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What changed in the U.S.?
Google’s earlier model generally required apps distributed through Google Play to use Play Billing for digital goods and services, while limiting in-app steering to outside payment options. Google described that requirement in its 2020 billing announcement.
Under the current U.S. policy, eligible developers serving U.S. users may:
- Offer an alternative payment method inside the app.
- Link users to an external transaction or app download, subject to the applicable program rules.
- Communicate about alternative prices and payment options.
- Set prices without being required to base them on whether the customer chooses Play Billing.
This makes Play Billing a choice for covered transactions, not an abolished product. Google’s policy applies to apps on mobile and tablet form factors serving U.S. users; it is not limited to developers headquartered in the United States. The relevant policy and program details are on Google’s U.S. policy update page.
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Why did Google change the policy?
The immediate U.S. change followed Epic Games’ antitrust case against Google. A jury found Google liable, and a permanent injunction was entered in October 2024. The Ninth Circuit upheld the injunction in 2025 and denied Google’s request to pause it. Google implemented the U.S. changes on October 29, 2025. The court’s rulings are available in the Ninth Circuit opinion in Epic Games v. Google and its September 2025 order.
Google and Epic announced a settlement agreement on March 4, 2026, and asked the district court to enter a revised modified injunction. Google’s policy page says the U.S. programs remain in effect; it does not establish that every element of the post-settlement arrangement is permanently settled.
What do Google’s fees look like in 2026?
Payment choice does not mean Google stops charging service fees. Google announced a fee structure that began rolling out June 30, 2026, in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Economic Area. Under that announced structure, the service fee starts at 10% on the first $1 million in annual earnings, and the 10% service fee also applies to auto-renewing subscriptions. Rates for other transactions depend in part on whether the user is associated with a new or existing install. Play Billing transactions also incur a separate 5% billing fee in those markets; alternative in-app billing and external web-link transactions do not incur that separate billing fee under the announced structure. Google says new rate cards for certain programs will be available September 30, 2026. See Google’s expanded billing and fee announcement.
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Those figures are not a complete cost comparison. The actual total depends on the applicable program and rate, processor terms, taxes, currency conversion, refunds, fraud, chargebacks, subscription tooling, engineering, and customer support. The service fee and billing fee are separate charges; removing one does not remove the other.
| Payment route | Google service fee | Separate Google billing fee | Who operates checkout? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play Billing | Applies under the relevant fee structure | 5% in the U.S., U.K., and EEA under the 2026 announcement | Google manages the Play checkout infrastructure |
| Alternative in-app billing | Applies under the relevant fee structure | Does not apply under the announced U.S. structure | Developer and payment provider |
| External web checkout | Applies under the relevant fee structure | Does not apply under the announced U.S. structure | Developer and payment provider |
This is a framework, not a universal net-cost calculation: each route shifts different payment, compliance, support, and conversion costs.
Which payment route should a developer choose?
Keep Google Play Billing
This is often the practical choice for small teams, global apps, or businesses without payments operations staff. It offers a familiar Android checkout and Google-managed infrastructure. Google says Play Billing supports tax and compliance handling across more than 195 markets and over 300 local payment methods. The trade-off is less control of the checkout relationship and continued applicable fees.
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- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Add alternative in-app billing
This can suit a business that wants direct processor relationships, specific payment methods, more control over checkout or customer data, or market-specific promotions. In exchange, the developer takes on more responsibility for payment integration, fraud, refunds, chargebacks, subscription state, support, and compliance. Google’s service-fee and program obligations may still apply.
Link to an external web checkout
A web checkout can make sense for an app with an established account-based business and a unified web-and-mobile subscription system. It can also add friction: users leave the app, may need to sign in, and complete a separate checkout. The developer must operate or arrange payment, tax, fraud, refund, and support processes, and follow the current external-link requirements.
