Google rolls out user choice billing on Google Play in the UK

Google said today that it will start offering user choice billing in the U.K., giving Google Play developers the ability to use other billing options instead of Google’s own system. The change kicks in on March 29, initially only to non-game developers. If developers opt for it, they cannot replace Google Play billing altogether. Instead, the third-party route will be offered as an option. Developer who opt to use an alternative billing option get a 4% discount from the fees they pay to Google (to account for the fees that third parties may also charge). Google typically gets a cut of up to 30% on in-app transactions and paid downloads. In a blog post announcing the change, Google claimed that more than 90% of developers on its platform are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with Google Play’s native billing. However, it added, “We recognise that some developers may want more choice in how they process payments. This launch enables developers to offer an additional billing system along ... Read full article.