Last March Google announced that it would allow App Android to use their own payment system. But on one condition: as long as they also offered the billing on the Play Store. Therefore, now Google Play allows non-game developers from around the world to enroll in the User Choice Billing pilot program. As far as we know, the pilot markets for billing of your choice include the countries of European Economic Areal’Australial’Indial’Indonesia and the Japan.
Google Play: the test for third-party payments on Android apps is underway
Now the news is official. Developers of non-gaming mobile apps or tablets who have a registered business can test the possibility of offering alternative billing methods through apps. Among the requirements necessary to access the program, Google lists:
- respect the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (if you manage credit and / or debit card data)
- provide assistance to users of the alternative billing system, and the same system must provide a procedure for contesting unauthorized transactions
- notify in advance of changes provided for in the registration preferences of the App, such as disabling or enabling billing at the user’s choice in an App or in a specific country.
Beyond this, developers “must pay Google the applicable service fees”. These come reduced by 4% when an alternative system is used, similar to what happens in South Korea. According to the company, these fees are necessary to support “ongoing investments in Android and Google Play“. Meanwhile, it promotes the benefits of billing for end users such as “parental controls, family payment methods, subscription management, Google Play gift cards and Play points“.
“Android has always been a unique and open operating system, and we continue to evolve our platform and increase the choices available to developers and users, while maintaining our ability to invest in the ecosystem. With this next stage of the Google Play User Choice Billing Pilot, all non-game developers can offer additional billing choice along with Play’s billing system for their users in Australia, Japan, India, Indonesia and European Economic Area. We will share more in the coming months as we continue to create and repeat with our pilot partners. ” So commented a Google spokesperson.