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Use different routes in different markets
A multinational app may need Play Billing in one country, alternative billing in another, and a permitted external link elsewhere. That means maintaining market-specific payment choices, prices, legal terms, reporting, and entitlement logic rather than assuming one checkout works worldwide.
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- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
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When is switching likely to be worth the work?
- Consider alternatives if transaction volume is substantial, the business already has web checkout, direct customer data matters, or specialized payment methods are important—and the team can manage the added operations.
- Stay with Play Billing if the team is small, global tax and payment coverage are priorities, or reliable subscription management and a familiar checkout matter more than control.
- Be cautious about web checkout for low-value impulse purchases, child-focused products, or apps without robust accounts and entitlement systems; extra steps may harm conversion or usability.
- Check the provider’s fit before integrating: payment coverage, subscription retries, tax responsibilities, fraud and dispute handling, refunds, reporting compatibility, and whether it acts as a merchant of record all affect total cost and workload.
A lower processor rate alone does not prove that an alternative is cheaper. Engineering, compliance, support, fraud losses, and any lost conversions belong in the calculation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who and what are covered?
The U.S. policy concerns apps serving U.S. users, not simply apps made by U.S.-based developers. Its stated scope includes mobile and tablet form factors. It is most relevant to digital subscriptions, content, virtual goods, and premium features. Physical goods and real-world services generally were not subject to the same Play Billing requirement, so they are not newly exempted by this change.
The United Kingdom and EEA have their own billing-choice mechanisms, and Google’s broader rollout is staggered. Google announced a wider framework in March 2026, with updates scheduled to reach the rest of the world by September 30, 2027, subject to rollout and regulatory conditions. Do not assume that a U.S. payment option is available to users everywhere. Google’s March 2026 announcement outlines the broader plans.
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Google Play Billing and Google Pay are different products: Play Billing is the Play Store’s in-app commerce system for digital goods and services; Google Pay is a broader payments product. Alternative billing also does not mean sideloading: a payment link is distinct from distributing an app outside Google Play.
What will users notice?
Users may see different checkout screens, payment methods, prices, refund processes, and subscription-management arrangements depending on location, eligibility, install history, and the developer’s chosen route. A purchase made on a website may require an account or a separate web sign-in. A lower processing cost does not guarantee a lower price: a developer may instead use the difference to cover operations, taxes, support, marketing, or margin.
Moving between channels can also complicate subscriptions. The developer must keep entitlements in sync when a customer renews, upgrades, downgrades, cancels, requests a refund, disputes a charge, or restores a purchase. Users who buy through different channels may have different support and refund paths.
Developer checklist before changing checkout
- Classify the purchase. Determine whether it is a digital subscription, content, virtual item, premium feature, physical product, or real-world service.
- Map the customer’s market. Use the purchaser’s location and applicable program, not the developer’s headquarters, to determine available choices.
- Select the architecture. Decide whether to use Play Billing alone, add an alternative in-app method, link to web checkout, or vary by market.
- Model total cost. Include Google service and billing fees where applicable, processor charges, currency conversion, tax, fraud, disputes, refunds, support, and engineering.
- Confirm program and reporting obligations. Review the current requirements for alternative billing or external links. Google says enrolled developers in the relevant U.S. programs must report applicable transactions and successful downloads and pay applicable service fees beginning October 1, 2026.
- Reconcile entitlements. Ensure Play, alternative-processor, and web purchases correctly grant access, and synchronize renewals, cancellations, refunds, chargebacks, and restores.
- Test real segments. Test U.S. and non-U.S. users, phones and tablets, new and existing installs, web buyers who install through Play, and each supported purchase and refund path.
- Review ordinary Play obligations. Payment flexibility does not waive rules on malware, privacy, user data, deceptive behavior, security, or other developer requirements. Consult the current Google Play Developer Program Policy.
Google’s U.S. policy update and program pages are the appropriate starting point for current enrollment details; the exact Play Console navigation can change, so use the live instructions rather than relying on an outdated menu path.
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