Setup Guide & $300 Free Credits

Open your web browser and visit cloud.google.com. You'll land on the Google Cloud homepage. Look for the "Get started for free" button in the top-right navigation or the hero section of the page.

• Open your browser and go to cloud.google.com
• Click "Get started for free" or "Start free" in the top-right corner
• The button will redirect you to the sign-in / account creation flow

You'll be redirected to Google's sign-in page. Sign in with your existing Google/Gmail account. If you don't have one, click "Create account" to set one up — it only takes a few minutes.

• Enter your Gmail address and click Next
• Enter your password and sign in
• New user? Click "Create account" → "For my personal use"

After signing in, you'll land on the Google Cloud Free Trial registration page. Select your country from the dropdown menu, read and accept the Terms of Service, then click "Agree and Continue".

• Select your country from the dropdown (e.g., India)
• Check the box to agree to the Terms of Service
• Click "Agree and Continue"

You'll now need to fill in your account details. This is Step 1 of 2 in the registration. Choose "Individual" as the account type (unless you're registering for an organization). Then provide your name and address.

• Select "Individual" as account type (or Business if applicable)
• Enter your full legal name
• Fill in your complete address including PIN code and state
• Click Continue to proceed to payment

This is Step 2 of 2. Google requires a payment method purely for identity verification. You will not be charged during the free trial. Supported methods include credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay) and net banking.

• Enter your card number (debit or credit card)
• Fill in the expiry date (MM/YY) and CVV
• Enter the name on the card exactly as printed
• Make sure automatic payments are enabled on your card (some banks block it — contact your bank if needed)
• Click "Start my free trial"

After submitting your card details, your bank may send an OTP (one-time password) for verification. Enter it when prompted. In some cases, Google may place a small temporary authorization hold (usually ₹2–₹5) that is immediately reversed.

• Wait for the OTP SMS from your bank on your registered mobile number
• Enter the OTP in the verification box and confirm
• Google will show a "You're all set!" confirmation screen
• You'll then be redirected to the Google Cloud Console

Once registration is complete, your $300 free trial credit is automatically applied — there's nothing extra to redeem. To confirm, navigate to Billing → Overview in the Google Cloud Console to see your credit balance.

• In the Cloud Console, click the hamburger menu (☰) on the top left
• Scroll down to Billing and click it
• On the Overview page, you'll see your $300 credit balance and 90-day expiry
• Credits are consumed automatically as you use Google Cloud products

You now have full access to the Google Cloud Console. From here you can launch virtual machines, set up databases, use AI APIs, and much more — all charged against your $300 credit balance.

• Use the left navigation to explore services: Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, BigQuery, AI APIs
• Click "Create Project" to start a new project under your billing account
• Monitor spending at any time under Billing → Reports
• Set up Budget Alerts under Billing → Budgets & Alerts to avoid surprises