Today was the deadline for Google to disclose how it is complying with Judge James Donato’s order to open up Android to third-party app stores, stop it from illegally linking its Google Play billing system to its app store, and link ways for developers to download their apps outside the Play Store in the US.
But Google isn’t just allowing app developers to do as they wish. The company has quietly updated its support pages with a January 28 deadline for enrolling in specific Google programs For “alternative billing” and “external content links” — and these programs will come with larger alternative fees of their own, assuming Judge Donato doesn’t opt for Epic and Google’s proposed settlement instead.
Although it isn’t collecting fees yet, Google says it will charge developers $2.85 for every app and $3.65 for every game An install occurs within 24 hours after a user clicks a link that takes you outside Google’s App Store and downloads it outside the Google ecosystem.
Additionally, there will be a 20 percent discount on any in-app purchases and a 10 percent discount on any auto-renewing subscriptions. Apps must still submit to Google for review, use the Google API to track them, and developers must report all transactions (including the $0 free trial) if they want to participate.
Meanwhile, developers who want to offer their own billing solutions will only get a 5 percent discount compared to Google’s current fees, making it probably not worthwhile to try alternative billing at all. Google will charge 25 percent for in-app purchases and 10 percent for auto-renewing subscriptions; Developers will need to integrate Google APIs to track them and report all transactions within 24 hours.
The company will cap some of these fees at 10 percent of a developer’s first $1 million in earnings, making it a little easier for smaller developers, but probably no easier than it is now. Google already offers a similar limit of 15 percent off, so this is also a 5 percent discount.
How will Judge James Donato react? When Apple told Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers it would require a 27 percent fee for external payments in parallel epic vs apple In the case, it found Apple in contempt of court, and an appeals court backed that decision a few days ago. However, the appeals court suggested that Apple might be able to collect some fees, writing:
Apple should be able to charge a commission on Linked-Out purchases based on the costs that are actually and reasonably required to coordinate the external link for the Linked-Out purchase, but not more.
Google currently claims that “the fees associated with the External Content Links Program reflect the value provided by Android and Play and support our continued investment in Android and Play.”
But Google also says it won’t charge any fees for now, writing:
In the future, Google intends to impose service fees on successful transactions and downloads completed through external content links. However, at this time, Google is not assessing these fees and so developers in this program are not required to report these transactions or downloads to Google.
In their joint progress report today, lawyers for Epic and Google write that while Epic has agreed to the January 28 deadline and other requirements, “Epic has indicated that it opposes any service fees announced by Google that it may impose in the future and that Epic will challenge these fees if they are implemented.”
Of course, none of this will come to pass if Judge Donato instead accepts Google and Epic’s proposed agreement, which would apply generally worldwide (rather than just in the US) and come with lower standard transaction fees.
But Google indicated that the settlement would come with optional billing and fees on external app downloads, and Judge Donato was skeptical of the agreement in November. He has ordered an evidentiary hearing on January 22 before taking a decision.
Since Google’s help pages appear to be fluid epic vs google Continuing, we have archived copies of their current text below.
<a href