Google Will Allow Some Apps Starting With Spotify to Offer Alternatives


Google said on Wednesday He said it will allow some apps, such as Spotify, to offer their own billing systems on the Google Play store as part of a pilot program.

The move will allow these apps to bypass Google’s own payment system and the main commissions it charges. The change comes as Google and Apple, the two biggest app store operators, are facing complaints from regulators and developers that they are abusing their dominance in mobile software to force companies to use proprietary billing methods.

The testing program will kick off with music streaming service Spotify, which is a vocal critic of the high commissions charged by Google and Apple. In addition to the payment system offered by the Google Play store, Spotify will offer its own billing options on devices running Google’s Android software.

“This is an important milestone and a first for any major app store,” said Sameer Samat, vice president of Google, who oversees the Google Play store in a blog post.

inside that own blog post Announcing it’s a “multi-year deal,” Spotify said it has long supported “platform fairness and expanded payment options” and expects the billing option to become available later this year. company in 2019 made a complaint Arguing against Apple with European regulators that the company is using its dominance of the app store to levy a “tax” to hurt companies that compete against its services, including Apple Music.

Google said it will improve the experience of giving users options in their billing systems in South Korea. passed a law last year prohibiting app stores from forcing developers to use proprietary billing systems.

The testing program is likely to reduce Google’s lucrative commissions from app developers for the money earned on its platform. Google and Apple took 30 percent commission over the years for digital products or subscriptions sold in their app stores. Google and Apple have cut their commissions for subscriptions and smaller developers as this has recently sparked a backlash from developers and scrutiny from regulators.

Google spokesman Dan Jackson said the company will charge a “service fee” even if users don’t use the billing system as it already is. in south korea. He didn’t elaborate, stating that the pilot has just begun and plans to work with Spotify and other partners to uncover the details.

Last year, as part of a legal agreement, said apple It would allow a number of apps that provide digital media such as books, newspapers, music and videos to direct customers to their websites for subscription payments.



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