This Google Play Store trick saved me over $100 on the Pixel 11 Pro XL - here's how

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Last week, Google sent out email promos to random users with a chance to save up to $150 on the new Pixel 11 series. If you missed that email, there's a trick you might still be able to leverage to save.

You might not have paid much attention to your Play Store status level thus far, but every time you spend money on apps, games, in-app purchases, subscriptions, books, and movies on Google Play, you earn points toward a higher status. The higher your tier, the more prizes, perks, and discounts you can unlock (like savings on the Pixel 11 series).

Also: Google Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: I compared both - this one pulls ahead

If you're not already at a high level, there's a free way you can fast-track to gold status -- and a hidden discount that combines with trade-in and store credit offers.

You can save at least $125 just by getting a free trial of Play Pass. Google offers a Play Pass subscription that gives you unlimited access to a curated catalog of over 1,000 apps and mobile games with no ads or in-app purchases. An additional perk of the Play Pass is an automatic upgrade to gold status on the Play Store.

This subscription usually costs $5 a month or $20 a year, but you can sign up for a month-long free trial. Once you sign up and claim your gold status, you can access your Pixel 11 savings perk, use it, and then cancel your Play Pass trial before you're charged anything.

Also: I compared Google's pricier Pixel 11 series to Samsung's Galaxy lineup - here's the better value now

According to several Reddit posts about the trick, the amounts and applicable devices vary based on your Play Store status level, but users are getting between $125 and $175, depending on what phone they're shopping for. When I looked for myself, my temporary gold status got me an extra $125 off the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL.

Google is also offering up to $200 store credit or $250 off the purchase of a Pixel Watch 5, depending on which Pixel 11 phone you buy. I've been a Pro XL user for a few years, so I priced out the most expensive phone, the 11 Pro XL, at $1,299. My 9 Pro XL trade-in got me $550 off, and the Play Store savings got me $125. I opted for the $250 off the Pixel Watch 5, which runs $429.99.

Also: My top 6 open-source Android apps from the Google Play Store - and why that's important