Google opens – Starting June 30 in the US, the UK, and Europe, Google will let developers offer outside payments in the Play Store and replace its longtime 30 percent commission with a new, lower fee structure. The move—tied to Google’s March settlement with Epic Games—will
On June 30. checkout in the Play Store will look different for developers and customers in the US. the UK. and Europe. Google will allow app makers to offer payments outside Google Play starting that day—and it’s also moving away from the 30 percent cut that has shaped how digital storefront economics have worked for years.
Google first announced these changes in March as part of the terms it reached to settle its years-long court battle with Epic Games. The company is now rolling those terms into a “new billing choice program” that will be available to all developers around the world.
The switch doesn’t mean Play listings disappear or storefront choice gets hidden. Listings will still feature Play Store’s billing system. but developers will be able to offer an alternative payment system or link users to their own websites for purchase. During checkout. customers will see the choice screen shown in Google’s image. while developers can design their own screen—so long as it adheres to Google’s UX guidelines.
Google is also changing what it takes from transactions. On the same day, it will stop taking a 30 percent cut from sales in the US, the UK, and Europe. Instead, it will separate its service fee from the billing fee.
The service fee will start at 10 percent on a developer’s first $1 million in annual earnings. no matter which billing system the customer uses. That same 10 percent service fee will apply to all subscription auto-renewals. If a transaction uses Google Play’s own payment system, an additional 5 percent billing fee will apply.
For developers who pass the first $1 million threshold, the commission rate changes. Google’s commission doubles after the developer’s first million in a year for new installs. resulting in a 20 percent cut instead of just 10 percent. Auto-renewals will still give Google a 10 percent cut. but all other transactions on existing installs will produce a 20-to-25 percent commission.
There’s an exception window for specific programs. Apps that qualify for the Games Level Up and the new Apps Experience initiative can keep enjoying lower fees when those initiatives go live on September 30. The Games Level Up program is for developers who create high-quality gaming experiences. while the Apps Experience program is aimed at developers who design premium multi-device experiences across Android.
Even though the initial June 30 change only applies to the US, the UK, and Europe, Google says it will expand the reach over the coming months. The company’s goal is to make these terms the standard worldwide by September 30, 2027.
Google Play Store outside billing Epic Games settlement developer fees commission changes Android payments app subscriptions Games Level Up Apps Experience UX guidelines
So does this mean cheaper apps now or nah?
They’re “opening it up” but it still says listings feature Google billing?? confusing. Like you can choose outside payments but they’re still taking fees, just different names.
Epic already got them to change stuff so Google’s probably just doing the bare minimum. Also that 10% thing sounds good but knowing Google they’ll add more “service fees” later.
I read this like June 30 you won’t be able to buy anything through Play unless you go to some random website, which feels shady. But then it says it won’t disappear? So which is it, Google? Can’t trust any of it. If the app developer designs their own checkout screen, that’s gonna be a mess too.