In addition to adding new markets including India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the European Economic Area, Google is expanding its third-party in-app pricing pilot program. The most recent upgrade allows non-gaming mobile and tablet app developers to use a different charging system in addition to Google Play. Developers will be charged service fees as part of the choice billing trial project. The developer will pay a 4 percent lower service cost when a customer opts to use an alternate billing method.
Through its support page, the search engine giant announced the expansion of the user choice billing pilot programme to India and the other four markets. The most recent upgrade allows non-gaming app developers with a registered business in India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, or the European Economic Area (EEA) to utilise a different payment system in addition to Google Play.
According to Google, there will be a service fee for developers that is cut by 4% when users switch to an alternative system.
According to a Google spokeswoman quoted by PTI, "We will be releasing more in the coming months as we continue to build and iterate with our pilot partners." Users can select their preferred method of payment throughout the checkout process.
As part of the pilot programme, developers are required to submit to Google Play for billing the total of all paid transactions from the alternative billing system.
The Alphabet-owned business and Apple are currently under intense international scrutiny for allegedly coercing anticompetitive behaviour, requiring software developers to use their payment systems, and collecting exorbitant fees. As part of the new endeavour, Google earlier in March permitted Spotify to utilise either Spotify's payment system or Google Play Billing in certain nations.
