Outside Billing

Google is preparing one of its biggest Play Store policy changes in years. Starting June 30, developers in the US, the UK, and Europe will be able to offer outside payments, and Google will also lower its commission at the same time. The move comes from the settlement Google reached in its long-running fight with Epic Games, and it changes how developers can handle checkout inside Android apps. According to Engadget, the new billing choice program will be open to developers around the world, even though the rollout begins in only a few regions. What Changes at Checkout Developers will still have to show Google Play’s billing system in their listings, but they can also offer an alternative payment method or send users to their own website to complete a purchase. Customers will see a choice screen during checkout, although developers can design their own version as long as it follows Google’s UX guidelines. That means the Play Store is no longer forcing a single payment path in every case, even if Google still remains part of the transaction flow. For developers, the new setup creates more room to steer users toward billing systems outside Google’s own. How Google’s Fees Are Changing Transaction Type Fee Details First $1 million in annual earnings 10% service fee, regardless of billing system Subscription auto-renewals 10% service fee Google Play billing transactions Additional 5% billing fee Google will separate its service fee from its billing fee, and the service fee will start at 10 percent on a developer’s first $1 million in annual earnings. That rate applies no matter which billing system customers use, while transactions that use Google Play’s own payment system will also carry an extra 5 percent billing fee. After that first million, the commission rises for new installs. Google’s take becomes 20 percent instead of 10 percent, while auto-renewals still stay at 10 percent and other transactions on existing installs move into the 20-to-25 percent range. Lower Fees for Some Developers Later Google is also keeping special fee treatment for certain programs. Apps that qualify for Games Level Up and the new Apps Experience program can continue to get lower fees when those initiatives launch on September 30. The Games Level Up program is aimed at developers making high-quality gaming experiences, while the Apps Experience program is designed for developers building premium multi-device experiences across Android. Google says the changes will expand beyond the US, the UK, and Europe over the coming months until they become the standard worldwide on September 30, 2027. Read more at: www.engadget.com

Google’s Play Store Opens to Outside Billing, and Its Cut Drops Sharply