Google is starting a trial initiative that will allow a select group of developers to provide a payment mechanism in addition to Google Play’s own. Spotify will be the first platform to test this approach, according to the firm, and will leverage both Google Play’s and its own pricing systems.
The experiment, according to Google, will help the business better understand whether and how user choice charging works for consumers in different regions, as well as for different types of developers. Users who download Spotify through the Google Play Store will be able to pay using either
Spotify or Google Play as part of the test, marking the first time these two payment alternatives will be offered side by side in one app. This will allow anybody to subscribe and make purchases straight in the Spotify app using their preferred payment method.
Google Play has been the go-to place for Android users to obtain apps since its inception in 2008. Although it isn’t as well-organized as Apple’s App Store, one key disadvantage for developers has always been the requirement to use Google’s payment system, which comes with a 15% income cut anytime they
wish to sell their work. That will change today, with Google announcing a trial programme that would allow developers to utilise their preferred pricing system in addition to the Play Store’s existing charging approach.
A South Korean law stipulates that app stores accept payments via third-party billing systems in addition to their own integrated payment systems, prompting the policy shift. Similar legislation has been introduced in the US Congress, which is likely what drove Google to act.
2022-03-25