Skip to main content

Google drops developer fees in the Play Store to as low as 10%

Google today announced new moves to make selling on the Play Store more attractive to developers. Currently, the company charges 30% for all subscription sales, then drops it to 15% after a year. Starting in 2022, developers will now be charged 15% on payments from the first day, while Google also moves to reduce fees for apps registered under the Play Media Experience Program to 10%.

“Digital subscriptions have become one of the fastest-growing models for developers, but we know that subscription businesses face specific challenges in customer acquisition and retention. We’ve worked with our partners in dating, fitness, education and other sectors to understand the nuances of their businesses,” Google’s Sameer Samat, vice president of product management, explained in an announcement. “Our current service fee drops from 30% to 15% after 12 months of a recurring subscription. But we’ve heard that customer churn makes it challenging for subscription businesses to benefit from that reduced rate. So, we’re simplifying things to ensure they can.”

Play Store apps.

The new fee structure kicks in January 1, 2022, and will benefit 99% of developers, Google says. This means that if you purchase a subscription from the Play Store after that date, Google will only charge the developer 15% of the total payment right from the start. Google will also make a change to apps and services under the Play Media Experience program. These apps were built with support for cross-platform experiences such as Google TV, Android Auto, Google Wear, and Google Cast in exchange for a reduced fee of 15%. Starting January 1, 2022, that fee will drop to as low as 10%,

Google’s new moves come after efforts from developers to challenge the Play Store and Apple App Store’s 30% fees as onerous. The company had made many preemptive moves in this regard, lowering the commission it charged for small businesses (earning under $1 million annually) to 15%. It wasn’t enough to stop some countries like South Korea from ordering it to open up its Play Store to alternate payment mechanisms, but moves like this will go a long way in quelling further dissatisfaction from developers and content providers. Google cites Bumble and Duolingo as examples of partners who have responded positively to this change.

Editors' Recommendations

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Your next Samsung phone might ditch Google Search for Bing
The screens on the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 Ultra.

When you buy an Android phone, you expect Google Search to be installed out of the box as the default search engine. But that may not be the case when you buy your next Samsung phone. According to a report over the weekend, Samsung might abandon Google Search in favor of Bing as the default search engine for future Samsung Galaxy phones.

The possibility that Samsung is considering replacing Google Search with Bing on its smartphones sent Google into a "panic," according to the New York Times, Why? As the report explains, "An estimated $3 billion in annual revenue is at stake with the Samsung contract." If Samsung doesn't want to keep using Google for the default search engine on its phones, that's $3 billion per year Google will no longer get. And if Samsung decides it wants Bing instead of Google, who knows how many other companies will follow suit and do the same.
Why Samsung wants Bing over Google

Read more
What is Google Assistant? Here’s the guide you need to get started
Using Google Assistant on the Google Pixel Watch.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is huge news right now, thanks to chatbots like ChatGPT -- but did you know you can already access an AI on your Android phone? Google Assistant is Google's AI-powered voice assistant, and it's available on Android, iOS, and a large number of smart devices (like Google's Nest speakers). While not as capable as ChatGPT (yet), Google Assistant can handle an impressive number of tasks — including pausing and resuming songs and videos, making tasks and reminders, and in some cases, even taking and screening phone calls for you.

That may seem like a lot, but Google Assistant is relatively simple to use. If you've never used a voice assistant before, we've got this guide to help you get to grips with it and take your first steps.
What is Google Assistant?

Read more
I’ve used Android phones for 10 years, and I hate these ones the most
pixel 4 xl rear sticking out

I’ve been using and reviewing Android smartphones for at least a decade, and during that time, I’ve spent time with a massive variety of devices that mostly fall into three distinct categories: good, passable, and bad. But what about the ones that have really stirred my emotions in a negative way? The phones that have elicited a visceral, guttural response? I’m not talking about the ones I love, but the ones I’ve downright hated.

Here are the six models that have irked me the most over the last 10 years of using and reviewing smartphones, and the reasons why they’ve made this list.
Google Pixel 4

Read more