Google’s trial for Play Store billing options has finally arrived in the United States. The corporation is extending its “user choice billing” pilot programme to the United States, Brazil, and South Africa. When you purchase in-app content, you’ll be offered to pick between Google’s in-app buying system and something else (such as the developer’s).
The exam also includes other applications. Bumble is now scheduled to join Spotify, which began rolling out an early version of payment options this week. In the “coming months,” the dating app will provide a variety of payment methods in select regions.
The official conditions of Google’s Play Store billing selection system reduced Google’s service cost by 4%. It still earns 11 or 26 per cent on each transaction through these methods. However, Spotify said that its agreement with Google satisfied its standards for fairness. It’s unclear if Spotify got any preferential treatment.
The test was first revealed in March. Google said in September that the trial will first serve Play Store customers in Australia, the European Economic Area, India, Indonesia, and Japan. Google said the extension was spurred by “good” early feedback from developers and users.
This is not a charitable experiment. Google, like Apple, is under fire from regulators and lawmakers who feel mobile OS manufacturers are exploiting their position to deprive customers of in-app payment choices. It’s also no secret that major developers and media outlets, such as Spotify, Epic Games, and The New York Times, are uniting to demand the ability to use alternative billing. Match Group, Bumble’s major competitor, is even suing Google for suspected antitrust breaches. The test, in theory, helps Google avoid (or at least lessen) penalties and regulatory crackdowns that it may otherwise face.
