Explained: Why Google has stopped Play billing for developers – Times of India
What is Google Play billing?
All developers require to follow Google Play billing system in order to offer in-app purchases of digital goods and services distributed on Google Play. It enables developers transact with millions of users around the world and gives users safe ways to pay and the ability to manage their payments from a central location. “Play’s billing system plays a critical role in helping us maintain user trust and keep Google Play safe,” says Google.
What Google has to say on it
On its developer support page, Google stated that, “Following the CCI’s recent ruling, we are pausing enforcement of the requirement for developers to use Google Play’s billing system for the purchase of digital goods and services for transactions by users in India while we review our legal options and ensure we can continue to invest in Android and Play.”
What’s the ‘issue’ here?
For a while now, developers have been complaining about the commission they have to pay Google on all in-app purchases. Google charges developers anywhere between 15% to 30% on the transactions developers do on their apps via Play Store. CCI has argued that “app developers and users have no bargaining power
vis-à-vis
Google and are forced to accept terms that deter legitimate competition and increase their costs of operation. The app developer has no choice but to agree to the terms and conditions unilaterally decided by Google, otherwise they will not be able to access a vast pool of potential Android users in India.”
Since CCI has asserted that Google has misused its dominant position and one of the bones of contention is Google Play billing, the tech giant has halted it in India.
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