[DEAD] [Today Only] Google Fi: Get a Full Gift Card Rebate on Phone Purchase (up to $999), or get a $200 Fi Credit for Signing up with your Own Phone

2/20/19: Gift card emails being sent out now to some.

10/28/18 (10:23pm ET): The travel gift card offer is now DEAD. The $200 BYOD offer is still alive. More details in this follow-up post.

The Offer

Direct Link to offer | Terms

Google Fi announced that iPhone and most Android phones will soon be compatible with Fi, opening it up for a lot more people.

They are also running two separate promotions now:

• Purchase any available phone (6 different options available from Pixel, LG, Moto) and get a gift card for the full amount of the purchase (minus taxes), e.g. if you buy a $999 phone, you’ll get a $999 gift card. The gift card will come in around 3 months. The following gift card options are available: Airbnb, Delta Air Lines, Hotels.com, and Southwest Airlines.
• Bring your own device to Google Fi (compatible phones) and get a $200 Fi service credit.

The Fine Print

Travel on Fi with Any Device Purchase Promotion Terms

• Limited time offer applies to any qualifying device purchased from fi.google.com from 11/28/18 12:00 AM PT through 11/28/18 11:59 PM PT, or while supplies last. When you purchase a qualifying device on fi.google.com, you can redeem a travel gift card in the amount you paid for the device, excluding taxes (details below).
• To qualify for this promotion, a device must be activated within 15 days of device shipment and remain active for 60 consecutive days within 75 days of device shipment. The device must be activated within the same group plan that was used to purchase the device. Activation must be for full service (i.e., activation does not apply to a data-only SIM).
• This offer is available for new Google Fi customers as of 11/28/18 12:00 AM PT and existing, active Google Fi customers. If the customer is new to Google Fi, the customer must transfer (port-in) their current personal number over to Google Fi during sign up. The number being transferred must be currently active and have been active with the previous carrier and the customer since 8/28/18 12:00 AM PT.
• After the terms have been satisfied, the customer will receive an email from Google Fi (around 75 – 90 days after device activation) with instructions on how to obtain a gift card from Tango subject to Tango’s terms and conditions.
• The user can redeem gift card amounts with select travel partners:Airbnb, Delta Air Lines, Hotels.com, and Southwest Airlines. Gift cards may also be subject to the terms of the travel partners.
• If Fi service is paused for more than 7 days or cancelled within 120 days of activation, the value of the gift card will be charged to your Google Payments account to match the purchased price of the device. Limit one per person. This offer is only available for U.S. residents ages 18 and older, and requires Google Payments and Google Fi accounts. Unless otherwise stated, this offer cannot be combined with other offers. Offer and gift card redemption are not transferable, and are not valid for cash or cash equivalent. Void where prohibited.

$200 Fi Service Credit with Compatible Phone Activation on Google Fi Promotion Terms

• Limited time offer applies to any customer new to Fi who signs up for Google Fi between 11/28/18 8:00 AM PT through 11/28/18 11:59 PM PT, activates their compatible device that was not purchased at fi.google.com or store.google.com by 12/28/18 11:59 PM PT and remains active for 30 consecutive days. See eligible phones here.
• To qualify for the service credit, activation must be for full service (i.e., activation does not apply to a data-only SIM). Afterwards, a service credit will be applied to the purchaser’s Fi account. Customer will receive an email notifying them of the service credit after all terms and conditions have been satisfied, and the credit will be applied to the customer’s subsequent bills around 45 – 60 days after activation. If the account is paused, credits will only appear once the account is reactivated. Service credits will be applied only toward monthly service costs such as data, calls, texts, and device protection; they cannot be applied device purchase or financing.
• New Google Fi users must transfer (port-in) their current personal number over to Google Fi during sign up. The number being transferred must be currently active and have been active with the previous carrier and the user since 8/28/18 12:00 AM PT.
• Limit one per person.
• This offer is only available for U.S. residents ages 18 and older, and requires Google Payments and Google Fi accounts.
• Unless otherwise stated, offer cannot be combined with other offers.
• Offer and service credits are not transferable, and are not valid for cash or cash equivalent. Void where prohibited.

Our Verdict

Porting in your number is a big requirement. A lot of people might be interested in having Fi suspended and activate only for international travel. Reader smbaybuy says Google Voice works as a port-in option (system will bring it up clearly as an option, but only use it if the Google Voice number was created before August 28th). Or use any spare cell number you have. Or use your regular cell number if you want to switch your main line to Fi. Existing Fi customers don’t need to do any porting at all, so that makes it even simpler.

The gift card offer is for new or existing users. The $200 offer is only for new users. You can’t get both of these deals since the gift card offer is only for customers who bring their own device.

The gift card rebate offer is a terrific deal. Just keep in mind: (a) you are swallowing the sales tax since there’s no gift card rebate on that, (b) you need to keep the line active for 120 days, so that’s probably an $80 cost ($20 x 4), (c) the gift card value is not as good as cash. For example, if you get the $999 Pixel 3, you may end up paying $80 in sales tax and $80 for the Fi service. Still a killer deal since you’ll essentially end up paying $160 for a $999 phone if you value the gift card as cash (of course, it’s not that valuable).

• Use a Fi referral link if you are signing up for either deal and you’ll get $20. DO NOT LEAVE REFERRALS IN THE COMMENTS. Find one and leave one in this post.
• Reader smbaybuy says this will trigger a $100 off $500 Amex Offer deal on advertising if you have that.

The $200 offer only requires 30 days of remaining active, so that’ll cost you $20 or $40, but you’ll get a $200 credit to easily offset that.

Remember, these deals are today only. They end at 11:59 PM PT. Phone deals are not my strength, please correct any errors.

Hat tip to reader Ryan, Oliver, and to runningwithmiles