Google announced an expansion of its Play Store payment program, which allows users to select different payment systems for in-app purchases. The changes will deploy to India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Google invited all non-gaming developers worldwide to register for the program. If accepted, they can use third-party payment methods in the locations mentioned above.
In July, Google implemented a similar policy for non-gaming developers and consumers in the EEA zone. The new program is an extension. The organization also offered a 3 percent cost reduction to EEA developers who use third-party billing.
Nearly all developers are eligible for lower fees
As part of the program, Google announced a 4 percent price reduction for developers. According to the tech giant, further details will be released in the following weeks and months. The details are important as many developers may use them to determine whether or not they want to go through the effort of changing payment processors.
Commission rates
According to Google, more than 99 percent of Play Store developers are eligible for commission rates of 15 percent or lower. Only the top 1 percent generate significant cash on the Play Store.
Google gets a 15 percent cut of every developer’s first $1 million in revenue each year. It then takes a 30 percent cut of further earnings for the year.
Developers that qualify for Google Play Media Experience — which includes applications for books, music and video — pay as little as 10 percent in fees.
United States excluded for now
While the extension covers major Android regions such as India and Indonesia, it excludes the United States, where legislators are considering regulations limiting Apple and Google’s monopoly on app stores. In July, Google reached a $90 million settlement with US-based developers over Play Store costs.
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