Developers will gain more control over billing, while Google replaces its historic commission model with a more flexible but still complex fee structure.
Mountain View, June 2026
Google Play is preparing one of the most significant policy changes in its history by allowing developers to use alternative payment systems and direct users to external websites for digital purchases. The reform ends the long-standing requirement that many applications distributed through the Play Store rely exclusively on Google Play Billing. Developers will be able to integrate their own checkout systems, work with independent payment processors or present external links where purchases can be completed. The first phase will apply from June 30, 2026, in the United States, the United Kingdom and countries within the European Economic Area.
The shift follows years of legal conflict between Google and Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and the Epic Games Store. Their dispute began in 2020 after Epic introduced a direct payment option intended to bypass the commissions charged by Google and Apple, prompting both companies to remove Fortnite from their stores. Epic responded with lawsuits accusing the platforms of using their control over mobile distribution and billing to restrict competition. Google and Epic eventually reached a settlement in March 2026 that established the foundation for broader changes to Android and Google Play.
The new model separates the cost of using Google Play as a distribution platform from the cost of using Google’s billing infrastructure. Developers will continue paying a service fee for access to the store, its discovery systems, security mechanisms, distribution network and account services. A separate billing fee of five percent will apply only when the developer chooses Google Play Billing to process the transaction. Applications using an external processor may avoid that additional charge, although they will not eliminate Google’s underlying service commission.
Under the updated structure, the service fee begins at ten percent on the first one million dollars in annual developer earnings and also applies to qualifying auto-renewing subscriptions. For other purchases, the percentage can rise according to the application’s revenue, the type of transaction and whether the user installed or updated the app before or after the regional rollout. Standard rates may reach twenty percent for transactions involving newer installations and twenty-five percent for certain existing installations. Developers participating in specialized Google programs may qualify for lower percentages if their applications meet additional experience, quality or cross-platform requirements.
The distinction between new and existing installations introduces an unusual level of complexity into the payment system. A transaction may be subject to a different fee depending on when the customer first installed or updated the application through Google Play. This allows Google to preserve higher revenue from users acquired under the previous rules while gradually applying lower fees to future installations. Developers will therefore need precise records and updated accounting systems to understand how each payment is classified.
Google will also permit applications to include links that direct users to external purchasing pages. A streaming service, game publisher or digital subscription provider could invite customers to complete payment through its own website rather than inside the application. This arrangement may allow companies to control the customer relationship, offer more payment methods and avoid the additional charge associated with Google’s billing system. However, external-link transactions may still generate a service fee because Google maintains that the Play Store contributed to the discovery, installation or continued use of the application.
For users, the most visible change will be the appearance of multiple checkout options inside or alongside Android applications. A customer may be offered Google Play Billing, a developer-operated payment system or a link to a website where the transaction is completed. These alternatives could create greater price competition, especially if developers pass part of their reduced costs to consumers through discounts or promotional benefits. There is no guarantee that prices will fall immediately, because companies may instead retain the savings or use them to cover the cost of operating their own payment infrastructure.
Google Play Billing has traditionally offered a consistent process for purchases, subscriptions, cancellations and refunds across many applications. External systems may provide lower fees or more flexibility, but their customer-service rules can vary considerably. Users will need to identify which company processed a transaction before requesting a refund, disputing a charge or canceling a subscription. The familiar Google purchase history may no longer contain every digital payment made through an application downloaded from the Play Store.
Security will become one of the main tests of the more open model. Google has long argued that centralized billing protects users by reducing exposure to fraudulent websites, insecure processors and misleading payment interfaces. Alternative systems can be equally secure when they use strong encryption, recognized processors and transparent authentication procedures, but their quality will not be uniform. Developers that adopt external billing will carry greater responsibility for protecting card information, complying with financial regulations and responding to unauthorized transactions.
The reform extends beyond payments because Google is also reducing some of the obstacles faced by competing Android app stores. The company plans to support a registered-store framework intended to make qualified third-party marketplaces easier to install and use. Participating stores may receive a more direct installation process and fewer warnings that could discourage users before they understand the source of the application. This could strengthen alternatives such as the Epic Games Store while preserving security requirements intended to distinguish legitimate platforms from malicious distribution channels.
Android has always permitted more external software installation than Apple’s iPhone ecosystem, but Google Play has remained the dominant marketplace for most users. Its combination of preinstallation, account integration, automatic updates and brand recognition gives it an advantage that independent stores have struggled to match. The new policies do not remove that structural position, but they may reduce some of the commercial and technical barriers surrounding it. Developers could distribute through Google Play while simultaneously offering different prices, payment systems or content through competing channels.
The dispute with Epic challenged one of the economic foundations of the mobile application industry: the commission imposed by the platform controlling distribution. For years, the standard rate for many transactions reached thirty percent, although Google later introduced reduced tiers and specialized programs. Critics argued that the fee was excessive because developers had limited practical alternatives if they wanted broad access to Android customers. Google maintained that the commission funded security, infrastructure, developer tools and the global services required to operate the store.
The settlement does not abolish platform commissions, and developers may still consider the new rates too high for transactions processed outside Google’s system. The central disagreement has therefore shifted from whether alternative payments should be permitted to how much Google may charge when it does not handle the actual transaction. A developer could pay a separate processor while also owing Google a service fee connected to distribution through the Play Store. Future disputes may focus on whether that continuing commission reflects genuine platform value or preserves control through a different mechanism.
The rollout will occur gradually rather than transforming every market at the same time. The United States, United Kingdom and European Economic Area will receive the new fee structure and payment options first, while additional regions are expected to follow during 2026 and 2027. Google has indicated that the broader model will eventually operate internationally, although local laws and regulatory requirements may affect implementation. Developers serving multiple countries will need to maintain different billing rules during the transition.
The changes also intensify comparisons between Google and Apple, which continues to defend extensive control over App Store payments while responding to court decisions and regulatory pressure in several jurisdictions. Google’s decision may increase demands for Apple to permit broader external billing without imposing restrictive conditions or substantial commissions. The two companies have historically justified their rules through similar arguments involving security, privacy and platform investment. Their approaches are now diverging more visibly as governments and courts challenge the concentration of power within mobile ecosystems.
For application creators, the new system offers opportunity but also introduces operational responsibility. Independent billing requires payment integration, fraud prevention, customer support, tax compliance and management of recurring subscriptions. Large companies already possess those capabilities and may benefit quickly, while smaller developers could decide that Google Play Billing remains more convenient despite the additional five-percent fee. The freedom to choose does not mean every alternative will be financially or technically practical.
Google Play’s historic rule is therefore not disappearing without conditions, but it is losing the exclusivity that once defined digital commerce on Android. Developers will gain greater control over how customers pay, and users may encounter more competition among payment systems and application stores. Google will continue earning revenue from the ecosystem through service fees, even when it no longer processes every transaction directly. The result is a more open model than before, although one whose complexity ensures that the debate over platform power is far from over.
Abrir los pagos amplía la competencia, pero la verdadera libertad dependerá de que las nuevas reglas sean claras, seguras y justas. / Opening payments expands competition, but true freedom will depend on whether the new rules are clear, secure and fair.