Disney+ Hotstar might soon allow users to subscribe to its services via the Google Play Store. The company currently allows users to make payments via their UPI ID, credit/ debit cards and wallets. However, Android smartphone users might soon be able to make payments to subscribe to Disney+ Hotstar via the Google Play Store. The company has not confirmed any details officially. However, thanks to a Reddit user, some details about the Google Play Store payment option for Hotstar have surfaced online.
A Reddit user (@u/Economy_Protection_7) has posted a video that shows the option for paying the Hotstar subscription fee via Google Play Store. The video shows the user scrolling through various Disney+ Hotstar subscription plans, which currently include Mobile, Super and Premium. The Super Plan has an ad-free option, which is currently priced at Rs 1099 per year. Notably, there are two “Super + Ads free” tabs in the subscription plans page. The app throws an error after the user tries to subscribe via the first “Super + Ads free” tab. However, upon tapping on the second tab with the same name, it redirects the user to the Play Store Payments page.
The integration of Google Play Store as a payment option will not only make it easier for users to subscribe but also earn Play Points. Google announced its Play Points programme last year in India. Users will get the points once they make purchases on the Play Store. These points can be used to make in-app purchases. Once the payment option is live for Disney+ Hotstar users, they will be able to earn a certain number of points, depending on their subscription plan and the Google Play Points tier they are on. Bronze tier users get 1 point for every Rs 5 spent on the Play Store purchase, whereas Silver tier users get 1.1 points. Gold members earn 1.4 points for every Rs 5 spent on the Play Store purchase.
At the moment, it is unknown if users can use their existing Play Points to either buy a subscription plan or get a discount on the overall yearly plan by using a portion of Play Points. The developers seem to be testing the feature with a small set of users. If you do not have the option currently, you can still subscribe to Disney+ Hotstar by following the steps below:
- Open the Disney+ Hotstar app.
- On the home page, Click on ‘Subscribe’ next to the Disney+ Hotstar logo.
- This will lead you to the payment page and you will see various subscriptions and the amount to be paid for each.
- Select the plan you want to go ahead with, for example Super, and tap ‘Continue with Super’.
- Follow the instructions and complete the payment.
As of now, the company has three subscription tiers, with the base Mobile plan starting at Rs 149 for three months. The top-end Premium plan is priced at Rs 1499 per year.
