Google to accept third-party app payments in India

Google will allow developers of non-gaming Android apps from several countries, including India, to offer third-party payment options under a pilot project. With this recent move, developers will see their service fee of 15-30 percent reduced by 4 percent.

The development follows increased global regulatory scrutiny on Google and Apple over the companies mandating their own in-app billing systems and charging commission on each transaction.

Earlier this year, Google announced a new pilot to explore user choice billing in apps on Google Play, allowing participating developers to offer users an alternative billing system next to Google Play's billing system.

In March, Google said it would allow Spotify to use its own payment system in its Android app as part of a new pilot program. With the latest move, the pilot has now been extended to non-gaming app developers in India and four other markets — Australia, Indonesia, Japan and the European Economic Area.

A Google spokesperson said, “With this next phase of Google Play’s user choice billing pilot, all non-gaming developers can offer an additional billing choice alongside Play’s billing system for their users in Australia, Japan, India, Indonesia, and the European Economic Area. We will be sharing more in the coming months as we continue to build and iterate with our pilot partners.”

In-app purchases are additional content, features, or subscriptions that users buy within a particular app. Google says that it will continue to charge a service fee to support investments in Android and Play.