Google has announced that developers in India who have their applications on Google Play have the option to choose from three billing systems, or else Google will take measures to ensure its policy is applied fairly. In a blog post, the company stated that developers can utilize Google Play’s billing system, offer an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s for Indian users, or opt for a consumption-only model without incurring a service fee, even if the service is paid.
The majority of developers worldwide have already selected one of these options, according to Google. However, for Indian developers who have not implemented any of these choices, Google will enforce its policy to ensure fairness. Last year, Google temporarily suspended the requirement for developers to use Google Play’s billing system in India, in response to a directive from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) prohibiting restrictions on app developers from using third-party billing or payment processing services for app purchases or in-app billing on Google Play.
Google clarified that its service fees are only applicable when developers sell digital goods or services within their applications. Currently, only 3% of developers in India fall into this category and are thus required to pay a service fee. For the vast majority of developers, Google’s fees are 15% or less, making them the lowest rates among major app stores. Moreover, Google estimated that fewer than 60 out of the 200,000 Indian developers on Google Play would have to pay a service fee exceeding 15%. If a user pays through an alternative billing system, the fee is further reduced by 4% to acknowledge that Google Play’s billing system was not utilized.