Google has silently updated the Google Play developer console to enable support for promotional codes on the Play Store. This will allow app developers to generate promo codes for their paid apps or IAPs, which can then be redeemed by a user for free.

However, Google has put up a restriction of up to 500 promo codes per quarter that a developer can generate for his apps. This number includes codes for both a paid app and any kind of IAP. Unused promo code balance don’t transfer over to the next month as well. Each generated promo code can have its own expiration date, which can last for as long as one year.

Promo codes can only be generated for apps and games, and other content that is available through the store — namely music, movies and books — don’t come under its purview.

The lack of any promo code feature in Google Play has long been one of the sore points of the store that is used by millions of users out there, so it is nice to see that Google has finally gotten around to implementing that feature.