Google terribly mishandled this problem. The problem they were trying to solve was never described except in the vaguest of terms. When I got the text and emails saying I had to pick one of three options and once picked, you couldn't change your mind, it didn't contain sufficient information to make an informed choice of the tradeoffs. The $100 store credit took three weeks to be approved -- which mine was just after the $100 discount on the Pixel 8a expired. I could have bought the 8a immediately instead of waiting three weeks.

It was such a sour experience, I'm doing something I never expected to do. I'm going to get an apple 16a and leave the android system after nearly 20 years.