It finally happened! After the developers of some apps and games like Tinder and Fortnite took Google to court for its high commissions and the exclusivity of payments through the Play Store, Google gave its arm to twist .
The company has just announced that Google Play will have alternative payment methods , but only in Europe and with an additional condition. We leave you all the details after the jump.
More payment methods and lower fees for applications on Google Play, but with conditions
Through a statement published on its blog , Google announced that it will update its Google Play billing policies for the European Economic Area (EEA) . The first change has to do with allowing app developers to use alternative payment methods, even if the app is distributed through Google Play. This measure will apply both to the payment of a premium app, as well as in-app purchases of subscriptions, content and digital services.
However, Google pointed out that those who decide to opt for alternative billing methods must comply with a series of minimum user protection requirements. Also, Google notified that the use of other platforms does not exempt developers from paying commissions. The company explained that a percentage of what is invoiced will continue to be charged to continue investing in the development of Android and Google Play. However, the fee will be lower.
When a user uses an alternative payment platform, they will pay 3% less than using the Google gateway . Taking into account that 99% of Android developers currently qualify to be charged a 15% commission or less, the new rate would now be 12% or less.
This decision is definitely positive for developers and end users , but it hides a couple of tricks up its sleeve. The first is that Google is accepting this change in its policies to comply with the recently approved Digital Markets Law (DMA) in Europe (although it is not in force), because otherwise it would do it globally. The second trick is that it only covers non-game apps.
Games are excluded from the new billing policy of the Play Store in Europe
As you just read, Google’s decision for the Play Store will leave out video games for Android. Thus, Epic Games and company will still have to use the Google gateway if they want their games to be distributed through Google Play.
This is a somewhat discriminatory measure, but it is no secret that in-app purchases of games are the ones that report the highest profits to Google Play. Therefore, it seems quite logical that Google does not want to give in on this, although the European Parliament may force it in the future.
As additional information, it is important to remember that this decision only applies to Europe. The rest of the world will continue under the previous policies , as well as commissions of up to 30%.
