card. Since you can add multiple accounts to the play store, this might be a workable solution.

**JustinMueller8810** · 11-24-2012, 07:53 AM

OP you were born in CANADA. That IS definitely a huge mistake.

**ellykay** · 11-24-2012, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Jon Jennings

The hardware is identical so absolute worst case is you do a factory reset when you get back to Canada.

Don't think that'll be necessary though. I believe gift cards are a US only thing. It knows you're Canadian (got a Canadian CC registered on your account?) so won't let you use it.

play.google.com/about/card-terms.html says " Google Play Gift Cards ("Gift Cards") are valid only for users who are 13 years of age or older, and who are residents of the USA"

I discovered that the gift card was only good for US Google accounts when I actually read the back of it after it failed to work for me. It never occurred to me that it would make a difference where my google account was set up. When I was unable to add my credit card to the google wallet (my original cc I've used for my phone apps had expired) I did some more digging and found that I will not be able to make any purchases from Google Play at all. I will see if there is a manned help line today, but it looks like my main concern should be erasing all my history off of this thing and getting it back to the store in a condition that no one can glean my info from it.

**ellykay** · 11-24-2012, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by JustinMueller8810

OP you were born in CANADA. That IS definitely a huge mistake.

No, I am an American married to a Canadian and enjoying most aspects (winter notwithstanding) of living in Toronto.

**MJKearney** · 11-24-2012, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by ellykay

I discovered that the gift card was only good for US Google accounts when I actually read the back of it after it failed to work for me. It never occurred to me that it would make a difference where my google account was set up. When I was unable to add my credit card to the google wallet (my original cc I've used for my phone apps had expired) I did some more digging and found that I will not be able to make any purchases from Google Play at all. I will see if there is a manned help line today, but it looks like my main concern should be erasing all my history off of this thing and getting it back to the store in a condition that no one can glean my info from it.

That's doesn't sound right, at least the part about not being able to purchase from Google Play. Google Play Store is available for Canada and many other countries where the N7 is sold. Are you saying that this is because you bought the N7 in the USA, and therefore the device is identified as a USA model only, requiring a US based credit card? If true then that's interesting. Let us know what you find out.

**ellykay** · 11-24-2012, 06:49 PM

All's well that ends well. I talked with a Google rep and he said that I could not use Google Play since I was trying to use my Canadian acct. from a US ISP and when I get home everything will work fine. He also told me to temporarily change my profile to my US address and redeem my gift card that way. It worked. As long as I have purchased content that is also available in Canada (books, movies, etc. vary) anything I purchase will stay in my account
Thanks to everyone for your comments and help.

**MJKearney** · 11-24-2012, 11:28 PM

So it's all a matter of what country your Google account is based in, and what country the ISP is based in that your N7 is connected to. The two have to match. It doesn't matter from where you bought the N7, except perhaps for the Play Store credit.

Good information, thanks for posting.

**JustinMueller8810** · 11-26-2012, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by ellykay

No, I am an American married to a Canadian and enjoying most aspects (winter notwithstanding) of living in Toronto.

Too bad more people like my post.
Win.

**MJKearney** · 11-26-2012, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by JustinMueller8810

Too bad more people like my post.
Win.

Out of fairness and equal opportunity to our kind neighbors and ex-pats to the north, I officially hereby rescind my previous like of your post, and apply it to the post of the OP.